Lighting

[blue4589cb]

A bungee cord guys! Pulls up a little slack!

Use a 1/4 ID nylon tube or 3/8 ID . Anchor the outboard end , use an adel clamp to the tube
inboard and hook a spring or BUNGEE to it with a loop or slack in your wire!

Think simple! This would be for wingfold only, not wing removal.

[GOIX]

Hi Guys ,

This is something I was thinking about myself . I guess one of the considerations is how often are you going to fold the wings . One of my criteria is that at least the plug or receptacle be firmly mounted to the airframe . Both would be nice . I would like to know more about the magnetic connector that Mike found . Source/part number ?

Marc

[Mike53]

Hi Guys ,

This is something I was thinking about myself . I guess one of the considerations is how often are you going to fold the wings . One of my criteria is that at least the plug or receptacle be firmly mounted to the airframe . Both would be nice . I would like to know more about the magnetic connector that Mike found . Source/part number ?

Marc

Here is the site Marc http://ezconnector.com/ and the lab tests page http://ezconnector.com/trailer-plug-lab-results.html

[GOIX]

Looks cool but a little "heavy duty" Check out CPC or circular plastic connectors . I have a few on my RV-4 . Light weight and they connect securely .

Marc

[Echo Tango]

1/2" x 1/4" Neodymium magnets have a holding strength of about 13lbs. Think about that. That's two jugs of milk suspended from something about the size of 2 nickles.

A snap and twist connector will obviously have a higher initial "shear" strength, but will have no tendency to return to a connecting state, whereas a magnet "wants" to be connected. In other words, with a simple 1/4" male to female guided connection using magnets, that wire isn't coming out unless somebody exits the aircraft, walks out onto the wing in mid-flight and tugs on it. The magnets could also be set up to where one wouldn't even have to connect and disconnect the wiring while folding. The wing could just be lifted and the connections would disengage.

Another selling point for the magnetic connection is that, honestly, lighting is not a critical system. If it falls off, your strobe doesn't flash.

Regarding the compass errors, you're going to get a higher magnetic interference from your radio than a magnet stuck out on the wing 5' from your compass.

Just my $.02

[marco330]

Hi people,

just came back from a surplus store here in the Netherlands and found an interesting connector: 14 pole snap type connector that has 2 guide pins and heavy duty contacts. Could be attached to both sides of the Onex folding wings, when correctly alligned they will snap together when the wings are folded down in the flight mode. Use 7 connectors from the fuselage side and 7 from the wing side and you will have a connection for sure, AND ... the other 7 could be used for another user in the wing tip ...

look at the connector in this photo album, sorry had to do it from a public PC

http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Album=JV6AMRRA

Now the best of all, the price: 2 euro for 1 set (male and female) this is just shy of 3 dollars ! For 1 Sonex it would set you back 6 dollars. If some one is interested I can send them over at cost, 9 bucks from shipping from Holland to the US.

Have a good weekend !

Marco
Onex dreamer

[Mike53]

:idea:

Hi people,

just came back from a surplus store here in the Netherlands and found an interesting connector: 14 pole snap type connector that has 2 guide pins and heavy duty contacts. Could be attached to both sides of the Onex folding wings, when correctly alligned they will snap together when the wings are folded down in the flight mode. Use 7 connectors from the fuselage side and 7 from the wing side and you will have a connection for sure, AND ... the other 7 could be used for another user in the wing tip ...

look at the connector in this photo album, sorry had to do it from a public PC

http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Album=JV6AMRRA

Now the best of all, the price: 2 euro for 1 set (male and female) this is just shy of 3 dollars ! For 1 Sonex it would set you back 6 dollars. If some one is interested I can send them over at cost, 9 bucks from shipping from Holland to the US.

Have a good weekend !

Marco
Onex dreamer

I like the guide pins but my concern would be water infiltration.I don't imagine the joint in the wing will be waterproof and when water migrates down to the connector if it is not waterproof then you have the likely-hood of corrosion on the contacts.You could try to stay on top of it by keeping white grease on the contacts but if your like me your trailer hitch connectors on your vehicle needs replacing on a regular basis.My best laid plans usually get put on the" I'll do it this weekend "
list which gets misplaced on friday.
A connector with the guide pins like this one is the right idea but I would prefer one that is waterproof.We wil go to a lot of trouble devising a system that is strong and durable due to the unique situation presented by the Onex folding wing.
For some it will be something like a bungee cord to pull the connection inside the wing ,for others it will be a direct connection as the wing falls into place .It will be interesting to see the solutions put in place once the Onexes start coming together. :idea:
Mike

[marco330]

Hmmm, Mike, you have a point the with waterproofing ... let me think that one through ...

Marco

[rxcited]

This discussion reminds me of the connectors on my R/C sailplanes. These are typically 3 meter composite construction and utilize either 2 piece or 3 piece wings that plug into a wing joiner at the center (for 2 piece wings) or two outboard locations (for 3 piece wings). There has to be a similar electrical connection to drive the aileron servos (for 3 piece wings) or both aileron and flap servos (for 2 piece wings).

While it is tempting to install the male and female ends of the connectors rigidly into the fuselage and/or at panel breaks, it is better to rigidly mount the female connector and let the male connector dangle with some play. This way any vibration or loosening of the joints while flying will NOT affect the electrical connection. Waterproofing is not a factor as we don't usually fly R/C in the rain, but whether the connector is waterproof or not, the basic idea is put the wing together partially, plug the harness together, then finish wing panel installation and tape to secure.

The magnetic connector looks pretty reasonable to me. If you can rigidly mount one end on the fixed portion of the Onex wing, and arrange for the outboard panel connector to "float" so that as you lower the wing, in can find its way to make the connection, that would be great. Presumably for truck connections, it is already designed to reject water. Maybe it has an o-ring in there? It would be desirable if the outboard (floating) connector were tapered or chamfered so that it would allow it to self-guide the connector together to the point where the magnets would take over.

-- James

[Mike53]

Here is another idea for wiring carry through for the folding wing(courtesy of a builder over at onexplans :idea: )Seems like it would be very light weight .
http://www.carolinacustom.com/pages/pro ... s_page.jsp