aircraft firewall material

Nerf footballs give their all for flight safety. It has been used primarily in VariEze, Long-EZ and other light composite aircraft because it saves two to three pounds over the stainless or galvanized sheet normally installed. Shop our store today, or contact us to learn more about how we can provide your maintenance facility with the parts needed to repair and maintain a wide variety of aircraft. A firewall grommet shield is opened up to show the grommet. Mike Collins, AOPA technical editor and director of business development, died at age 59 on February 25, 2021. Insufficient aircraft insulation leads to premature engine damage, decreased performance, and in some cases may put the safety of you and your passengers at risk. This Super Cub firewall by F. Atlee Dodge is made of commercial pure titanium and saves about 2 pounds compared to a stainless-steel firewall. The FAA says that a firewall must withstand 2000 F for 15 minutes. As mentioned before: these large items dictate where everything else is going to be installed. These will scratch you arms when working on the firewall as they sit on the edges. This is not the lowest-cost solution, but it is the safest. This is installed at the highest point on the firewall, above the level of the brake cylinders in the cabin so that any air will find a way out. Simply stated, the material must be given a flame test, in which a piece of it, approximately 10 inches in diameter, is subjected to a five-inch diameter flame. See Table A (below) for a comparison of firewall materials. Instead, a layer of FIBERFRAX is attached to the firewall and overlaid with a .016 inch sheet of 2024 T3 aluminum to protect it. Drilling into the firewall steel will result in a hole(s) with very sharp edges. These require a rust-preventative coating, but with galvanized steel that is included as part of the material. Eyeball firewall fittings provide maximum fire protection at cable penetrations and allow the cable to pass through at angles of up to 50. Dont be surprised if the folks operating these metal shops refer to the thickness of their galvanized sheets in term of gauges rather than inch sizes such as .018 inch or .015 inch. The EAA website is currently undergoing maintenance. The firewall must be able to contain a fire in the engine compartment, and the melting temperature of aluminum rivets is simply too low to fulfill that role. Either of these fittings can be secured with an AN924 nut, also in steel. With the firewall installed and still clean without any parts its time to layout the items needed for the engine and to plan any openings where controls should come through the firewall. Firewalls in Welded Steel Frames The big problem with laying out a firewall is that you cant see through the firewall to tell where structural supports are or where controls mount on the cabin end and attach to the engine on the other end. Thousands of airplane hangars, dealers, and maintenance facilities trust our selection of aeroplane parts for their repairs, both big and small. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store. Some airplanes will run all of these cables together and push them through one hole with a rubber grommet, goop it up with red RTV and call it good. And thats not going to help fuel or brake lines when they need to pass through it. The official reason is, aluminum will not pass the flame test because its melting point is just slightly above 1,200 degrees F. In some applications . He has so far completed fourtwo GlaStars, a Glasair Sportsman, and a Texas Sport Cuband is helping a friend build an RV-8. They will protect the wiring or lines passing through them and seal the firewall to protect the cabin. Most aircraft supply retailers sell firewall grommet shields that minimize the exposure of the rubber grommets to any potential fire. That should be sufficient to hold it in position until the firewall metal is installed with a few sheet metal screws. Its bulky and large although not very heavy but it dictates where everything else is going to be placed. A thin metal firewall can support lightweight items attached to it fairly well, especially if a doubler is used to give the firewall extra strength. If such protection is provided, it is vital that you install it per the manufacturers instructions. fiberglass material to provide a superior heat barrier in high temperature applications. In All-Metal Fuselages Metallic cannon plug bodies and housings are available, but theyre comparatively heavy and expensive. One is that you can find someone with a similar airplane and engine installation and copy what they did (assuming they did it well). In addition to providing protection, the firewall has other useful functions. However, you can still find it in some plumbing shops and hardware stores. Lancair, for example, includes such firewall protection in its kits. Wood such as spruce or fir will catch on fire at less than 500 F. Fiberglass material will ignite at 700 to 800 F, depending on the resin