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DONALD'S WEB SITE
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Date: 3-10-2012
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Number of Hours: 6.00
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Manual Reference: SNX-F08
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Brief Description: Flap Detent Angle
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Working up the flap detent, I wanted to do what many other builders have done -- to add an intermediate flap setting between the factory 10 degree and 30 degree settings. Doing this meant modifying the flap detent that came with the Sonex "machined angle component" kit.
I cut the notch by using the bandsaw to make the perpendicular cuts, then drilled a lot of very close/overlapping 1/8" holes along the parallel line, until the metal was weak enough to break off. This left a very ragged area on the inside of the notch, but a lot of filing and sandpaper took care of that. See pic 1 for the result -- it looked very close to the factory cut notches.
The problem is that the factory notches don't have much of a way to positively capture the flap handle...it would be *very* easy for the pilot or turbulence to bump the flap handle out of a notch. Having the flap setting suddenly change on short final could be a recipe for disaster, so I decided to remake the part from scratch with better notches.
I located a CAD template another builder made, that had three flap notches and positive locking tabs for each position. I used spray adhesive to affix the template to a piece of 1" angle. I then cut/shaped around the template, making the notches in the same way I did the extra notch in the original angle.
Shaping the locking tabs in the notches was a challenge. Basically I had to hand shape them with a small file set. It took a lot of time, but I think the results were great! I tested the notches with a the stock that will be used to make the flap handle, and after some fine tuning the notches lock in the handle very securely and squarely.
I then secured the detent angle in the fuselage per the plans; this was awkward but went quickly. The main issue is the plans specify a certain angle (three point something degrees), and I didn't think I was getting the proper angle. I got as close as I could and drilled it. When clecoed together it was almost exactly per plans, so a lot of fretting for nothing.
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Factory Angle With New Notch Added
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Improved Detent Angle
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Flap Detent Angle Installation
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