Center console construction to allow air for occupants

Photo Description

Building a KIS Cruiser

Fuselage Construction - Overhead Console / Air Control

Bill Schertz, April, 2001

Center console construction to allow air for occupants.

If you remember, I made a formed fiberglass tube running from the 180 bulkhead up to the 139 bulkhead to carry the air from the John Petrie fabricated NACA to his overhead console. This view shows the fuselage top upside down, with the center console laying in place. I fabricated a transition piece (back of photo) to bring the air from the hole in the station 139 bulkhead to the center of the plane. This is shown in more detail below.

I laid fiberglass over a blue Styrofoam mold, made from several pieces. This gave me this piece for transition. I then held all in place in the fuselage top, with it on the plane, and laid up a flange to attach it to the bulkhead, see below.

The flange matches to the 139 bulkhead, and will be floxed in place later.
This would provide a continuous path for the air to come from the rear to the overhead console, but I want to be able to shut it off during cold months.

Therefore I fabricated the following shutoff butterfly valve that can be operated by a control cable from the cockpit.

To get access to the valve for future maintenance, I made a couple of flanges so that that section is removable

This is the view from the exterior. When installed in the plane, the air duct will be continuous, bonded to the roof, except for this short section that can be removed to work on the valve if problems arise.

As I have said, sometimes I have trouble keeping things simple.

	If you remember, I made a formed fiberglass tube running from the 180 bulkhead up to the 139 bulkhead to carry the air from the John Petrie fabricated NACA to his overhead console. This view shows the fuselage top upside down, with the center console laying in place. I fabricated a transition piece (back of photo) to bring the air from the hole in the station 139 bulkhead to the center of the plane. This is shown in more detail below.
	I laid fiberglass over a blue Styrofoam mold, made from several pieces. This gave me this piece for transition. I then held all in place in the fuselage top, with it on the plane, and laid up a flange to attach it to the bulkhead, see below.
	The flange matches to the 139 bulkhead, and will be floxed in place later. This would provide a continuous path for the air to come from the rear to the overhead console, but I want to be able to shut it off during cold months.
	Therefore I fabricated the following shutoff butterfly valve that can be operated by a control cable from the cockpit.
	To get access to the valve for future maintenance, I made a couple of flanges so that that section is removable
	This is the view from the exterior. When installed in the plane, the air duct will be continuous, bonded to the roof, except for this short section that can be removed to work on the valve if problems arise. As I have said, sometimes I have trouble keeping things simple.