Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

[Scott]

Good evening fellow Tcrafters

Looking for some advice and perhaps even a photo or two on what the aft end of my cabin is supposed to look like. It was none-standard and bodged when I took it apart and anyway that was 25 years ago!

I've looked all over this site and the web and have been unable to come up with info on my style of D window. (see photo) The bird is a May 46 BC12D and I'm trying to fit up a few things prior to getting into covering work.

I'm specifically looking for
1. how the baggage compartment is hung, wood pieces etc
2. how the headliner aft bow is mounted and positioned (I have three bows, two go forward of the aft spar carry through and one goes aft of the D window I think)
3. how the headliner gets attached around the D window
4. the hat shelf configuration etc

I have a wool headliner from Aircraft Spruce and a baggage compartment from them on the way. I made a wood cross member but I'm in the dark from that point on.

any help will be appreciated
Scott

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

I have more photos than I can count from when I did the 41. NOT exactly like the 45 or 46 but a lot will be good guidance. I also have a lot of patterns for the wood parts. As a start this shows the pre war wood "D" window frame and the post war metal one. The wide board in back is where the baggage sling snaps in. The front edge of the sling is attached to the seat sling and wood pieces with more snaps hold the sides.
The sling and hat shelf were the same on my 41 and 45.
Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

The hat shelf is made from the same card board used on old cars for the hat shelf (DON'T get it wet!!!). It was also used originally for the glare shield. The hat shelf rests on a light weight wood frame behind the baggage sling. I need to look for the drawing or some photos if you need it.
The head liner attaches to the back of the shelf wood and the shelf itself lifts out if you don't want to unsnap the sling.
The 45 headliner hooked up COMPLETELY different from the 41 because of the factory skylight.

Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

The hat shelf is made from the same card board used on old cars for the hat shelf (DON'T get it wet!!!). It was also used originally for the glare shield. The hat shelf rests on a light weight wood frame behind the baggage sling. I need to look for the drawing or some photos if you need it.
The head liner attaches to the back of the shelf wood and the shelf itself lifts out if you don't want to unsnap the sling.
The 45 headliner hooked up COMPLETELY different from the 41 because of the factory skylight.

Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

This is the frame under the hat shelf.

Hank

[Scott]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

Thanks Hank, much appreciated
I did find some of these photos on the site and as you say they're useful.

Question: what stops the headliner from lifting the hat shelf as its tensioned? I don't appear to have anything to attach side pieces to other than the crossmember, but i think I need to support the front end of the side wood under the window and the aft edge of the shelf.

so the headliner wraps around the Dframe and attaches to the outside of the fuselage under the plexiglass?

Hopefull that someone somewhere has a photo of an installation with the same version D window. I'm sure I be able to figure out something but it certainly would be nice to know what the original looks like.
thanks
Scott

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

The actual hat shelf is not solidly attached to the frame. I used some pieces of Velcro to hold it down. The headliner is attached to the hat shelf frame, not the hat shelf and the frame is attached to the fuselage tubes on the sides and the cross piece for the back of the baggag sling.

The exterior fabric wraps around to the inside of the "D" window frame and the headliner is attached to the frame and wraps to the outisde. The "glass" goes over it and the outside metal frame holds the glass and headliner.

Hank

[Scott]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

Thanks
I guess I'll need to use adel clamps as there are no attach points on my tubes other than for the cross member.

Also, I have no external metal frames on the D windows. the plexi was attached to the frame with pk screws and a fabric dolly applied over the edges. This appears to be original given the traces of colours I found but I can't be sure.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Hat Shelf, headliner & Baggage compartment

There is supposed to be a set of metal "skins" over the Plexi to hold everything together. It pinches the Plexi, headliner, exterior fabric and metal D window frame all together. There was also some batting in there to let the headliner curve around the edge of the hole. The external pieces were screwed down and the screws ended up in the pressed depression in the D frame. You can see the screw holes in the depression in the photo. The outside cover pieces were in two pieces on each side (top and bottom) and the batting kept the screw points from coming through the headliner.
You could probably replace the depression on yours with a half round piece of Spruce, Fir or Pine around the opening to take the screws and it would curve the headliner around into the hole.

Hank