What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

OH console advice

J

jwilbur

Well Known Member
I'm using the aerosport overhead console. I got it centered and clecoed and trimmed where necessary. I took the cabin top off to begin prepping for install.

The flanges of the console lay on top of the "bumps" just inside the door tops. How have all you handled this? Cut off the OH flanges, maybe?

The black marker is where the edge of the flange lands.

IMG_20151109_215722_015-1024x576.jpg


IMG_20151109_224349_444-1024x576.jpg
 
I just left the lip on the console and attached it with plenty of adhesive, then faired it in to the cabin cover. I attached a couple of photos.

IMG_1403.jpg


IMG_1406.jpg




IMG_1409.jpg



IMG_1410.jpg
 
Last edited:
Bill,

This looks really good. Three questions.

1... In the second pic, it does look like you cut the flange of the overhead console. But maybe this is just an illusion. Can you confirm?

2... Did you fit the doors completely before getting to this point? Is that the door seal mod I see?

3... Can you share the procedure you used to fix the console to the cabin top? Flox, micro, etc?

Thank you,
 
You don't need to cut the flanges, unless there is a specific need. I only had to cut to allow the strut bracket to fit.

Just use your favorite filler to build the transition smooth. I used USG Body Icing, but micro will work just fine too.

There should be photos on my build site.

bob
 
jwilbur said:
3... Can you share the procedure you used to fix the console to the cabin top? Flox, micro, etc?
Click to expand...

Joe,
I would think that you'll want to use either epoxy-Flox or epoxy-cabosil to attach the console to the cabin and not micro. As Bob stated, you can then use micro or any body filler to blend in the edges after it's attached.
 
I did not cut the flange of the overhead, I just faired it in.

The doors were fitted completely before I attached the overhead.

To glue the overhead I used epoxy flox. I then used thickened epoxy
with fairing filler/micro-ballons for the initial filler.

After that I used fiberglass stranded body filler (Bondo with glass). I also reinforced the door frame with two layers of cloth since the lip had been cut out. You need to leave cutouts for the strut bracket
 
O/H Bonding

Aerosport recommends using Lord adhesive to bond the console to the cabin top. It is what I used and it worked great...
 
Joe,
If you end up using the Lord 7545 A/E adhesive, I have the applicator gun you can borrow. We just need to verify the tube size, but I think it's 215ml.
 
Thanks all.

I just did a search at Aircraft Spruce for "lord adhesive". Nothing pops up. Where do you get the stuff?
 
further question

Back to my original question. The flanges of my OH console do not rest flat against the cabin top. I can press it down but this causes the flanges to bend upward following the contour of the bumps in the door frame (when cabin top upside down as in picture). I can't tell if this is the same in Bill's pictures. Geoff from Aerosport said he has not seen this before and that my cabin top looked unusual. He thought I might want to trim the flanges.

Has anyone else had an "unusual" cabin top? And what was your solution?

IMG_20151109_215722_015-1024x576.jpg
 
It seems to me the simplest solution is to notch the console at the bumps to get the console flanges to lay as flat as possible across the rest of the cabin top. The adhesive should take care of filling in any reasonable gaps anywhere else. Once you go back and fill in the transition of the flange to the cabin using micro or whatever your choice is, you'll never see what you did in order to get it to fit as it will look seamless.
 
Auburntsts said:
It seems to me the simplest solution is to notch the console at the bumps to get the console flanges to lay as flat as possible across the rest of the cabin top. The adhesive should take care of filling in any reasonable gaps anywhere else. Once you go back and fill in the transition of the flange to the cabin using micro or whatever your choice is, you'll never see what you did in order to get it to fit as it will look seamless.
Click to expand...

I'll need to remove the entire flange (or almost so) in those regions of the bumps. Wont this create a problem "sticking" the console to the cabin top? There won't be any console surface area to speak of in those spots for sticking to. Or maybe that's OK and the sticking in those spots will happen during the filling/blending stage.
 
jwilbur said:
I'll need to remove the entire flange (or almost so) in those regions of the bumps. Wont this create a problem "sticking" the console to the cabin top? There won't be any console surface area to speak of in those spots for sticking to. Or maybe that's OK and the sticking in those spots will happen during the filling/blending stage.
Click to expand...

I guess I'm not understanding the interface right. Based upon the picture it looks like you'd have to remove only 2-3 inches near each bump. Compared to the overall flange perimeter of the console that would remain I would think strength wise this would be minimal issue. However, to recover it all you would have to do is put a few layers of fiberglass on the outside lapping over from the cabin to the console's flange at the location of the notches.
 
Sorry about my bad terminology here.

