overhead upholstery

[Dick Smith]

Re: overhead upholstery

Even with the improved visibility from my plane, I still need to jog a bit to check for other traffic and watch my shadow on the ground or water. Here near Cook Inlet, there is so much floatplane, helicopter and wheelplane traffic that most pilots are broadcasting their position and intentions as a matter of routine. All the bearwatching flights, fishing charters and oilfield crew/materials movement create a lot of crisscrossing traffic. It pays to know and be known regarding your location, altitude and direction/intent. Dick

[PA1195]

Re: overhead upholstery

Even with the improved visibility from my plane, I still need to jog a bit to check for other traffic and watch my shadow on the ground or water. Here near Cook Inlet, there is so much floatplane, helicopter and wheelplane traffic that most pilots are broadcasting their position and intentions as a matter of routine. All the bearwatching flights, fishing charters and oilfield crew/materials movement create a lot of crisscrossing traffic. It pays to know and be known regarding your location, altitude and direction/intent. Dick

Nice plane and great pics Dick. Good vis in most directions, better to the rear sides than mine with those long windows.

What do you use for a ground plane for the VHF antenna in Pic #4? Is the coax shield bonded to the X-frame up there? If not a few wires (~22") attached to coax shield and fed along the legs of the X-brace under the cushions might help radio performance.

How do the Gurney flaps work? I'm thinking about that.

Gary

[wlas]

Re: overhead upholstery

Dick... Great pictures, did your son get that C-180 home from the other side of the inlet ?

[Dick Smith]

Re: overhead upholstery

Gary, the co-ax braid is connected to the "tongue" that extends from the center of the "X". Using a hand-held vhf connected to the plane's antenna via co-ax rather than the "rubber duck"...works good.

I tried the Gurney idea: 1/2 inch Alum. angle. I think it helps a bit on floats, getting on the step. Took 'em off after a brief trial...tufted the trailing edge...took some video and looked at the takeoff runs and stalls. Decided to remove 'em. Good eye in noticing them in the pix! Dick

[Dick Smith]

Re: overhead upholstery

Dick... Did your son get that C-180 home from the other side of the inlet ?

Larry, yes the boys got it home with no problems. They had a plan and it worked...which is not always how it goes!! Dick

[PA1195]

Re: overhead upholstery

Gary, the co-ax braid is connected to the "tongue" that extends from the center of the "X". Using a hand-held vhf connected to the plane's antenna via co-ax rather than the "rubber duck"...works good.

I tried the Gurney idea: 1/2 inch Alum. angle. I think it helps a bit on floats, getting on the step. Took 'em off after a brief trial...tufted the trailing edge...took some video and looked at the takeoff runs and stalls. Decided to remove 'em. Good eye in noticing them in the pix! Dick

Maybe if the Gurney's were cockpit deployable via a piano hinge or similar there'd be less of an overall compromise. I think adding 3/4" angles to the float chines forward of the step would do more to get up with a load. But that's a topic for another thread.

Gary