Jim,
Could you please give me a lead to follow to acquire this teflon sleeving,
and the smaller diameter, stronger, hinge pin? The hinge is the MS2000
series which to my knowledge has a .089"diameter, or so the Spruce Catalogue
states. Don't worry about me not bending the hinge pin, the ramifications of
not doing so have given me the odd bad dream, and a loose, partially
"departing" flight control would be extremely dangerous, as your friend can
verify. I think he is lucky to be able to tell the story! My friend who did
this mod I mentioned used small split pins to insure his pins did not work
Our hinges are bonded to the flight controls and then bolted to the
wing/tail etc, so to remove them in the future does not sound like a fun
weekend(month!). As such this sleeving sounds like a great idea and I'm sure
others are tempted by the knowledge, any tips to identify the sources will
On another note, if as Graham Singleton suggests you are the gentlemen who
recently took his Long-EZ to 35,027' ( refer August Kitplanes) congrats on a
truly remarkable feat. It gives me reassurance to know that you consider the
aircraft I am building good enough to "Haunt the Corridors of our little
forum which brings me to asking "Why, are you thinking of trading for a
Europa?"
Thanks in advance for any tips!
Regards
>I=92d like to add some comments about your attached data on the use of teflon
>sheath used on ezes & other planes. I=92ve used this process for 550+ hours on
>my Long-Ez now & it has worked well for me.
>
>First PLEASE don=92t consider that this material will constrain the hinge pin.
> It will NOT! You still need the hinge pins "locked in" in a mechanical way.
> There are several ways that this can be done but it MUST be done. I flew
>with a friend up to the Alaska a couple of years ago and he lost one of his
>pins on one of his aileron hinges. It caused his plane to pitch up almost to
>knife edge. With control input he was able to correct then it would pitch
>up again, until he could get it slowed down. With one of the three hinges
>(his outboard one) failed, his aileron was about two to three inches back and
>down from it=92s normal position in flight. Needless to say this could have
>If it would be possible, could you please pass on this requirement of having
>the hinge pins "Locked In" to anyone that received your first message.
>
>Also be careful to select the correct wire for the replacement hinge pin.
>
>I thought I=92d comment about lubrication on the hinge. There is still edge to
>edge wear on the hinge (i.e. each half against the other) so I still lube the
>
>My hinges have been removed and inspected recently and they are not worn
>which is better than most hinges do without using this process.
>
>Hope this helps=85. Warmest Regards=85.. Jim Price EAA Mi. Technical
>Counselor.
>
>
><<Gidday all,
>I flew recently with a fellow who 3 years ago finished building a VariEze.
>He told me of a mod approved downunder and widely used in the US of
>sheathing all hinge pins with a teflon coating. Why you need a
>dispensation/mod approval is because you need to replace the standard hinge
>pin with one 1/2 the diameter and of the required strength. Supposedly the
>hinges will wear in 3-500 hours of operation, especially if vibration or
>minute flutter comes into play. This is because the hinge pin is so much
>tougher than the adjacent soft alloy alluminium hinge. I am concerned about
>the flange of the hinges that are rivetted to the various controls such as
>the stabilator trim tabs. He tells me that not only will the teflon negate
>having to ever replace the hinge, but that you do not need to lubricate them
>either as they are self lubricating. Evidently it is very hard to get the
>sheathed hinge wire into the hinge but once in it won't come out, so much so
>that in the US you didn't need any further locking mechanism. That is not to
>say my friend didn't do so howeve,r as he used a method I hadn't heard of by
>using 2 small split pins located in small holes through the outboard lug end
>of each hinge entrapping it internally. I should also add, the flange that
>the hinge mated to provided a physical barrier to the falling/working out of
>the pin. I'm finding out more about this sheathing and will send it up the
>line when I know more. Simply to wet ones appetite!
>Does anyone know any more about this??
>Regards
>Tony Renshaw
>Builder No.236 >>
>
>
>---------------------
>Forwarded message:
>From: ToSSi@classic.msn.com (Thomas Scherer)
>To: hilong@aol.com (Jim Price)
>Date: 97-09-28 20:09:29 EDT
>
>
>----------
From: owner-europa@ns1.avnet.co.uk on behalf of Tony Renshaw
>Subject: Hinge Pin Teflon Sleeving
>
>Gidday all,
>I flew recently with a fellow who 3 years ago finished building a VariEze.
>He told me of a mod approved downunder and widely used in the US of
>sheathing all hinge pins with a teflon coating. Why you need a
>dispensation/mod approval is because you need to replace the standard hinge
>pin with one 1/2 the diameter and of the required strength. Supposedly the
>hinges will wear in 3-500 hours of operation, especially if vibration or
>minute flutter comes into play. This is because the hinge pin is so much
>tougher than the adjacent soft alloy alluminium hinge. I am concerned about
>the flange of the hinges that are rivetted to the various controls such as
>the stabilator trim tabs. He tells me that not only will the teflon negate
>having to ever replace the hinge, but that you do not need to lubricate them
>either as they are self lubricating. Evidently it is very hard to get the
>sheathed hinge wire into the hinge but once in it won't come out, so much so
>that in the US you didn't need any further locking mechanism. That is not to
>say my friend didn't do so howeve,r as he used a method I hadn't heard of by
>using 2 small split pins located in small holes through the outboard lug end
>of each hinge entrapping it internally. I should also add, the flange that
>the hinge mated to provided a physical barrier to the falling/working out of
>the pin. I'm finding out more about this sheathing and will send it up the
>line when I know more. Simply to wet ones appetite!
>Does anyone know any more about this??
>Regards
>Tony Renshaw
>
>
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