used. Lubricating the cut with oil or cutting fluid also helps. Wendell Solesbee works on the engine installation in his Lancair Evolution. The firewall can be held in place initially by the four bolts securing the engine mount to the fuselage. Please consider supporting us by whitelisting our site in your ad blocker or with a donation, Keep holes to a minimum and protect them as well as you can. From oil filters to navigation lights and aircraft engine parts; we offer everything needed for all aircraft maintenance from general maintenance to full engine component replacement. It also dissipates heat poorly, so it is important to use sufficient cutting fluid to cool the part while drilling or cutting. He is also an A&P mechanic, Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR), and was a member of the EAA Homebuilt Aircraft Council for six years. In a typical airplane project, a titanium firewall can save about 2 pounds compared to stainless. Thats all there is to that. The steel ones will last as long as the rest of the firewall in a fire and make for a neat, professional installation. In this type of structure, as in welded-tube type, the firewall metal has the same kind of oil-canning tendency. In fact, FAR 23.1191 requires that engines, auxiliary power units, and fuel-burning heaters be physically isolated from the rest of the airplane by firewalls or shrouds. Many builders like to add sound insulation to the cabin side of their firewall. It also has a small hole drilled to let air in or out of the reservoir. A thinner quarter-inch layer may provide welcome extra protection for pilot and passengers of metal planes such as RVs, and perhaps help reduce sound levels a bit, too. This will be one of the smaller topics we will explore, but it is still an important one. These are recommended where rubber grommets have to be used. Compliance with the portion of the Federal Aviation Regulations pertaining to firewalls is relatively simple and highly recommended. Or you can make a pattern of the structure hidden by the firewall and transfer it to the engine side, where it can more easily be seen. Mild or chrome-moly steel require painting on both sides. Your firewall may never be put to the test, but if it is, you will be glad you took the time to do a good job. But when you have a composite aircraft like a Pelican PL, DynAero MCR then an extra sheet of fiberfrax high temperature ceramic blanket is installed between the firewall sheet and the aircraft bulkhead. The sharp edges left after cutting are particularly nasty and hazardous to your hands. Here is a sample of the buildup of materials needed for the firewall of a wood airplane. Some engine manufacturers (Rotax 912/4/5) ship their voltage regulator separately from the alternator, as such this item must be installed close to the battery with short thick wiring to keep voltage losses at a minimum. This inhibits vibration by stiffening the metal and it virtually eliminates oil-canning noises. When he isnt building something, he shares his love of aviation with others by flying Young Eagles or volunteering as an EAA Technical Counselor. A step drill or Unibit makes easy work of drilling medium-size holes in sheet metal. Any engine operated in flight must be isolated from the rest of the airplane by a firewall or equivalent means. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Because of its bad press, asbestos sheet is very difficult to obtain. Metal aircraft usually have the firewall sheet mounted directly onto the aircraft fuselage, see Piper, Cessna. However, a good hole saw can be used if you are careful and patient. Heavy Duty Silicone Engine Baffle (Textured Finish), Cowl Vent Seal (Older Cessna felt Style Baffle), Cat Track Grommets & Caterpillar Grommets, AN507 or MS24693C Phillips Flat Head Machine Screw, Non-Structural, Click Here For Brown Aircraft Supply's PDF Catalog. Portions of the website, including membership login, join, renewal, shopping, and AirVenture ticketing may be unavailable at that time. After all, it's the only thing between you and an engine fire. This is a steel AN833-6 bulkhead 90 fitting with an AN924-6 nut and an AN960-916 washer. Your firewall will undoubtedly consist of a single sheet of metal with nothing behind it for support except perhaps a diagonal tube welded across the front of the tubular frame of the fuselage. Born into a family of builders, it was only natural that he would make his living as a contractor and spend his leisure time building airplanes. However, before you decide to use it in your own aircraft, check it out with your local FAA inspector. Local sources for galvanized sheet include metal shops and air conditioning duct fabricators. Run the wires or cables through the tube and wrap it in Aeroquip Firesleeve. You will need heat resistant tubing toward the firewall. As you construct the firewall for your airplane, always keep in mind what it is intended to dokeep an engine fire out of the cockpit so that you can land the airplane. 