Flush Latches

Hi All,
I am trying to figure out who the manufacturer of the particular flush
latch below, and after MUCH interwebbing have still turned up
nothing.
http://www.n523rv.com/fuselage/Cowl%...%20outside.jpg and
http://www.n523rv.com/fuselage/Cowl%...h%20inside.jpg

It's not a Camloc (none I've run across at least...)
I'm not interested in Hartwells'
Any clues?

These will be for parts I am making which are not direct replacements
so my latch choice is left to my own arbitrary decision process. I
have already tried to email the builder of the RV-10 that latch is on
to no avail (I even joined the vans Air Force newsgroup over the
deal!).

I am also interested in a very similar looking flush latch that is
used on the dorsal hatch on the Genesis 2, but also for the life of me
cannot figure out exactly who made them and what they are called
(Robert Mudd does not know either for that matter...), so if anyone
has any insight on that one it would also be appreciated. Inspecting
one up close is of no help, as the thick speckeled/textured gray
interior coating already covers the latch bodies, hiding the crucial
info. Anyone speak Lithuanian?

Thanks,
Paul

Those look similar to Piper's oil dip stick door (Cherokee 140's,
etc). I wonder if there is some Piper maintenance manual that might
show the part, or if they are available from Piper's parts
department? Or maybe they could give you the manufacturer. Just a
thought.

On Nov 11, 7:28*am, sisu1a wrote:
Hi All,
I am trying to figure out who the manufacturer of the particular flush
latch below, and after MUCH interwebbing have still turned up
nothing.http://www.n523rv.com/fuselage/Cowl%...h%20inside.jpg

It's not a Camloc (none I've run across at least...)
I'm not interested in Hartwells'
Any clues?

These will be for parts I am making which are not direct replacements
so my latch choice is left to my own arbitrary decision process. I
have already tried to email the builder of the RV-10 that latch is on
to no avail (I even joined the vans Air Force newsgroup over the
deal!).

I am also interested in a very similar looking flush latch that is
used on the dorsal hatch on the Genesis 2, but also for the life of me
cannot figure out exactly who made them and what they are called
(Robert Mudd does not know either for that matter...), so if anyone
has any insight on that one it would also be appreciated. Inspecting
one up close is of no help, as the thick speckeled/textured gray
interior coating already covers the latch bodies, hiding the crucial
info. Anyone speak Lithuanian?

Thanks,
Paul

He said he got the latches at B&B. Considering his location, I think
this may be
http://exp-aircraft.com/vendors/page...-Supplies.html
in Gardner, KS. No web site.

Frank Whiteley

On Nov 11, 9:28*am, sisu1a wrote:
Hi All,
I am trying to figure out who the manufacturer of the particular flush
latch below, and after MUCH interwebbing have still turned up
nothing.http://www.n523rv.com/fuselage/Cowl%...h%20inside.jpg

It's not a Camloc (none I've run across at least...)
I'm not interested in Hartwells'
Any clues?

These will be for parts I am making which are not direct replacements
so my latch choice is left to my own arbitrary decision process. I
have already tried to email the builder of the RV-10 that latch is on
to no avail (I even joined the vans Air Force newsgroup over the
deal!).

I am also interested in a very similar looking flush latch that is
used on the dorsal hatch on the Genesis 2, but also for the life of me
cannot figure out exactly who made them and what they are called
(Robert Mudd does not know either for that matter...), so if anyone
has any insight on that one it would also be appreciated. Inspecting
one up close is of no help, as the thick speckeled/textured gray
interior coating already covers the latch bodies, hiding the crucial
info. Anyone speak Lithuanian?

Thanks,
Paul

Nice workmanship in those photos !
You could always make your own latches,
these are just bent metal, nothing really fancy...
Hope that's helpful,
See ya, Dave "YO electric"

PS: Or, you could just give up and use wing tape ;-)

I second the workmanship comment - love the hinge pin keeper!

It has been a while since I have done any aircraft door access panel
design. I am amazed how much suppliers have consolidated. Fairchild
has been bought by Alcoa, which apparently bought the Adams-Rite line
of aircraft handles.

You might try this page:

http://www.alcoa.com/fastening_syste...ingsystems.pdf

MM

Funny you should ask. Installing similar latches in the oil door of
Steve Smith's RV-8 cowling is my task for tonight and tomorrow.

