MD500 Tow Defender Build Page 6

Cockpit Installation:

The cockpit consist off the base floor and the instruments (dash and center console). The instruments mount to the cockpit base to become one unit. Because I have electronics installed in my instruments that may need service, I need to be able to remove the cockpit. This created allot more work for me but I think it will be worth it in the end.

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This was going to be the front mount for the cockpit base. But I later found it was not going

to work as well as I first thought. Plan and plan and then go to plan 'B' again.

Here I have mounted two plywood reinforcements where I will glue the mounting tabs.

This is the port side mounting tab made from basswood and some 1/16 plywood.

Here you can see the starboard side cockpit mounting tab secured to the basswood flanges I glued to the front

of the fuselage on both port and starboard sides.

The port side cockpit mounting tab secured in place. These actually worked out very well.

A view looking forward under the cockpit toward the landing light.

There is a gap between the center console and the front of the fuselage.

This will need to be filled to prevent vibration.

These are the console gap fillers I made.

And now they are glued on to the console and drying.

Here I lost my mind after plowing and shoveling snow for a few hours. I made these thinking I would use them on my

plan 'B' front mounting idea. Well these were not what I wanted either. Guess I should have stayed outside longer, DOH!!!

Here you can see what I really wanted to do. I screwed and glued a basswood block between the sides of the console.

You can also see the hole between the two clamps that will secure the console to a second basswood block that will be

glued the the front of the fuselage, just above the landing light.

Here you can see the block that the cockpit console will fasten to. Because there is no straight in approach

to securing the screw I had to go at an angle, which is why the hole is not very centered. I also added a second

block for added strength because I did not like the way the block for securing the console was attached. It is

not tight up against the front of the fuse. There is a little gap. The second block eliminates this issue.