3. Luckily, Aircraft Spruce now has an all-stainless-steel cabin heat box that should go a long way toward solving this problem. Another function of the firewall is to have a convenient surface to install essential components for the operation of the engine. Being supported by a solid bulkhead, the firewall metal will not vibrate and oil-can as it would in an all-metal or welded steel tube installation so no particular pre-installation forming of reinforcing ridges or beads need be made. However, as the "cadillac" of firewall materials, it is the first choice among builders who want a "show airplane." Installing the engine is sometimes seen as a 'marriage' between airframe and motor. If that be the case, 26 gauge is pretty close to what you want (about .018 inch thick). To provide a better user experience, EAA uses cookies. ), Mild steel sheet (coated with aluminum or otherwise corrosion protected) - .018 inch thick. It doesnt make much sense to fabricate a nice firewall and then punch a bunch of holes in it, but that is what you have to do to get wires, control cables and cabin heat from one side of the firewall to the other. The battery is bulky, so it will usually go on the side opposite the oil cooler, where there is more room, or outside of the engine compartment, as dictated by weight-and-balance considerations. By Bill Repucci. It is easy for drills to catch on the metal as they try to break through. On the cabin side of the firewall there will be a deflector to control the airflow to the floor or to the windshield for defrosting. . Firewall materials and fittings must resist flame penetration for at least 15 minutes. Instead, affix the FIBERFRAX sheet with a bead of silicone rubber laid around the periphery of the bulkhead. Whenever you drill into sheet metal, be sure to secure the piece being drilled. For your convenience, however, I have paraphrased the regulation. If you can get titanium solid rivets, that would be best, but Monel rivets will work fine and are much easier to find. . This GlaStar firewall shows eyeball fittings for cables, added support for an oil cooler and a dog bowl indentation to allow clearance for a prop governor. Thats why a temporary firewall makes a lot of sense. Why all the requirements? Cookies are required for this site to operate correctly. Before installing a firewall on a welded fuselage, you should seal the open ends of the longerons. The most popular stainless-steel alloy is 304, but 301 half-hard will also work. This special bulkhead must be constructed so that no hazardous quantity of liquid, gas or flame can pass through it. Small nut plates are often installed with 3/32-inch aluminum AN aircraft rivets, but aluminum rivets are unsuitable for securing major firewall components such as firewall flanges, seams or patches. Wires run through holes with grommets need their own protection. For the cabin heat valve, where a 1-1/2- or 2-inch hole will be required, a chassis punch makes an especially nice hole. It is much easier to cut and bend than any of the titanium alloys, such as 6AL-4V. This is usually one of the first items that get installed on the firewall after the engine mount, it will also need the lowest position. Essentially, it is a fire-resistant bulkhead that separates the engine compartment from the cockpit area. Go half as fast, and youll get more done. It also costs two to four times more than galvanized sheet. There are, however, better and worse ways to go about penetrating the firewall while still maintaining its integrity. Please do not use asbestos. Use only enough screws to temporarily hold the firewall in place. Trying to push a drill bit or saw blade through stainless too quickly will just result in a burnt tool and little progress. An Eyeball Firewall Assembly, available from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty and other vendors, makes a tight seal around any cable penetration, even one at an angle of up to 50. Commercial pure titanium is by far the best choice. Thanks for the great work. I doubt that the weight difference could be measured on the crude scales most of us have around our shops, but there is that difference. Testing performed by Stoddard Hamilton (the predecessor of Glasair Aviation) revealed that the backside temperature of a stainless-steel firewall reached about 1600 F after 8 minutes, sufficient to ignite the fiberglass airplane structures. Preferred browsers: Google Chrome, FireFox, or Microsoft Edge. I get all the information I need on my assignment in Aerospace structures and materials. Your browser is not compatible with this website. The builders of all-metal airplanes can also benefit from a Fiberfrax firewall blanket to prevent excessive heat from entering the cockpit during an engine fire. However, it may not be as readily available as scrap. This may introduce in-service problems unless the material is somehow protected from abrasion and abuse. The firewall sheet in an all-metal aluminum fuselage is ordinarily riveted to what comprises the engine compartment bulkhead. The firewall blankets at