Door Mods

[Mountain Doctor]

Very interesting thread. Something that looks as simple as a door can be quite complex and time consuming. I can see why these planes are so very expensive.

How does Kia or any other inexpensive car do it!

Their doors have all sorts of power locks, windows, sensors, levers, lights, latches etc.

The whole car cost less than a crankshaft for one of our planes, and I've never heard of anyone rebuilding the door of a Prius...

Must be the savings of mass production, and being largely able to ignore weight concerns...

[TomD]

I would bet Kia in West Point, GA produces more units in a morning than Maule produces in a year and each Kia coming off a line is pretty much the same. Couple this with payload and reliability, and the costs soar for aircraft.

If you Kia stops running, you pull to the side of the road. Not so simple over the Cascades, Rockies, or Appalachians. Ever notice how your engine always sounds rough when out of gliding range of a good landing spot?

TD

[MauleMechanic]

Spent most of the day prepping the two front doors for the observer windows. Did manage to replace the cargo door skin and nit pick finely tuned areas.

Spent some time welding up stuff on Susan Maule's M-4. It is ready for Epoxy. I'll post some photos of misc. improvements but she wants it as original as possible.

[Mountain Doctor]

I would bet Kia in West Point, GA produces more units in a morning than Maule produces in a year and each Kia coming off a line is pretty much the same. Couple this with payload and reliability, and the costs soar for aircraft.

If you Kia stops running, you pull to the side of the road. Not so simple over the Cascades, Rockies, or Appalachians. Ever notice how your engine always sounds rough when out of gliding range of a good landing spot?

TD

Perhaps a better comparison for me to make would be with Ferrari. Also mostly hand built, for lightless and reliability in the harsh environment of racing. That may be more analagous.

I get 'autorough' over the Cascades! I know that feeling!

[MauleMechanic]

Spent most of the day installing the observer "window" in the co-pilot door as well as other work on the same door inside swing out window framing. Those are" shop aid" windows and not new glass.

Router is ready to work!!



Finished cut

[John Ashcroft]

That's a neat job Brian.
Could you post a picture of the jig you used and the router to cut out the window.
I am not sure I have the idea straight.

[MAU MAU]

How much more noise or vibration (if any) do you experience in the cabin with the observer windows?

[MauleMechanic]

That's a neat job Brian.
Could you post a picture of the jig you used and the router to cut out the window.
I am not sure I have the idea straight.

Thanks for the kind words.

It is a normal router mounted to the bottom of a table with the bit sticking out the top. The aluminum angle is held in place ON THE DOOR SKIN with double sided tape ON THE LINE to be cut. The initial hole is cut with a step drill and then laid over the router bit. Router turned on and cut to the aluminum angle...the pilot roller rolls on the angle aluminum and the rotation of the bit keeps the bit pressed against the angle PLUS a little human help.

Mau Mau, never noticed any increase in noise but with headsets on and the windows open....who needs insulation? hehehehe

[Mountain Doctor]

How much more noise or vibration (if any) do you experience in the cabin with the observer windows?

My plane has observer windows. I had the covers over them when I flew home from Mountrie to California then removerd them and never put them back on to compare. I bet it's a tad quieter and warmer with them on, but planes are so cold and loud I doubt the difference is noticeable.

[John Ashcroft]

Thanks Brian

Got it

[MauleMechanic]

Thanks Brian

Got it

I can still take some photos if you need them to build one or just want to see it. I am glad you got it because I was about to confuse myself...lololol

[John Ashcroft]

Thanks Brian
Yours looks a far easier setup than what I was thinking. I am going to build one so if you could take any photos it would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

[MauleMechanic]

Thanks Brian
Yours looks a far easier setup than what I was thinking. I am going to build one so if you could take any photos it would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

Will do..

[MauleMechanic]

Last week I took a set of doors and cut the observer window. Then I installed the struts for the swing out window. This time I had to cut with snips since the door was already put together. Snips leave a slight ripple and can chip the paint. A top notch job would be to repaint the door from the bottom of the swing out window down.

[Andy Young]

MauleMechanic,

I certainly don't doubt your skill and experience, so this question is purely for my own education:

Why use snips as opposed to a cut-off wheel?

When I did mine, I taped the painted side along the cut line (to prevent paint chipping) and used a thin cutting wheel on an "air dremel". Worked great, and didn't burn the paint, as I had feared it might, but I moved slowly. Perhaps it doesn't always work that well.

What am I missing?