Landing Brake

[Zulu Yankee]

I am getting ready to work on the landing brake of my Cozy.

 

When I compiled my wish list, before acquiring the project, I had decided that I wanted to put a full-length piano hinge on it. Since I had planned on an electric actuator, I also decided that I wanted to move LB-19 towards the center.

 

My Cozy came with the landing brake already installed, but not glassed on both sides. It has the 10-inch hinge already Micro'd in (see my website). There is a chip busted out of the one edge (was that way before I got it).

 

I am now standing before a decision. I either:

1) fix the landing brake by cutting out the busted piece and putting a layer of BID over it and merely do the inside layups.

2) fix the landing brake, remove LB19 and install a bigger LB19 to move it center.

3) remove the whole landing brake and make a new one, installing the hinge.

 

Option 1 would be the easiest. Option 3 would require digging out birch, the lugs and then having to contend with a larger hole than the original plans piece of birch.

 

Just by writing this e-mail, I think I have talked myself into either Option 1 or Option 2. Problem is that I have already bought the birch and piano hinge (3 foot of it). Lesson learnt: Figure out what needs to be done and HOW it is going to get done before pulling the credit card out.

 

Any comments? Has anyone retrofitted a full length landing brake hinge?

 

Zulu Yankee

www.randombitcorp.com/cozymkiv

[Jon Matcho]

I like option #1:

• If the hinge is per plans, it's fine.
• The hardpoint needs to remain where it's at, per plans.
• It doesn't look all that bad.

It's hard to tell, but some wet flox might be all you need. You even might want to put the question aside and look to do some other practice work first, and then come back to this decision later. You'll definitely be learning quickly how to become a composite pro.

 

Looks like you got some good feedback on the COZY and C-A mailing lists too.