[TowerTalk] Yagis and Rivets

[Bill Coleman AA4LR]

On 3/15/00 6:07 PM, Dave Pomeroy at dave_pomeroy@yahoo.com wrote:

>  I don't know about antenna rivits but aircraft
>rivits hold forever.  60 year old airplanes still
>flying with tight aluminum rivits.

True, but aircraft generally use driven (ie bucked) rivets, not blind (ie 
pulled, "pop") rivets. And even driven rivets can work loose, due to 
stress or corrosion.

My question with the F12 rivets is are they structural blind rivets, or 
are they the "pop" variety? "Pop" rivets pull the mandrel through the 
rivet, leaving a little empty hole. So, the only thing holding the 
material together is a thin shell of aluminum left in the hole. A blind 
rivet has a mandrel that breaks off, leaving a piece of steel in the 
middle of an aluminum tube.

Given the friction of elements telescoped together, even the wimpy pop 
rivets are probably enough to hold the element in place. Just don't use 
pop rivets in aircraft....



Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr@radio.org
Quote: "Boot, you transistorized tormentor! Boot!"
            -- Archibald Asparagus, VeggieTales


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