Middle Flap Detent

[Andy Walker]

This morning I modified my flap detent angle to add a middle flap position. I made the front of the new detent angled to more positively capture the flap handle. I also modified the first flap notch in the same way. Results as follows:

Overall of entire part:



The new notch I cut:

[Sonex825]

What did you make the cuts with? They look nice!


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[Andy Walker]

What did you make the cuts with? They look nice!

Thanks! I used a bandsaw to cut in toward the angle bend. For the cuts parallel to the length of the piece, I made a bunch of 1/8" drill holes close together across, then used a Dremel with a metal cut/grind head (looks kind of like a reamer bit) to take out the material between the drilled holes. Then a LOT of filing and sanding to get it properly shaped and smoothed.

Kip mentioned to me that it would be more ideal to make retaining tabs on each notch, so I remade the piece from scratch with tabs:



So if anybody wants a factory machined, detent angle with the middle position pre-made, the one in the original pictures is for sale. It should work perfectly well and save you a few hours' work, and it's all factory machined except the middle notch.

[Direct C51]

I know this is an old thread, but I had a question regarding the necessity of the extra flap detent. Can anyone who has flown their Sonex with this detent attest to how useful it is? I can only imagine a need for 2 detents, the first being used for short/soft field, and full flaps for landing. What is the middle detent being used for? Is full flaps too much for landing? Is it nice to have an additional step of flaps for go arounds?

[SonexN76ET]

I make most of my landings with the middle detent. It is a good middle flap setting. The final detent is a long hard pull to reach from the first detent. The final detent (full flaps) is very effective for a steep, high drag approach. The middle detent makes it much easy to pull the flaps in increments, especially if you are not Arnold Shwarzenager.

Jake

[mike.smith]

I make most of my landings with the middle detent. It is a good middle flap setting. The final detent is a long hard pull to reach from the first detent. The final detent (full flaps) is very effective for a steep, high drag approach. The middle detent makes it much easy to pull the flaps in increments, especially if you are not Arnold Shwarzenager.

Jake

Agreed. I generally use the middle detent just before turning base, then through to short final. When I have the runway made I drop to full flaps. However, if it's cross-windy I will often land with only the middle detent, so it is very good for that.

[Bryan Cotton]

Interesting difference between the side flap detents and the center flap detents:


If any scratch builders want a machined SNX-F08-08 flap detent angle PM me.

[Gripdana]

I have the added flap position and have been flying my plane. I use the "20" degree position mainly in cross wind landings. Otherwise I use the full flaps position most of the time.

[MichaelFarley56]

I also normally use the "20 Degree" self-added flap position detent for normal landings in my Waiex. I've landed the airplane in all flap settings and each one has their pros and cons, but for normal landings I find the 20 degree settings is most comfortable. I'll use the full 30 degrees of flap when I'm working on my "short field" technique but as others have said, getting the flap handle to that detent takes quite the pull.