Brown Aircraft are made with heavy 42 oz. And, why not? Weve been the go to supplier for the aviation community and were looking forward to being your airplane parts supplier. Oil coolers must be mounted where they have good support and where air can flow in and out of them easily. see our sponsor page for more information. No matter what make of plane youre working with, our line of Cessna parts, Beechcraft parts and replacement components for Cirrus, Mooney, and Piper aircraft will provide you with exactly what you need to keep your flying machine in top condition. As a precaution, avoid creating asbestos dust when cutting and handling the stuff. in. Remember that the firewall can get extremely hot in an engine fire, and it could possibly ignite unapproved materials or cause them to emit noxious fumes that could disable the pilot. Such a framework can also be a convenient place to mount items such as oil- and fuel-pressure senders. The shield protects the grommet filling in the hole. This may get you through your initial airworthiness inspection, but if a fire ever got going in the area of that penetration, you will have some pretty toasty feet in short order. Non-flammable sound-blanket material is attached to the cabin side of the firewall before it is pushed into place at the Glasair Customer Assembly Center. Some kits will have detailed instructions for laying out firewall penetrations, while others may come with the required holes pre-punched in the firewall. The technique for using it seems to have been standardized as follows: The layer of asbestos cloth ordinarily used under the stainless steel firewall sheet in wood or composite aircraft may be omitted. Be careful with it and remove it the proper way. A chassis punch makes a much cleaner hole than a hole saw. Learn how your comment data is processed. No useful purpose would be served by using a heavier firewall sheet than that required to meet acceptable minimums. This is fine, but it is vitally important that any insulation material used is flame resistant and aircraft quality. The firewall must be constructed so that no hazardous quantity of liquid, gas or flame can pass from the engine compartment to other parts of the airplane. Some builders find this technique helpful when their kit does not include firewall layout instructions. The control and wire penetrations should all be protected with fire-rated caulking. Each opening in the firewall must be sealed with close-fitting, fireproof grommets, bushings, or firewall fittings. Fire resistant seals may be used on firewall for small engines (1,000 cubic inch displacement or less.). Note the factory-furnished firewall blanket made to protect the composite structure of the airplane. All rights reserved worldwide. Caution: Asbestos has developed a bad reputation and, according to federally funded studies, constitutes a health hazard. Heavy objects require localized reinforcement. In this system, a stainless-steel tube with a flange is riveted to the firewall. Slow bit or blade speeds and higher pressures are the rule, as compared to ordinary steel or aluminum. Act promptly, howeverthe regulations require firewall materials and fittings to resist flame penetration for at least 15 minutes. 1. Enjoy free shipping on most orders over $200! A scrap piece of titanium large enough to make a firewall will cost about $200 plus shipping. Fuel lines are particularly hazardous firewall penetrations. The layers: plywood, stainless steel (0.016 inch), four layers of eighth-inch Fiberfrax and an aluminum protective sheet (0.020 inch). If you want to use some other material for your firewall, you may have to prove its ability to meet certain criteria for compliance as a fireproof material. Brown Aircraft provides a full selection of aircraft heat shielding products to help minimize these risks and ensure the longevity and safety of your aircraft. The firewall metal for a two-seat aircraft will probably weigh as much as 4-1/2 pounds anyway, so why make it seven? Here are the two types of holes side by side, with the chassis punch hole being the lower one. Titanium is prone to galling and sticking to tools, so it is important to use sharp tools and slow cutting speeds. Although the standards established by regulation for production-line aircraft do not necessarily apply to experimental aircraft, deviation from accepted practices may result in your having to get into a proof testing demonstration. Greetings.If you enjoyed and found value in our site, consider becoming a member. Most people will run wires high through the firewall. Next time we will look at engine mounts. The gascolator will go low and typically on the left side, so that it is easy to drain during preflight. The downside to this method is that you will have to remove the engine and mount from the airplane to take out the temporary firewall, but the trade-off may be worth it. In most cases, an aluminum tube with a 2-inch diameter punches a big hole through the firewall, offering almost no protection from an engine fire. If you think that titanium is just too exotic to even consider, you might be interested to know that F. Atlee Dodge is currently selling pure titanium firewalls for Piper PA-18 Super Cubs (for an extra $220 over the stainless-steel price). 