Nelson Piano Hinges
 

Hello,

Has anyone used Nelson Piano Hinges for gear doors or speed brakes on a jet model? I normall use the BVM hinges but in a new project they will not fit.

Thanks

Jimmy

Nelson Piano Hinges
 

I used them on the side access doors on my MB-339.

These doors are always closed during flight so there are not really any loads on them, but I would guess that the hinges would probably be ok for gear doors as long as you got a really good glue joint between the hinge and the gear door. I roughed up the metal hinge with a dremel coarse sanding drum (until all of the brass finish had been removed), then glued to the the fiberglass with Hysol 9462. You just have to be very careful not to get any glue into the hinge itself.

another pic
 

Here is a better view with both of the doors open.

Nelson Piano Hinges
 

Just found an even better pic of it.

Thanks Kevin
 

Hi Kevin,

That plane looks great. Is that the one I heard about where you basically remade the whole kit with removable tail?

As for the hinges, where do you put the hingeline in relation to the skin? I assume it is near the outer mold line (that is the outside skin)?

Regards

Nelson Piano Hinges
 

Kevin

Nice Pics Really! which Make is the MB 339 i just got one from TAM which is an ARF. The quality is just about ok on that one. This one seems to need a lot of work... DOES IT ??

cheers
azuz

not the Cermark
 

My MB339 is not the Cermark or D&L, it is about 1/3 larger than those models. I am fairly certain that it started out as a Italian Z-models kit (mine came from secondary supplier who the censored the labeling on the plans).
The kit was designed for a Gleikauf (sp) fan, and as designed is not at all suitable for turbine power. I had to redesign every bit of the structure to make it strong enough for my P-120.
Mine flys very well, but I would not recommend the kit at all.

This is it with paint:
I should be getting the graphics for it any day now, then maybe I will get off my butt and finally finish it so I can fly it again. :D

Nelson Piano Hinges
 

I had to cut those doors out of the fiberglass fuselage.
I made a template for the door and traced the outline onto the fuselage side, then cut out only the hinge line with a dremel cut off wheel, making sure it was only wide enough for the hinge to protrude through and allow the flat part of the hinge to sit flush with the inside of the fuselage skin.
Next I glued the hinge in place with Hysol 9462. After that was fully cured I added the 1/16" doubler to the inside of the door and glassed it in place with 4 ounce cloth, this makes the door much stiffer and since the cloth extends slightly past the edge of the door it also stiffened up the surrounding glass too.
I only cut out the rest of the door outline after all of this was cured and the formers had been installed.

Nelson Piano Hinges
 

Kevin, do you have a website for Nelson (or the place where you got the hinges)? I need some small piano hinges to put on an F-15 I'm about to begin work on.

Thanks in advance,

Les

Nelson Piano Hinges
 

A quick google search turned this up: http://www.nelsonhobby.com/

Nelson Piano Hinges
 

I've used the Nelson hinges on my F-106 gear doors. The attachment was done by roughing up the hinge and then drilling several small holes to let the Aeropoxy ooze through and then spread the "oozed" glue around, making a rivet. They've held up fine so far.