"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
I was wondering if anyone reading this thread would share information
on any devices that are perhaps homemade or are low cost alternatives
to items available in aviation catalogs.

Great topic! And, now that you're a new aircraft owner, let me welcome
to the cadre of perpetually-impoverished-but-ecstatically-happy
pilots.... ;-)

I'll start off with a few:

1. Nose covers. Custom made "mittens" for airplanes (essential in the
winter in cold climes) can run hundreds of dollars. My wife, Mary,
took some measurements, took an old dark blue (essential for heat
absorbtion from the sun) nylon sleeping bag, cut it to spec, added long
velcro straps, and voila! We've got the best nose cover around for
less than twenty bucks.

2. Sun screens. When we park for a week at OSH or SNF, the interior
just bakes. Store-bought sun screens cost big bucks -- I went to
Menards, bought a roll of aluminum insulation (the 3/8" thick stuff),
carefully cut them to about 1/2 inch bigger than the windows, and had
Mary stitch around the edges with cloth. Total cost was less than $20,
and they work -- and look -- just like the "real" ones.

3. Throttle Cover. This is one I've not seen in catalogs, so I made it
myself. The plastic "T-shift" throttle on our Pathfinder always struck
me as cheap and cheesy. When we had the interior re-done in light gray
leather, I fashioned a stitch-on leather cover for it. Looks and feels
great.

I'll bet you get a lot of responses...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

My wife made me up a pitot cover made from bright red cloth with a flag
hanging down with the words "high voltage don't touch!" sewn on it both
sides.
Worked wonders for keeping people from handling it at the show sites :-)
Dudley