Reducing the forest

Timbeck2

Timbeck2

Final Approach
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
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9,167
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Vail, Arizona
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Timbeck2
I have four antennas on the top of my airplane. Two for the radios, one for the ELT and one for an old Loran system. I want to remove the Loran antenna but I want a cover plate for the hole left behind. Does anyone know of where I can find a cover plate that looks like the GPS antennas and possible provide a link? I'd rather have something like that than a flat piece of aluminum.
 
bolt and large washers. Sometimes called fender washers. Go fancy with stainless or paint some to match.
 
Do a proper flush patch, IAW the aircraft Structural repair manual, no worries next annual.
 
yetti said:
bolt and large washers. Sometimes called fender washers. Go fancy with stainless or paint some to match.
Click to expand...
Are you related to Rube Goldberg?
 
More antennas give it that "Pro" look. I say keep em.
 
Although I need all the help I can get with the "Pro look" I'd rather it be gone. Tom, appreciate the IA answer but your suggestion seems more Rube Goldberg than a simple cover plate. Right now there are just four screw holes in the plane (with the larger hole in the center), your suggestion would be to drill even more holes and someone has to crawl in there to buck those rivets.
 
So you want it to just look like a gps attenna?

I could probably fab something up for you.

Post a picture if what you had in mind.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Although I need all the help I can get with the "Pro look" I'd rather it be gone. Tom, appreciate the IA answer but your suggestion seems more Rube Goldberg than a simple cover plate. Right now there are just four screw holes in the plane (with the larger hole in the center), your suggestion would be to drill even more holes and someone has to crawl in there to buck those rivets.
Click to expand...
That's true, but it's a legal. IAW the structural manual.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I have four antennas on the top of my airplane. Two for the radios, one for the ELT and one for an old Loran system. I want to remove the Loran antenna but I want a cover plate for the hole left behind. Does anyone know of where I can find a cover plate that looks like the GPS antennas and possible provide a link? I'd rather have something like that than a flat piece of aluminum.
Click to expand...

Never seen these kinds of things pre-made & stocked since they are so easily fabricated in the field.
 
Let's go - I agree.

Glen with two nn's - I like that idea

Tom - Would Glenn's suggestion be an alternative according to the structural manual?

Too all - I could easily get a sheet of 1/8" UV resistant plastic a fabricate it myself using the bottom of the antenna as a template. Would that fall under a "locally manufactured" part and even an option? Also, I'm not going to let hangar fairies do this; it will be under the supervision of my A&P and I want to do it right. I've seen "patches" on other people's aircraft and the idea of a lot of rivets in such a small area doesn't appeal to me.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Let's go - I agree.

Glen with two nn's - I like that idea

Tom - Would Glenn's suggestion be an alternative according to the structural manual?

Too all - I could easily get a sheet of 1/8" UV resistant plastic a fabricate it myself using the bottom of the antenna as a template. Would that fall under a "locally manufactured" part and even an option? Also, I'm not going to let hangar fairies do this; it will be under the supervision of my A&P and I want to do it right. I've seen "patches" on other people's aircraft and the idea of a lot of rivets in such a small area doesn't appeal to me.
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Yes Glenn's suggestion will work but you still have 4 screws sticking out, flush patch does not require a lot of rivets, 4 in the screw holes 1 in the center of the big hole. Form it to fit properly to the curvature, assemble wet with Epoxy structural adhesive, sand the squeeze smooth re-paint and it will disappear.
 
Will you get ADS-B out? If so, that's likely to need a WAAS GPS antenna. You could add the antenna now, maybe with wiring, even if you do the transponder later.
 
I already have a GPS antenna installed. I don't know what it went to, but I have one.
 
Personally, I would go with the patch. That's what I did on the 310 when removing antennas. Reality is that you don't notice it typically since antennas are normally on the top. We probably patched half a dozen holes on the top and bottom of the 310, nobody ever noticed it. From the side, the plane just looked way cleaner without all the antennas. I also noticed a performance gain, both in climb rate and cruise speed.

But if you want, I've got an old non-WAAS GPS antenna somewhere that you can have.
 
Have you considered replacing the LORAN antenna with another VHF, to use as an external antenna for a handheld?
 
Have to, just have to, but why not mount the AOA back there? Huh Tim? :popcorn:
 
That's certainly an idea Dan but nothing I'd considered. My handheld works pretty good on it's own, plus I'd have to run cabling to the back.
 
Timbeck2 said:
That's certainly an idea Dan but nothing I'd considered. My handheld works pretty good on it's own, plus I'd have to run cabling to the back.
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You could most likely can re-use the existing LORAN cable if you wanted to. I have an adapter in my panel that lets the handheld share the existing COM2 antenna. I've gotten about 10 miles range from the handheld antenna, and 25ish miles when patched into the adapter. I've never had to use it in anger but it's nice that it's there. Also, at least in my plane, it is completely impossible to hear anything understandable from the handheld unless you use the headset adapter.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Although I need all the help I can get with the "Pro look" I'd rather it be gone. Tom, appreciate the IA answer but your suggestion seems more Rube Goldberg than a simple cover plate. Right now there are just four screw holes in the plane (with the larger hole in the center), your suggestion would be to drill even more holes and someone has to crawl in there to buck those rivets.
Click to expand...
2024 T3 of proper thickness, cut to a teardrop shape, (gps antenna) and fastened with machine screws, to the existing screw holes.
Apply proper sealant to keep moisture out.
 
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