Have you created anything "home-made" for your plane? (or a low cost alternative?)

("Jack Allison" wrote)
Dibs on the first pair! Um...along with assorted camping gear. No lumpy
pillows please? Does the plywood come with N-numbers stenciled on? In
matching colors? Remember, no lumpy pillows. :-)


First set (Beta!!) goes to Jack.

By 2.0 we'll have figured out it's a good thing to pound down the nails in
the old pallets. By 3.0 we'll have figured out not to use old pallets. :-)

I'm heading down to the theater shop on Monday. I've called dibbs on all of
the 18" stock. 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, plywood, etc. All the leftover pieces.


Montblack
Camping gear is a go.

Hey guys, take a piece of cardboard big enough to cover the bottom of your
baggage compartment and make a stencil of the floor. Then design your
plywood pieces to cover the floor of the baggage compartment completely and
snuggly. If you want to get fancy, rabbit joint the edges so they lay on
top of each other. It'll make a great support platform for the baggage and
spread the load out over the entire floor area.

When we pulled the floor out of the rear baggage compartment of our Aztec,
we found two support stringers that were broken at the ends (where they
rivet to the side stringers). That piece of plywood is now a permanent
member of our W&B, in fact, I even upholstered it and it blends right in.

Jim

"Montblack" wrote in message
...
("john smith" wrote)
Do you use grass airstrips? Are you going to AirVenture?
Cut three 1-foot x 1-foot squares of marine plywood (not particle board)
of one-inch thickness. Stop just short of where you park the airplane.
Climb out, pull out the boards, place them ahead of each wheel. With
help, pull the airplanes wheels onto the plywood. When you are ready to
leave, pull the airplane off the plywood and stow them away for the next
use. This prevents yours wheels form sinking into the ground and
requiring high engine power to pull the airplane free from the ruts.
Montblanc may be selling them at the R.A.P gathering this summer at
AirVenture.


1-ft x 1-ft square was found to be somewhat ...ungood. I would recommend
at
least 1-ft x 18 inches.

I'll have to start saving scraps of plywood. For long term use, marine
plyw$$d is great! For one week at OSH ...we'll see what I find.

Cost? Free.


Montblack

("Jim Burns" wrote)
[snip]
Hey guys, take a piece of cardboard big enough to cover the bottom of your
baggage compartment and make a stencil of the floor. Then design your
plywood pieces to cover the floor of the baggage compartment completely
and snuggly.


I've got a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 plywood back there now. :-)


Montblack
OMG ...at (1-ft x 1-ft) that's 32 squares. Hey guys, it's not funny anymore.
Put
down those saws and back away from the minivan before someone gets hurt.

In article ,
"Montblack" wrote:

OMG ...at (1-ft x 1-ft) that's 32 squares. Hey guys, it's not funny anymore.

And you need 33 pieces for 11 tricycle gear airplanes.
Now what are you going to do???

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"

The insulation material for windows is called "reflectix" IIRC. I use it
for my popup camper. I put it on the outside of the tent ends when its
popped up. It helps keep the interior cooler. Some folks go so far as to
put it in their zippered windows too when the windows are "curtained".

I didn't bother to edge it. I use spring clamps to clamp it to the roof
at the seams.

Hey, its airplane related...I take my popup to Oshkosh!

John

"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

Howdy!

In article . com,
Jay Honeck wrote:

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.

....did you stamp "Hurst" on it in gold letters?

yours,
Michael


--
Michael and MJ Houghton | Herveus d'Ormonde and Megan O'Donnelly
| White Wolf and the Phoenix narrowwares
Bowie, MD, USA | http://whitewolfandphoenix.com
Proud member of the SCA Internet Whitewash Squad

Andy wrote:
As a new pilot and new owner of a cessna 172, I've noticed the
seeimingly unlimited amount of accessories available for my plane. Most
seem to have one thing in common - a high price tag.

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.

I guess this would include anything from pilot -assist devices to low
cost alternatives to lighting, interior upholstery, and the like.

Thanks in advance for any input you may offer.

Andy.


First, please don't crosspost to 3 different newsgroups. Pick one. The
groups are separated for a reason.

I have made a yoke mount for my computer.

The most popular homemade accessory around here is airplane covers,
mostly made with tarps :-0

"sm" == scott moore writes:

sm First, please don't crosspost to 3 different newsgroups. Pick
sm one. The groups are separated for a reason.

And, work hard and you'll get ahead, eat breakfast for a good start to
the day, and trust our president who knows what's good for the
country.

Just post to r.a.piloting, Usenet's aviation garbage group.