5. You may find it still in very old aircraft when restoring these. Some builders use in combination with these grommets a fire retardant sealant to prevent any leakage of fumes or gases into the cockpit, but do this after the firewall is finished and needs no more modifications. Hole saws also work for larger holes, but they do not make as clean a hole, and cheaper ones may not cut through harder alloys well. So if the firewall is attached to flammable materials such as wood or fiberglass, you need to add another layer of protection to stop the heat from transferring through the firewall and igniting, or at least charring, the rest of the airplane. Making holes in firewalls is not difficult if the holes are less than 1 inch. The following materials may be used in firewalls WITHOUT BEING TESTED; Stainless steel sheet - .015 inch thick (.284 lb./cu. Using a 2000 F fire-rated sealant will help, but there is an even better solution. Any serious heat will quickly melt a plastic fitting. There are a number of so-called "standard gauges" and some variations in the actual thickness for the same gauge number may crop up. Sometimes small tabs are welded to the firewall bulkhead and sheet metal screws, rivets or bolts are added to secure the firewall. This is where builder support groups can come in handy. Acceptable Firewall Materials If you are going to use AN fittings to pass fuel and other fluid lines through the firewall then this will result in a chafe free connection point for those items without disturbing anything on the other side of the firewall, plus it looks very professional! From the foregoing introduction the reasons are obvious why certificated aircraft are required to have firewalls, so why should homebuilt aircraft be excepted? This is much safer and easier than trying to use a conventional drill bit to make a large hole in thin metal. . In effect, it becomes an integral part of the fuselage. Plain (not galvanized) sheet steel of at least 26 gauge can also be used; it has a thickness of 0.018 inches. First liftoff of the Dream Tundra flown (Photo: Georgia Kinninger) When the Homebuilding movement 2022 Kitplanes.com. Plansbuilt projects and some kits may not have any information about engine compartment layout and firewall penetrations. In the event of a fire, the protective aluminum would quickly melt away, but the Fiberfrax will do its job of insulating. These larger items must be supported by structure behind the firewall and bolted to such supports to be adequately secured. Firewall metal in this type of installation is, therefore, often made more rigid by embossing random beads or ridges across the sheet. If you are building from plans, there are a few more decisions you must make, such as how to lay it out, the material and thickness to be used and how to pass things through or secure them to the firewall. (Dont forget that unfilled sockets in a cannon plug are like open holes; for best results, populate every socket in the connector, even if the pin is unused.). The 301 is about twice as strong as 304, and as a result is harder to cut, thus making 304 the preferred alloy. Riveting stainless-steel firewalls should be done with solid stainless steel, Monel rivets or stainless-steel CherryMAX blind rivets, with Monel being the most common choice. Have some champagne and friends nearby when the job is completed! In theory, at least, should a fire occur in the engine compartment, the firewall would protect the aircrafts occupants from the flames long enough for an emergency landing to be effected. for very slow, light aircraft (ultralights) with small engines, it might be considered sufficient. Recently, a new space-age ceramic paper called FIBERFRAX has been developed and is finding its way into homebuilding circles. Choosing Your Firewall Material The firewall is an important component in your aircraft. Maintaining the Integrity of the Firewall. Mild, chrome-moly or galvanized steel can be used. You could assure yourself that you are obtaining the correct thickness if you bring your own micrometer to check the various sheets. Its function is to make sure that in the event of an engine fire the aircraft structure and its occupants and protected from the heat and flames long enough to execute an emergency landing (FAR PART 23.1191). Ribs were rolled into this stainless-steel firewall to stiffen it up and prevent oil canning.. Must I have a Firewall? Firewall Forward: Installing the Firewall, Approach Fast Stack Discounts Pro-X Hub Orders, Belite Delights With Its Ultra Cub Look-Alike, You Never Know Who Youll See at AirVenture. From the US Federal Aviation Regulations: The following materials may be used in firewalls or shrouds without being tested as required by section 23.1191: Most aircraft kit manufacturers supply you with a sheet of the correct material so you will be safe in that department. You will need different sizes of these handy thingies. 