Where to mount fire extinguisher?

[donwmack]

I have a 5# halogen fire extinguisher in m6 6A. It is mounted between the seats. A few things I don't like about it being there;

• Afraid someone getting in/out of the plane will step on the top and knock it off.
  
• It can rub against my leg which is a comfort issue
  
• I like that space for my backup radio and bottle of water.

Is there someplace else you have mounted your extinguisher in your 6A and how has that worked for you?

I am also concerned about being able to reach it in flight.

[Ralph Inkster]

search "fire extinguisher mount", lots of threads

[lr172]

I mounted mine on the back (baggage side) of the flap housing. It's a tough reach from the cockpit, but struggled to find better options that didn't create comfort issues.

Larry

[abwaldal@gmail.com]

You can figure this out very fast. Sit in the plane strap in and just try to get your beer out from behind the seats. I can't even get much out of my flight bag let alone get a fire extinguisher out of is tie down and use it in flight or???.
Mine is in front in every bodies way. I just live with it. Art

[WingsOnWheels]

Originally Posted by lr172

I mounted mine on the back (baggage side) of the flap housing. It's a tough reach from the cockpit, but struggled to find better options that didn't create comfort issues.

Larry

Same location for me, but easy reach with long arms and the seatback mod.

[mike newall]

Easy solution.

Take it out of the aeroplane, mount it on the wall of the hangar, close to where you start the aeroplane and carry on......

[Ralph Inkster]

RV-7A - mounted on floor pan beside left thigh, had to drill hole in panel for nozzle so extinguisher laid flat. Good access & didn't interfere with seating.

RV-6A - mounted on front slope of electric flap box, this plane has interior trim panels so couldn't do same as 7A. Very good access, doesn't interfere much, still leaves space between seats for stuff. We have a 2.5lb bottle. Have to remove bracket every time I'm working under the panel so I don't jab myself, therefore mounted with nutplates.

RV-6 - mounted behind pax seat vertically on right side on a bracket attached to the longeron & flap cover panel, medium good access for pilot, lousy for pax. Takes away a bit from luggage volume, access impaired if luggage full.

These locations seem to work best for us (I hope to never have to prove our concept though)

RV-8s are more challenging...

In Canada, Fire Extinguishers are on the mandatory equipment list...

[JonJay]

Three scenarios-

Ground fire - induction system or brakes. Biggest percentage by far of all RV fires. Keep it in the airplane somewhere.

Post Crash fire - super rare. If you survive, unlikely, and are trapped, it would need to be where you can reach it. Good luck.

In-Flight fire - never happened in an RV that anybody knows about or has brought up here. Not sure what scenario would even work if you decided to fire one off in an enclosed cockpit.

I keep my fire extinguisher in a bag in the baggage compartment. I strap it in. Next to me on cross countries solo, on the top of baggage on passenger side when two up.

So, odds are you never need it. If you do, odds are it will be a ground fire. If it is another scenario, odds are you won’t need to worry about using it cause you’re gone anyway.

The “crash, flip, trapped, and fire” is the most horrific of all. I haven’t come up with a location that would be fool proof for that one. Fortunately, you will be hit by lighting at least a dozen times before this scenario occurs, so, lucky you. Everybody’s luck runs out sometime.

Seriously though, if you can locate it in a place that you can reach it when strapped in, it doesn’t interfere with ergonomics of the cockpit, you are doing the best you can.

I tried the forward side of the flap ramp and hated it.

[Richard Connell]

RV7 mounted under the pilots knees on the forward side of the spar cover plate.
Not sure this will work on an A model.
Be cautious of mounting it where it is exposed to direct sunlight.
I personally know of one pilot who took their extinguisher out at annual and found it empty.

[FLY6]

I had to mount one when I imported my plane. Put mine on the floor just in front of the spar laying along front to back. I find it totally out of the way and within easy reach from my seat. It was an easy retrofit as you have access from beneath the plane to get a screw driver on the screws.