seagull wing bolt size

[Glenn Stevenson]

Hi anybody know what the size is for wingbolts in seagull models, the threads in my turbo raven are poor and i want to put some threaded bar in and use wing nuts.

Thanks

Glenn

[Bruce Collinson]

Glenn,

Probably 1/4 20 UNF, my Seagull Yak is. I think they may use varying sizes and threads though. Try wingbolts from a Wot 4 or Acrowot ARTF if there’s one to hand, if it’s modern.

the flawless Ian Shaw at Modelfixings will sort you out and if access to the bolt heads in the fus is as tight as my Yak, he’ll provide a sumptuous Proxxon socket set wherein the 10 mm socket will tighten such a hex head. If there’s room for digits, wing nuts or cap heads are all available.

BTC

[Glenn Stevenson]

Cheers Bruce Ive been looking around and they look more like unc than unf. my aching thumbs struggle with 4 tight bolts and not much space to get at em.

Glenn

[Bruce Collinson]

Mea culpa, UNC.

Check the socket set I mentioned. As well as three different extension bars of 50, 100 and 150 mm, there’s a UJ which although a simple Hooke joint, is very viable and in combination should make your bolts far easier to frighten. Ha ha (or is it “lol”?) I wrote tighten.

BTC

[Chris Walby]

Hi, I tried steel set setscrews on my IC powered twin and they never stopped undoing! Sorted once I epoxied washers in the cheese head screws and fixed with a cable tie.

Then found if I cut the original plastic screws down to length so I only need to screw in enough to fill the nut, the job was easier enough.

PS Hex head cap head screws and a hex ball driver could be another option

Hope that helps!

[Bruce Collinson]

There seems to be a thread with steel wingbolts vibrating loose, canopy fixings too. Pal's big Excelsior landed with one nearly out on Sunday. trouble is, some of the big F3As, my Infinity included, use M4s which just look skinny in nylon. Needs the captive nuts liberating and replacing I suppose.

Cap head 1/4 20 UNC have 3/16th heads which I gave up on as a bit was hard to source and there isn't the width across the fus to get anything long in, hence the hex head and a socket on a 50mm bar. However if we three buy three each, Ian Shaw can get 10 sent, cost us £2 each bit. He'll be in front with only 1 left in stock.

There's a bit of play with a hex head imperial and a M10 socket which isn't enough to stop it tightening but does permit imperfect angles.

BTC