Tip-up instrument waterproof cover

[Flying Scotsman]

I've searched the forums using all sorts of keywords, but unable to find more than one picture of a waterproof "cover" for tip-up instrument protection from water. I could swear I saw a really nice one somewhere, using waterproof nylon (ripstop?) that was all velcroed in place...can someone help?

I need to show someone what this looks like to get the pieces/parts cut and sewn...

TIA!

Steve

[ao.frog]

Hi

Here's of it's done on a RV-6 built by a US-builder named Fred:

He used spinaker fabric and it's hold in place with velcro.

[Flying Scotsman]

Thanks! That's the kind of thing I was looking for...

Steve

[islandmonkey]

This one looks better IMHO:

Instument Cover

Go to post 15 in the thread.

[scard]

Yeah, we made one too:

[TThurston]

Maybe it's not an issue, but I can't help wondering what these covers do to the temperatures under them. Some electronics produce heat, and these covers seem to be putting a nice blanket over the warm electronics, not allowing heat to escape so easily. It seems to me that higher temperatures might possibly increase the risk of electronics failures over time. I note that Mikey has a cover like this, and has had an electronics failure. (see http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=49983

Of course water also has a bad effect on electronics. Maybe this is the less of two evils.

[Bavafa]

My tip up seal is working really good preventing water getting to the behind the panel but I am still getting little water behind the sub panel and it is coming thru the gap that it is for the hinges. Of course I do have some other electrical parts there and therefore worry about them some. I am not sure exactly how to seal that area yet, so far some ugly tap is covering the UHMB gap that the hinge is rotating thru it. So even with such cover, you still need to protect the items that are behind the subpanel.

[Louise Hose]

Originally Posted by TThurston

Maybe it's not an issue, but I can't help wondering what these covers do to the temperatures under them. Some electronics produce heat, and these covers seem to be putting a nice blanket over the warm electronics, not allowing heat to escape so easily. It seems to me that higher temperatures might possibly increase the risk of electronics failures over time. I note that Mikey has a cover like this, and has had an electronics failure. (see http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=49983

Of course water also has a bad effect on electronics. Maybe this is the less of two evils.

Interesting thought. I'm doubtful that heat is a problem but it will be easy to test. I have the dual temperature thermometer in Mikey ready for a series of tests. I'll report back in a week or two.

[Louise Hose]

Originally Posted by TThurston

Maybe it's not an issue, but I can't help wondering what these covers do to the temperatures under them. Some electronics produce heat, and these covers seem to be putting a nice blanket over the warm electronics, not allowing heat to escape so easily. It seems to me that higher temperatures might possibly increase the risk of electronics failures over time. I note that Mikey has a cover like this, and has had an electronics failure. (see http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=49983

I've flown a couple of trips now with a small indoor-outdoor thermometer to test this concerns. The "outside" probe was extended under the rip-stop cover, high in the area of concern, between the D-180 and the radio stack (which I assume would be the highest temperature area). The outside temperature has been cool down here (especially on the morning and late afternoon commute) and ranged from zero to nine degrees Celsius on these flights. In these conditions and WITHOUT the cabin heat on, the temperature behind the panel stayed within three degrees Fahrenheit of the cabin temperature on my ~45 minute commutes. In fact, on the sunny late afternoon, the behind-panel temperature was 3oF LOWER than than the cabin temperature. This morning, after landing, it was 2oF LOWER.

I've also done some playing around and have these preliminary observations. The temperature is MUCH higher behind the panel with the cabin heat on. It rose to a toasty 86oC. Wish I could get the cabin temperature up there! I also observed that, in general, the cabin warmed and cooled faster than behind the panel with changes in outside temperature (climbs and descents), stopping cabin heat, and radiant heat (sunshine).

Bottomline, I've seen enough to be convinced that the cover is NOT a temperature issue with my instrumentation. Of course, the academic within me says that "more research and funding is required".

[Ironflight]

Originally Posted by Louise Hose

Of course, the academic within me says that "more research and funding is required".

Why didn't I suspect that this experiment was going to lead to a request for extended funding....

Paul