Notes on Dip Davis cowl latches and Camlocs
Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2021 5:13 am
I had the Dip Davis cowl latch STC installed on '69V a couple of years ago and have been very happy with it. One thing I noticed but didn't worry about was that the heads of the Camlocs seemed a little "proud". I put over 100 hours on the airplane with no issues, but this weekend I landed and found that the front left latch was undone and the Camloc was missing. Fortunately a friend let me borrow a fastener from her similarly STC'd 140 so that I could get home.
After I got back to the hangar I checked the Camloc size so I could order a replacement. The STC uses 2600 series studs. I found that the Phillips head studs that came with my STC were the -3 length. The loaner wing stud was a -2 length. Based on the Camloc literature it seems that the -2 is the correct length for 2 thicknesses of .030" aluminum that make up the latch. Subjectively, the -2s feel more secure and I will be switching all of mine to that size.
Here are some photos showing the difference between the -3 (Phillips) and -2 (wing) lengths in my aircraft. Note the height of the head relative to the collar. I'm not sure if this will help anybody, but I figured I would get it out there just in case.
Finally, if you are in the market to purchase a 2600-2W wing stud, you will probably notice that Aircraft Spruce wants $35 apiece! Univair is a comparative steal at $17. Much more sensibly, a local race car parts supplier had them for $7 each.
After I got back to the hangar I checked the Camloc size so I could order a replacement. The STC uses 2600 series studs. I found that the Phillips head studs that came with my STC were the -3 length. The loaner wing stud was a -2 length. Based on the Camloc literature it seems that the -2 is the correct length for 2 thicknesses of .030" aluminum that make up the latch. Subjectively, the -2s feel more secure and I will be switching all of mine to that size.
Here are some photos showing the difference between the -3 (Phillips) and -2 (wing) lengths in my aircraft. Note the height of the head relative to the collar. I'm not sure if this will help anybody, but I figured I would get it out there just in case.
Finally, if you are in the market to purchase a 2600-2W wing stud, you will probably notice that Aircraft Spruce wants $35 apiece! Univair is a comparative steal at $17. Much more sensibly, a local race car parts supplier had them for $7 each.