Located both sides of the nose, forward of the cockpit are two avionics access panels. Likely for refuelling, life support and other avionics.
For lack of detailed dimensions, I’m doing this by eye from photo references. I’m plotting it all out, roughly at first, then I’ll draw it all up neatly, then fabricate in wood and plastic.
20 February 2019
It’s been interesting trying to find all the useful bits of scrap wood and coming up with a way to use it all to make the avionics details.
I’ve made a good start, using PVC pipe, some bolts and blocks of wood.
20 February 2019
19 March 2019
Still quite sick. Had this bloody flu for over 3 weeks now. Slept most of today, but mid- afternoon, I needed fresh air. Spent some time just chilling in the back yard, then pottered around in the shed for a bit. I could have done a lot more, but I took it easy today.
I’ve been using scraps from a neighbour’s skip bin, some plastic coat-hangers, shower fittings and the demolished timber from my pergola as I tear it down from over the Viper and prepare for the renovations where it stands. Beats buying timber. It’s nice Oregon and very well seasoned.
All the bits in the fuselage side avionics access panel are just sitting in there for now. I have to recess the opening a little more and then create a back-board to fix them all to, align and pretty it all up with some more visible bolt heads and a little effects paint.
22 March 2019
Tell me grinding the geometries on these suckers, weren’t a pain in the bum.
Now that all the greeblies in the avionics access panels are made, I have to recess the opening further in, until nothing is outside the level of the skin of the aircraft.
31 March 2019
After today’s Iron man gig at the Rise above Convoy for Cancer in Canberra, I went straight back into the shed and got busy on the avionics access panels. Pretty much done, now to recess the fuselage a little more to allow them to fit, then trim the edges off.
