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One solution to this for aircraft has been Medeco locks-quality commercial door locks adapted to aircraft by Aircraft Security and Alert Systems. ASs founder, Jim Jetton, is an A&P/IA. Jetton stumbled on the Medeco business in 1981 when he was developing an alarm system for general aviation aircraft and picked up the locks as a sideline.
Jetton adapted Medecos high-security locks for aircraft doors, which involved some spec and size changes, but basically, the core of the lock remains the same. Medecos claim to technical superiority is rotating pin tumblers and an angled key cut thats impossible to duplicate except by the manufacturer. But that cuts both ways. If you lose your key or you want a spare, theres no running down to the hardware store to have a couple made. Aircraft Security provides a code set for each key and spares must be cut from that code by the company, at $7 each.
Much of Jettons business is in the biz jet and turboprop market, whose owners are more security conscious (and savvy) than the typical single-engine piston owner is. Prices vary by model. Medecos for Cessna aircraft sell for $99.95 while Beechcraft prices range from $99.95 to $149.95, depending on model. The locks can be bought and keyed individually but typically, youll need one for the main cabin door and baggage door. Installing Locks
We bought a couple of Medecos for our Mooney 231 and installed them, a straightforward process thats considered a minor modification with PMAd products.
Installation was easy but it took some fiddling. The Medeco version for our airplane has a single flat on the outer bore of the lock barrel while the stock Mooney lock has two flats. This required some modest file work to get the lock into the hole.
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Also, one of the cams had to be ground slightly to obtain a perfect fit. Once installed, the locks work more smoothly than the stock locks did and, as noted, are more tamper- and pick-proof. Contact AS and www.aircraftsecurityalert.com or 800-594-8094.
h
e term “aircraft quality” is a cruel oxymoron when its applied to a shockingly large number of components on the typical airplane, door locks being at the top of list. In older airplanes, locks are made of inexpensive pot metal and with a limited number of tumbler combinations, theyre both easily pickable and openable by hundreds of keys floating around in the world at large.One solution to this for aircraft has been Medeco locks-quality commercial door locks adapted to aircraft by Aircraft Security and Alert Systems. ASs founder, Jim Jetton, is an A&P/IA. Jetton stumbled on the Medeco business in 1981 when he was developing an alarm system for general aviation aircraft and picked up the locks as a sideline.
Jetton adapted Medecos high-security locks for aircraft doors, which involved some spec and size changes, but basically, the core of the lock remains the same. Medecos claim to technical superiority is rotating pin tumblers and an angled key cut thats impossible to duplicate except by the manufacturer. But that cuts both ways. If you lose your key or you want a spare, theres no running down to the hardware store to have a couple made. Aircraft Security provides a code set for each key and spares must be cut from that code by the company, at $7 each.
Much of Jettons business is in the biz jet and turboprop market, whose owners are more security conscious (and savvy) than the typical single-engine piston owner is. Prices vary by model. Medecos for Cessna aircraft sell for $99.95 while Beechcraft prices range from $99.95 to $149.95, depending on model. The locks can be bought and keyed individually but typically, youll need one for the main cabin door and baggage door.
Installing Locks
We bought a couple of Medecos for our Mooney 231 and installed them, a straightforward process thats considered a minor modification with PMAd products.
Installation was easy but it took some fiddling. The Medeco version for our airplane has a single flat on the outer bore of the lock barrel while the stock Mooney lock has two flats. This required some modest file work to get the lock into the hole.
Also, one of the cams had to be ground slightly to obtain a perfect fit. Once installed, the locks work more smoothly than the stock locks did and, as noted, are more tamper- and pick-proof.
Contact
AS and www.aircraftsecurityalert.com
or 800-594-8094.
