1. I started building my Lancair alone, in my garage, before
anybody invented anything - including Car-binge and the internet as we
know it today.
Me too! That's why I developed
and now sell Carbinge graphite hinges. BTW, Carbinge is a non-hyphenated
word as is carbon.
2. I like shiny metal things - I polished my hinges with a home
brew compound before I knew about commercial rouges. You can't polish
Car-bon.
I like shiny things too.
Carbinge has a very nice shiny surface that you don't need to polish.
Also it takes paint (shiny also) better than aluminum. I can't comment
on your affinity for metal, except to say that I chose a Lancair over metal
airplanes because I prefer to save weight in my craft and I want to minimize
the use of materials that corrode, weaken under stress and wear out before the
airplane does.
3. The electrical interaction betwixt SS, steel and aluminum is
benign here in the salt-air free midwest. Car-bon and steel/SS? You
can't glue both halves of the hinge on - Something gets screwed.
The steel pin in Carbinge
graphite hinges does not contact graphite. There is a nylon
bushing so that never the twain shall meet. I suspect
you wouldn't glue either half of an aluminum hinge on, but actually with
a bit of creativity in designing removable pins, both halves of Carbinge CAN
be glued. They can also be screwed on additionally, or instead
- builder's choice.
This is a shameless defensive response.
No criticism was intended in my
comments, so I'm sorry you feel defensive. I merely want to provide
for LML subscribers information about an alternative that may be better
for them. I applaud your creativity in fixing the ongoing difficulties
you have with your hinges. 9 years of service is a long time for a
Lancair product and I know you have lots of miles under your belt. I
don't think there's anything to criticize about the amount of attention you've
had to give to your hinges or the way you've solved the
problems. However, there are other solutions now and we are all
served by having knowledge of and an understanding of
them.
Regards,
John Barrett
Barrett/Garrett Enterprises,
Inc.
PO Box 428
Pt. Hadlock, WA 98339
www.carbinge.com