[TowerTalk] TA-33m

[Bill Coleman]

On 12/11/03 1:45 PM, Jeff Griffin at jeff.griffin at comcast.net wrote:

>Yeah right, like I'm supposed to believe something like  a 747 is assembled
>with pop rivet's?  Not any 747 I will ever leave the ground on!

Actually, blind fasteners are used on even the largest aircraft in areas 
where driven rivets or bolts are impractical.

So long as the fastener has the required shear strength, there's no 
reason to avoid a "pop" rivet.

(Pop is really a tradename, but most people associate the name with the 
cheap fasteners that are nothing more than a hollow aluminum tube -- fine 
for putting together your drop-ceiling rails, but not for much else.

Blind fasteners are designed such that part of the mandrel breaks off and 
stays in the center of the rivet. The center is then filled with metal 
and has considerable strength. 

I've never seen a F12 antenna assembled, but others have indicated that 
they use the same type of blind fasteners as rated for aircraft use.)



Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901