Actually, the hard part of the task is taking the floppy M&W door
blank and adding foam core and an inner skin to make it a nice stiff
sandwich structure. Doing that so as to retain some footprint for the
hinge and latch will take a bit of sculpting.

But, anyhow, finding the latches was a chore. Steve called around and
found them at Beech and Cessna dealers for like $60 and $90 each. He
eventually found B&B (cited below) who had multiple sizes for $5 each.
He bought a bunch of them. That was only a couple days ago.

The B&B latches are real Camlocs, and are of a simpler mechanism than
those in your photos. I'll get a photo of one this evening and put it
up on the Web site tomorrow:

www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24

Thanks, Bob K.

On Nov 11, 8:52*am, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
Funny you should ask. Installing similar latches in the oil door of
Steve Smith's RV-8 cowling is my task for tonight and tomorrow.

Actually, the hard part of the task is taking the floppy M&W door
blank and adding foam core and an inner skin to make it a nice stiff
sandwich structure. Doing that so as to retain some footprint for the
hinge and latch will take a bit of sculpting.

But, anyhow, finding the latches was a chore. Steve called around and
found them at Beech and Cessna dealers for like $60 and $90 each. He
eventually found B&B (cited below) who had multiple sizes for $5 each.
He bought a bunch of them. That was only a couple days ago.

The B&B latches are real Camlocs, and are of a simpler mechanism than
those in your photos. I'll get a photo of one this evening and put it
up on the Web site tomorrow:

www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24

Thanks, Bob K.

Thanks all for the replies thus far. I've tried calling B&B before,
but got no answer then or now although I haven't left a message
yet...

As for RV oil access doors, this one has my vote for the slickest
solution:
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=30158

Although I could adopt the 'hidden latch' technique for my own ship,
it conflicts with my project goals (making some hatches that can be
used on other ships, requiring no additional mods...)

-Paul

On Nov 11, 11:31*am, sisu1a wrote:

...As for RV oil access doors, this one has my vote for the slickest
solution:
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=30158

Yup, pretty slick. We're using the same hinge on Steve's airplane, but
with the Camloc latch from B&B.

Also, I'd not mix carbon and fiberglass as shown. With the different
materials on the different sides, and the different sides exposed to
drastically different air temperatures, I'd expect to see it change
shape unpredictably in service. Probably not enough to make a
difference, but I think I just wouldn't even go there.

Thanks, Bob K.

Earlier, I wrote:

...
The B&B latches are real Camlocs, and are of a simpler mechanism than
those in your photos. I'll get a photo of one this evening and put it
up on the Web site tomorrow:

www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24

Thanks, Bob K.

Here are the two photos of the oil door and $5 Camloc flush latch from
B&B:

http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24/QB121028a.JPG

http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24/QB121029a.JPG

A couple of notes and comments:

* On that oil door, I've added a 1/16" spacer to account for the
thickness of the recess into which the oil door fits. The latch is
actually designed for a door with the same thickness as the panel it
latches to.

* The spacer prevents the button from fitting flush into the push
hole, but I'll accout for that by making a new button face on the
lathe and bonding it to the original button face.

* Yet to be done is to add a U-shaped doubler of 1/8" PVC foam and
inner ply to turn the door into a stiff fiberglass sandwich.

Thanks, Bob K.

On Nov 12, 10:56*am, Bob Kuykendall wrote:
Earlier, I wrote:
...
The B&B latches are real Camlocs, and are of a simpler mechanism than
those in your photos. I'll get a photo of one this evening and put it
up on the Web site tomorrow:

www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24

Thanks, Bob K.

Here are the two photos of the oil door and $5 Camloc flush latch from
B&B:

http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24/QB121028a.JPG

http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24/QB121029a.JPG

A couple of notes and comments:

* On that oil door, I've added a 1/16" spacer to account for the
thickness of the recess into which the oil door fits. The latch is
actually designed for a door with the same thickness as the panel it
latches to.

* The spacer prevents the button from fitting flush into the push
hole, but I'll accout for that by making a new button face on the
lathe and bonding it to the original button face.

* Yet to be done is to add a U-shaped doubler of 1/8" PVC foam and
inner ply to turn the door into a stiff fiberglass sandwich.

Thanks, Bob K.

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is it possible to adjust
the B&B's latch surface to accomodate different thicknesses
of hatch/shell more easily ?
Thanks,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"