fly boy3 Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Hi all, what is best for u/c bolts for Acro Wot type model, nylon or steel bolts and nuts. Are woodscrews a nono. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Nylon bolts into conventional steel captive nuts are fine FB3 and in the event of an "arrival" will result in much less damage! BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I've used 4mm steel machine screws into captive nuts in mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Certainly agree, woodscrews are useless. Nylons will stand up to a lot of regular 'heavy' arrivals and shear off when you need it most, steels will take the mounting with them...... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Laughton Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Go with Nylon - no real argument against it whereas there is with steel! Ask me how I know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 I use number plate nuts and bolts from a motor accessory shop (nylon) dirt cheap & easily available in yellow /white/black . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Kearney Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Another vote for nylon. It is a pleasing sight to have the bolts snap rather than the bottom ripped out of the fuselage. Although not as satisfying as a perfect landing resulting in neither of course! i find getting the stubs of broken bolts out to be a bit of a chore sometimes, a heated end of an old flat screwdriver always shifts them if nothing else will though. r. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Posted by Robin Kearney on 12/04/2013 23:07:57: i find getting the stubs of broken bolts out to be a bit of a chore sometimes, a heated end of an old flat screwdriver always shifts them if nothing else will though. And one of our club members spent a good hour or so last Saturday afternoon getting a broken nylon bolt extracted - attacking it with screwdrivers, a drill, all sorts of stuff. What made it funnier though is that he's a dentist - so there was just a little bit of mickey-taking going on as he dug away at the remains of the bolt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 My old Cessna had steel bolts. I planned to change them to nylon but had an incident before I had a chance and the wing and mount are still tangled together. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braddock, VC Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 It all depends on two factors, your actual skill levels and what you perceive as your skill level. If every landing is a greaser then theres no reason on earth why you shouldn't fit nylon bolts. If you think every landing is a greaser, in reality they are kangaroo arrivals then nylon bolts are a necessity and the time spent getting the bits out is a penance for your conceit. I fit steel bolts and upgrade the mounting, don't have a problem .................yet. It has to be said that alloy u/c and fibreglass and carbon u/c have less give, in a fore and aft direction than wire, fit wire and you'll have less structural problems and it's dead easy to bend nearly straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Kearney Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Posted by Braddock, VC on 13/04/2013 00:26:27: It all depends on two factors, your actual skill levels and what you perceive as your skill level. That statement made me roar with laughter, I think that applies to many things in life John, I feel for the guy, but I know I'd not have been able to restrain myself from making the odd comment if I were one of the observers! r. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 One of the reasons that I prefer to use steel bolts is that when nylon bolts shear the undercarriage can damage the model as it breaks away. Apart from that steel bolts provide a good incentive to improve your landings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I have to say, Robin, he took it in good spirit - and was actually one of the main participants taking the mickey out of himself. He assured us he'd be sterilising the drill before using it on his patients on Monday! Another incident some years ago illustrates the difference between use of nylon and steel bolts. One of our regular flyers had a Wot4 that he'd been flying for many, many months - years even. It had nylon u/c bolts and he never had a problem. Until one afternoon, when for no apparent reason the bolts snapped on a fairly average landing. With some muttering and cursing the bolts were replaced and promptly snapped on the very next flight! The following weekend he turned up with steel bolts in the Wot4. After a few decent flights his final flight of the day ended with a slightly heavier than normal landing. The bolts of course didn't snap, but the u/c mounting plate was ripped out of the model. The next weekend he was back to nylon bolts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 My 66" 120 powered Dragon Lady came using 4* wood screws to hold it's undercart on and to be fair it has never been a problem, but by choice I'd use 5mm steel on most models. I've tried nylon bolts but as Greybeard said, if the UC parts company it usually causes damage on it's way back along the underside anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 On reflection I think a certain bluntness is called for here so I have to say that nylon is for wimps; real men use steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Davis Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I used steel bolts on my Acrowot because I didn't have sufficient nylon ones for two models. A misjudged deadstick landing, too fast and all crossed up, caused the undercarriage to rip the undercarriage block out of the fuselage. This meant that the wing was not held in place at the front when it hit the ground. This caused the wing to become detached and the shock caused the servos to come loose in the fuselage. If I'd used nylon bolts the undercarriage would just have broken away. Guess that makes me a wimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Nylon every time for me.....M5 or M6 depending on the model......saves ripping out the UC plate..... Do be aware that any spats will probably punch holes in your wings if & when the nylon bolts let go though...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 They do indeed, Steve. However, in my recent experience, with steel bolts when the u/c plate gets ripped out, the spats punch holes in the wings in exactly the same manner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 Good point John.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Randall Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I used nylon bolts on a kit built WOT4 many years ago, when I was learning to fly. My landings were a touch on the rough side, as they often are when you are at that stage of learning, and the nylon bolts often broke and damaged the underside of the plane. I moved to steel bolts and never had a problem. Neither did I pull the undercarriage plate out. At one time they used to recommend steel bolts partly sawn through to create a break point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly boy3 Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 Thanks for the debate on u/c bolts. Seems quite divided, but a lot learned no doubt. As I land on a tarmac strip,very flat, I have decided on 4 or 5 mm steel bolts. Will update after a few weeks flying (if we can start). Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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