4. The firewall is basically a separation between the engine compartment and the cabin or the rest of the aircraft. Where necessary, take the extra steps to protect any vulnerable structure behind the firewall, too. Although experimental aircraft need not comply with the same stringent federal regulations expressly established for production-line aircraft, most FAA inspectors will insist that a suitable firewall be installed in the aircraft they inspect. Most kits come with stainless-steel firewalls or material to make one, and plans builders will typically use the same material. ENABLE JAVASCRIPT TO ENJOY ALL MODERN FEATURES ON OUR SITE, Mild steel sheet (coated with aluminum or otherwise protected against corrosion) 0.018 inch thick, Steel or copper base alloy firewall fittings. We are currently experiencing some issues with slow log ins. Other materials may be used if they can pass the fireproof test. Some manufacturers of composite airplane kits now provide pre-made, fire-resistant firewall protection for their customers. Cutting and drilling stainless steel requires patience. It is not used much today because it isnt as commonly available as galvanized. However, using aluminum sheet by itself for firewall material is not acceptable to most FAA inspectors. Some engine mounts include the nose gear of the aircraft, make sure that its wheel and all of that is ready too. Even electrical wiring will not like these sharp edges. Galvanized sheet is the most common, most economical of the acceptable materials used in small general aviation aircraft. Because the firewalls primary role is, in the unlikely event of a fire in the engine compartment, to protect the aircrafts occupants long enough for the pilot to make an emergency landing. When youre operating at thousands of feet above the ground, nothing should be left to chance. Protect your aircraft with aircraft heat shielding products from Brown Aircraft see our selection below, or visit our Firewall Forward category for more options. You will probably never need the protection it is designed to provide, but if you do, you will be glad you took the time to build it well. In addition, mounting the fuselage side skins will completely stabilize and immobilize the firewall. Cabin-heat valves are the biggest offenders of firewall integrity on many airplanes. Its all logical when you think about it, but it can be frustrating to make everything fit where you can still get to it for maintenance later. It gets its corrosion resistance from a zinc or hot-dip galvanizing coating obtained by immersing the sheet steel in a mixture of molten zinc at a temperature of approximately 865 degrees F. until the base metal temperature of the immersed steel sheet reaches that of the hot-dip bath. Seal everything with Flamesafe sealant. You will need it after hanging the engine. Generally speaking, yes. Aluminum firewall blankets are also available, appropriate for applications such as the underside of cowlings to protect from temperature extremes. A firewall must be fireproof and it must be protected against corrosion. 2. Items that cant be supported by the firewall include such things as oil coolers and batteries. Some people use cannon plugs to bring wires through the firewall, and they make for a clean-looking installation, but a large plastic cannon plug is almost as bad as having an open hole in your firewall. At the very least, the material for the firewall is likely included, as is a plan or pattern to use to cut it out to size. The bulkhead, although structural in nature, is not fireproof because it is commonly made of wood overlaid with plywood. Please enable cookies in your browser. It can withstand temperatures of approximately 2,300 degrees F. and may be considered as effective a fire barrier as stainless steel. Because of its strength and location, the firewall also can be a handy place to mount battery boxes, voltage regulators, and other engine accoutrements. Hardware-store stainless-steel pop rivets are also a poor choice because the stems are not reliably secure and could fall out, leaving a hole through which hot gasses could pass. Airplanes need the highest quality parts to perform at high altitudes and speeds. The firewall blanket is a critical component of engine ventilation and heat shielding as part of the firewall forward system. It must be protected against corrosion, and each opening in the firewall must be sealed with close-fitting, fireproof grommets, bushings, or other fittings. Copyright 2006 - 2022, Experimental Aircraft Info. To review EAA's data privacy policy or adjust your privacy settings please visit: Click here to upgrade to a newer version of Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge. It would be difficult to land an airplane with intense heat pouring through the hole where an aluminum cabin heat box used to be.

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