No I am not talking about the perfect union of pilot and machine, effortlessly sliding down final for that smooth touchdown when you can't even tell if you've landed or not....I'm talking about those times when your body is formed around the bumps and protrusions of the fuselage/cabin; sharp, pointy things poking you in places that shouldn't be damaged, muscles straining to support yourself in some un-natural position required to turn a bolt, or remove a screw! I had this thought while checking the torque on my landing gear bolts this afternoon (a task unique to the -8 models, thankfully!).
In order to get into the bottom of the gear towers to put a socket on the appropriate nuts, I have to remove the front seat back, seat cushions, and seat belts. Then I pull the pivot bolt from the front stick so that it will lay flat on the floor. I can then slowly leverage my way down onto the floor, my head and arms up where my feet go when I am flying. Of course, in this position, the front seat ramp digs into my rib cage, the seatbelt mounts stab my legs, and with my upper body weight supported on my elbows, it is definitely NOT a position that anyone would consider even remotely comfortable. (Sure, I can take the seat ramp out, but then you have the hump of the spar, and the stick mount is till in the way....). Of course, getting into the position is less than half the battle, as trying to get a hand into the gear tower and fit a socket on the nut is a next-to-impossible task, made doable only with the right assortment of universal joints, wobble extensions, and flexible shafts - an ugly job at best, and enough to make one consider a nose-dragger on occasion!
I've spent plenty of time upside down under the panel of Louise's -6, and yes, that can be difficult - but once you install the right pillows and pads and get yourself under there, it can actually be a cozy and effective place to work. Forget working under the panel of the -8 - just remove the thing and do what you need to do on the workbench! Anyone who has put a center console in a side-by-side has experienced what an -8 driver goes through - and I can't imagine the contortions necessary to get there in a -4....the -3 must be impossible!
So what's your least favorite worksite in an RV? The tailcone can be tough, and baggage compartments shrink as you try and occupy their space. Anyone ever crawled in through the front baggage door of an -8 to free a canopy glued shut by glassing in the windshield? Prior experience as a caver is highly desirable!
Becoming one with your plane means more than knowing how to fly it well - it means leaving some blood and sweat in odd places (the blood offerings don't end when the building ends...), and enduring bruises to both the body and the ego (at times.... Oh, and watch out for those Comm antennas on the belly when you're on a creeper...they can be deadly!
In order to get into the bottom of the gear towers to put a socket on the appropriate nuts, I have to remove the front seat back, seat cushions, and seat belts. Then I pull the pivot bolt from the front stick so that it will lay flat on the floor. I can then slowly leverage my way down onto the floor, my head and arms up where my feet go when I am flying. Of course, in this position, the front seat ramp digs into my rib cage, the seatbelt mounts stab my legs, and with my upper body weight supported on my elbows, it is definitely NOT a position that anyone would consider even remotely comfortable. (Sure, I can take the seat ramp out, but then you have the hump of the spar, and the stick mount is till in the way....). Of course, getting into the position is less than half the battle, as trying to get a hand into the gear tower and fit a socket on the nut is a next-to-impossible task, made doable only with the right assortment of universal joints, wobble extensions, and flexible shafts - an ugly job at best, and enough to make one consider a nose-dragger on occasion!
I've spent plenty of time upside down under the panel of Louise's -6, and yes, that can be difficult - but once you install the right pillows and pads and get yourself under there, it can actually be a cozy and effective place to work. Forget working under the panel of the -8 - just remove the thing and do what you need to do on the workbench! Anyone who has put a center console in a side-by-side has experienced what an -8 driver goes through - and I can't imagine the contortions necessary to get there in a -4....the -3 must be impossible!
So what's your least favorite worksite in an RV? The tailcone can be tough, and baggage compartments shrink as you try and occupy their space. Anyone ever crawled in through the front baggage door of an -8 to free a canopy glued shut by glassing in the windshield? Prior experience as a caver is highly desirable!
Becoming one with your plane means more than knowing how to fly it well - it means leaving some blood and sweat in odd places (the blood offerings don't end when the building ends...), and enduring bruises to both the body and the ego (at times.... Oh, and watch out for those Comm antennas on the belly when you're on a creeper...they can be deadly!
