Gents
Now I am confused.......
Are we suggesting that early kits were supplied with only 4 DL07 shoot bolt
guides?
My kit, No: 497 was supplied around 2001 and certainly came with 8 guides.
Chapter 35, Step 5 of the current build manual, although badly written, implies
that a guide should be fitted in the fuselage door frame and states:
"open up the hole just enough to allow a shoot bolt guide to fit in the door
recess"
and "bond them in with Araldite 420 and flox".
That said, it is difficult to tell from the pictures in the current AAIB report
if the guides are fitted. However, there is no obvious indication of a shoot
bolt having been pulled from the fuselage. The paint damage looks like the
normal
door scraping found on most Europas.
Having read previous reports of door losses, I am not aware of any reports of
damage
to the rear fuselage door frame caused by extended shoot bolts being ripped
---From the fuselage.
My understanding has always been that the door losses were due to the rear shoot
bolt having been extended (closed) but outside of the fuselage door frame and
therefore not secured.
This is what the current LAA mod is designed to prevent.
I used Bud's advice when fitting my doors and used a washer to set the clearance
between the door and fuselage guides. This sets the door in the correct
position
and ensures good shoot bolt penetration. There is no-way when the door
is closed correctly that the door is departing the aircraft without causing
severe
disruption to the fuselage door frame, Such damage would be obvious on
inspection.
I still believe failing to close the door correctly is the cause of door loss
rather
than any basic design issues.
If early kits have been completed without DL07 guides in the fuselage door
frames,
they appear to have held up pretty well.
--------
Regards
Kelv Weston
Kit 497
kelv@kdweston.biz
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