Door Latch Springs (and HatchLatch info)

Post by **GAHorn** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 3:27 pm

zero.one.victor wrote:Ditto for me on BL's recollection of the door part of the catch just being a sort of big tinnerman.
BL recommends Skycatch. I have the Hatchlatch set-up on mine. I like it. the female part is mounted inside the door, not on the exterior as is the skycatch. It has worked just about flawlessly for me for about 5 or 6 years now.
I'm not too sure the Hatch Latch folks are still around. Maybe Johnny Williams sells them now? The Hatch Latch info I have from several years ago sez: Sid Drake in Weatheford OK , 405- (or maybe 580-) 772-5836 after 5pm CST.

Eric

When I visited with Johnny Williams last year about this he informed me that the Folks Against Aviation had shut HatchLatch originator Sid Drake down for lack of PMA/STC. Johhny acquired the line from Sid and jumped thru the hoops for the door-latch nazis and now sells the kit.

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 4:02 pm

Well, that's too bad for Sid, but hooray for Johnny! A shame that such a useful little gizmo was almost lost to us due to red tape. I can see it if it was a part critical to flight safety, but geeze......

Eric

rudymantel · Post by **rudymantel** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 4:33 pm

I just spoke with Mr. Williams in San Angelo and ordered a set of door stops. The wing and door parts cost $60 per door.
Rudy

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:18 am

Ordered the door stops from Mr Williams today. Nice fellar to talk too. BTW, the B is different than the A. The B model has a little bit longer post!

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 1:04 am

Hadn't thought about it before, but that makes sense given the flat "A" wing vs. the "B" with dihedral.

N1478D · Post by **N1478D** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:26 pm

doug8082a wrote:Hadn't thought about it before, but that makes sense given the flat "A" wing vs. the "B" with dihedral.

Another one of those reasons the bent wing B's are so slow vs the STRAIGHT wing A's, that extra weight in the door stop door posts!

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 2:32 pm

N1478D wrote:
doug8082a wrote:Hadn't thought about it before, but that makes sense given the flat "A" wing vs. the "B" with dihedral.
Another one of those reasons the bent wing B's are so slow vs the STRAIGHT wing A's, that extra weight in the door stop door posts!

Yeah Joe, you're right, those things are huge. When I land at a grass strip I have to be sure I keep the wings perfectly level. If I don't I end up dragging one of those door stops through the weeds...

Post by **GAHorn** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:19 pm

Yeah, but that's not the reason Joe's female pax call him "Shorty".

N1478D · Post by **N1478D** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:10 pm

gahorn wrote:Yeah, but that's not the reason Joe's female pax call him "Shorty".

Not sure whether I would rather be short and fast, or long and slow - let me think a second:?: Been told long and slow is OK, I'll stick with it!

George and others, you will want to keep any long equipment out of the weeds at Petit Jean - there's some critters there that you don't want climbing up on you.

Bring something like off that works on ticks and chiggers.

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:59 pm

Heyyyyyyyyyyy, remember you found ticks in one location - your tent. No one else was able to locate any! I'm going to 7 dust the tent spots just to make sure, though. Also the campground was left mowed over the winter, last year they were bush hogging as we arrived. It really looks nice up there. I checked out the girls shower house again, still sparkling clean!

As was stated, the hatch latch part on the door is no longer being made. So I have a new tinnnerman nut and will install with the new door stop. There IS a modification part over my door hole were the tinnermans originally went. It is riveted on to the outside and sticks out a 1/2 inch and covers the hole so I couldn't see it. I think it will look better taking that off and going to the sunk tinnerman anyway. If the hatch latch gets made again, I'll need to grab two for the future.

Post by **GAHorn** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 1:59 pm

Dave, for support of the HatchLatch system, contact TIC170A member Johnny Williams (member #446) at 325-944-8558.

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:06 pm

Dave, that piece on the outside of your door might be the female half of a "Sky Catch". They advertise in T-A-P. Does the same job as the HatchLatch but mounts on the outside of the door. Some people swear by them, they might be worth keeping on there.

Eric

Post by **GAHorn** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:30 pm

There's a door catch I've seen on some airplanes that resembles common cabinet hardware. It involves a tadpole-shaped plunger that engages a clasp which consists of a brass block holding two spring-loaded balls. The balls are tensioned by two set-screws in the ends, which tighten down upon two internal compression springs bearing against the balls. It's a bit bulky-looking but ought to work fine. I don't see anything about the system which is different than the common cabinet-hardware found at the store. Perhaps "Skycatch" has stc'd it, but I can't see why it can't be simply logged as a "minor alteration".

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:58 am

I think you both got it. The two balls with set screws is correct. However I took those off today (Big Mistake). Made the holes BIG for the tinnermans (Big Mistake). Broke one tinnerman after riveted both on(Bigger Mistake). Said the heck with it, drill it all back out, and sending the post back. Going to get the right post and put the Sky Catch back on. It's going to the paint shop tomorrow, ready or NOT!

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:38 pm

Update: Starting to understand some of this stuff, maybe. Just got off the phone with Sky Catch 330-723-2778. The skycatch is $35 for the set. He doesn't make the post anymore. But is sending me two sets of drawings (1 for the 170 Club) so that anyone can easily make the post (he says). Also, I think what I've learned is that everyone uses the same Cessna post 0523004 and changes the tip or strike to fit their style of reciever, be it Sky Catch, Hatch Latch, or Tinnerman nuts. He is sending me the strikes for $8 ea and I'm going to switch the strikes on my Cessna Post I got from Williams. That sound right?