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oil door popped open in flight

Mike Ice

Well Known Member
Just a heads up and a question for those who have the camlock oil doors.

Has your oil door ever opened in flight? If so what did you do to correct the problem?

Yesterday at about 150 mph the oil door on the 9 popped open in flight. The good news is that it stayed with the plane and still works. I have it installed with only one push button cam lock in the center and will now probably add some quarter turn camlocks on in the outer edge corners.

Mike Ice
RV-9
30 hours and still having fun.
 
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Just a heads up and a question for those who have the camlock oil doors.

Has your oil door ever opened in flight? If so what did you do to correct the problem?

Yesterday at about 150 mph the oil door on the 9 popped open in flight. The good news is that it stayed with the plane and still works. I have it installed with only one push button cam lock in the center and will now probably add some quarter turn camlocks on in the outer edge corners.

Mike Ice
RV-9
30 hours and still having fun.
The oil door on my -6A has never popped open in flight and I have to ask if you reinforced the oil door to make it more rigid. Typically I use the waste cut from the cowl for the oil access door opening and bond that material to the backside of the door. Doing so stiffens the door considerably. Even though Van's calls out two camloc wing nut type fasteners to secure the oil door, many builders seeking a cleaner look elect to install only one latch centered on the door typically a Hartwell or Camloc. The pressure on that door in flight is significant and some builders have reported it to actually bow outward in flight. To my mind, only one latch securing an unreinforced door is less than a satisfactory arrangement.

 
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Two Hartwells....

I have two Hartwells mounted horizontally( aligned fore and aft), and they hold the door with no bowing or movement at all. I'd be nervous with just one as well.....
 
I put a single curved rib under my oil door to keep it from flexing and opening in flight. Works great. I have a single spring latch on the door.
It's the low pressure on the topside of the door causing it to bend upwards in flight. I may still make a door from aluminum this winter, tho.
Steve
 
Oil Door

I used a piece of .032 aluminum from the forward baggage cutout to make the Oil Door on my -8. It is unreinforced with a hidden upper hinge and a single Hartwell Latch in the center of the bottom. No problems after 200+ hours and at least one trip to red line speed.

For you -8 builders this is an easy way to make the Oil Door. Just find a section of the cutout that matches the cowl then there's no need to bend it to the proper contour. (And no steeenkin fiberglass!!!!!!!!)
 
Had my Camloc door open in flight. Redid the strike plate properly and now it's stong, like bull!

Vern
 
I have two Hartwells mounted horizontally( aligned fore and aft), and they hold the door with no bowing or movement at all. I'd be nervous with just one as well.....
Ditto for me and even with the duel P-mags it has stayed closed. :D
 
oil door flying open

Rick,

I reinforced the .032 aluminum oil door with two strips of aluminum angle bent to follow the curve of the door. But I only used one of those Camlock fasteners, like the ones shown in your picture, located in the center of the door. Your right it is less than satisfactory. Funny how all those great ideas that worked so well in the shop start to vibrate and come undone when you start flying around.

Ironflight,

Yep, I am nervous with just the one and yesterday I taped it down while flying and will do so until I get busy and make a new one with two latches.

Darwin,

Hmm! I never thought it could be the Pmags but now that you mention it....

Mannanj,

I think the hartwell latches provide a little better latching mechanism. I wanted to use them but the Camlocks were available locally.

Vern,

It was your idea for the door I liked so tried to copy. I suspect I will have to go back and see what you did with the stronger strike plate.

Bill,

I think with the 2 Hartwells the door will never pop open.

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions.

Mike Ice
37.6 hours and loving it.
 
...I think with the 2 Hartwells the door will never pop open.

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions.

Mike Ice
37.6 hours and loving it.
Mike,

I bought four of the "Hartwell Latch H-5000-2 Surplus" from Aircraft Spruce thinking that between all of them I might get lucky and get two that are the same depth. As it turns out, all for were exactly the same. (The extra two are flying on someone else's RV.)
 
round latches available

alpinelakespilot2000,

Any Cessna parts place will have those latches, cost about $20.

One didn't do the job for me. Like I mentioned it popped open at 150 mph.

Mike Ice
 
Where did you hinge your oil door?

Has anyone hinged their oil door on the forward edge, so that even if it comes unlatched, it will be held down by slipstream? With a hidden latch, the curve shouldn't matter.
 
held down by slipstream

Don't think that would happen... bigger intake pressure, suction effect on top of the cowl. Would not flip open, but certainly not stay closed.
 
Oil door

I have a Single Hartwell latch on my 6a. I prosealed a piece of scrap aluminum on the inside and no issues.
 
Has anyone hinged their oil door on the forward edge, so that even if it comes unlatched, it will be held down by slipstream? With a hidden latch, the curve shouldn't matter.

I have mine hinged on the forward edge.

Not that it's ever happened (wink wink)it floats up about about 1/2" and happily stays there. It has one Hartwell latch and is made from .050 alum w no reinforcements.
 
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Due to a poor preflight I also had one open up after take off. I just slowed down to around 85 kts, turned to crosswind, entered the downwind and landed at normal speed. Door stayed attached without damage. Felt like an idiot!
 
Has anyone hinged their oil door on the forward edge, so that even if it comes unlatched, it will be held down by slipstream? With a hidden latch, the curve shouldn't matter.

My oil door (RV6) is curved, and so were the other RV’s I’ve built or owned, so a piano hinge or other hinges I’ve used, wouldn’t work on the forward edge. It could be installed (closed), but how do you tilt it open when it’s curved? Maybe you’re referring to an RV10 oil door (I’m guessing) is flat?
 
Oil door

I had read of this being an issue, so on my 7 I made one out of .063 aluminum with 1 Hartwell latch. Easy to bend to shape and no reinforcement required. No issues in 650hrs to date.
 
I had read of this being an issue, so on my 7 I made one out of .063 aluminum with 1 Hartwell latch. Easy to bend to shape and no reinforcement required. No issues in 650hrs to date.

I did the same thing on my first RV8 using .063 aluminum and it fit well and didn’t flex up in flight. On the 3 others others that I built I used the supplied fiberglass door and added two stiffener ribs to the bottom side made out of .025 Al, fluted to match the curve of the door. These ribs were riveted and epoxied to the underside of the door and made it very stiff with no flexing in flight. Very light weight, and it took a lot less time to make it.
 
Front hinge

My oil door (RV6) is curved, and so were the other RV’s I’ve built or owned, so a piano hinge or other hinges I’ve used, wouldn’t work on the forward edge. It could be installed (closed), but how do you tilt it open when it’s curved? Maybe you’re referring to an RV10 oil door (I’m guessing) is flat?

Here's how...
 

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Mine has been rock solid for 500 hours, and very convenient to use. OB’s choice but is apparently standard Cessna hinge and latch with recess for door to fit flush. (Bad picture…post-shutdown cooling fan is in place.)

..
 

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Angle hinge

If I go with the standard hinge location, should i angle the hinge slightly so the air loads tend to keep it closed if it pops open?
 
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