The black line in the picture is where the outside edge of the OH console flange lands. Where the big bumps are I'd have to remove the entire bottom flange (the part which normally rests against the cabin top) and some of the vertical flange of the console. Between the big bumps I'll have to remove almost all of the bottom flange. This means along the entire length of the door opening region I'll have almost no surface area for the console to adhere to the cabin top.

.... Or do I just press the whole thing down and let those bottom flanges bend? They will then be bonded to the contoured transition area of the cabin top just left of the black line in the picture.

The original post I put in two pics. One with and one without the console so you can maybe see better what I'm talking about.
 
Last edited:
I had the same issue. There are different cabin top molds, and the console fits some of the other molds better. After talking to Geoff I just cut as much flange as needed to make it seat against the cabin top. There was an area where that was essentially the whole flange. I used a bead of epoxy along those edge to fasten it down and smooth the transition.
 
based on the pics, I'm thinking that if you removed the flange at just the bumps, IOW the sources of the interference, this would allow the rest of the flange between the bumps to seat without a gap.

In any event, I wouldn't force it. Another options would be to leave it as is, butter the flange where gaps exist really good with adhesive, then glass it in with fiberglass strips, overlapping from the console to the cabin
 
Auburntsts said:
based on the pics, I'm thinking that if you removed the flange at just the bumps, IOW the sources of the interference, this would allow the rest of the flange between the bumps to seat without a gap.
Click to expand...

The transition from where the black line is to the flat part of the cabin top is the width of the console flange. The bumps are the worst of it, to be sure, it interferes along the entire length of the door opening.
 
Greenley said:
I had the same issue. There are different cabin top molds, and the console fits some of the other molds better. After talking to Geoff I just cut as much flange as needed to make it seat against the cabin top. There was an area where that was essentially the whole flange. I used a bead of epoxy along those edge to fasten it down and smooth the transition.
Click to expand...

Bill, Thank you. Glad to know I'm not the only one with this issue. Sounds like this is the solution. I assume you had good results. You wouldn't by any chance have some pics to share, would you?
 
Joe, I found this additional photo which shows how I sanded and smoothed some of the area that you are dealing with. You can also see in my first photo that I clamped the edge of the overhead to make it conform to the top. You will be adding so much filler on top of the seam, it will never show after it is filled in.

IMG_1393.jpg
 
Joe
One thing you need to do is fit the cabin top to the Fuselage first. If you have already done this then you need to fit the overhead console in the cabin top once it is mounted to the fuse. You also need to attach the empennage top forward skin to the cabin top and bulkhead with clecos.
If you are aligning to the step in the cabin top and not checking where the rear flange of the overhead contacts the baggage bulkhead you might be spinning your wheels. If the Overhead is not in the correct position forward and aft this could cause your problem as well. You might need to adjust the overhead console at the step. This might be your problem. see photo below. We have found that that step moves around in the cabin tops somewhere between 1/8" to 1/4". If it is moved back a little bit it causes other issues.
the 2 key alignments would be the step and the rear flange against the bulk head. Also trim down the rear flange to be only 1/4" wide and then sand the thickness down to 1/32" to 1/16".

Hope all this makes sense


0_0_097b4f51d46dc9d00baf5ad01c924a5f_1

0_0_4c55a68ccb528461170652177511ab2a_1
 
Aerosport1 said:
Joe
One thing you need to do is fit the cabin top to the Fuselage first. If you have already done this then you need to fit the overhead console in the cabin top once it is mounted to the fuse. You also need to attach the empennage top forward skin to the cabin top and bulkhead with clecos.
If you are aligning to the step in the cabin top and not checking where the rear flange of the overhead contacts the baggage bulkhead you might be spinning your wheels. If the Overhead is not in the correct position forward and aft this could cause your problem as well. You might need to adjust the overhead console at the step. This might be your problem. see photo below. We have found that that step moves around in the cabin tops somewhere between 1/8" to 1/4". If it is moved back a little bit it causes other issues.
the 2 key alignments would be the step and the rear flange against the bulk head. Also trim down the rear flange to be only 1/4" wide and then sand the thickness down to 1/32" to 1/16".

Hope all this makes sense
Click to expand...

Thanks Geoff. I've already done all this (saw it on the video on your web page), but I sure appreciate you taking the time here to make sure about it. Aside from this issue near the door openings, I've got a pretty good fit. As shown in one of your pictures I did have to trim the step. Any other advice is, of course, welcome.

My plan at this point is to do as Bill Greenly did (post #16 of this thread).

Thank you,
 
For what its worth...

I applied some heat to the carbon fiber at the spots where the OH console did not conform to the cabin roof curvatures. It worked very well. I held pressure to keep it conformed until cooled. It made the fit much better, acceptable. I have the green top.
Johan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top