Hinged turtledeck

[kitfox2009]

Hello All
Slightly off topic, but I am considering "hinging" my turtledeck about halfway along in order to have better access to the baggage compartment. It is the full, I suppose, "Lexan" type from Kitfox. It would be easy enough to do with SS piano hinge but I am wondering if anyone has come up with a more unique method.
Cheers
Don

[DanB]

Send us some photos when you get it done. The only thing I would put some thought into would be how the rain will shed off. good luck.

[DesertFox4]

Kitfox2009 - I started a new thread for your turtledeck question so it didn't get lost in the LP windshield discussion.

The hinged turtledeck has been done several times. It does allow easier access to the baggage area but sealing it from water infiltration is a slight drawback.

[kitfox2009]

Thanks for that,Steve

Interesting to see what kind of replies we get.

Cheers Don

[cap01]

don, i removed the hinge and made mine one piece . mines not the lexan one piece . i rarely need access to the cargo bag . i usually carry around 25lbs of survival gear plus a plb strapped in the right seat . with a plb a person doesnt really need any survival gear since theyll find you before you even get cold , right ? if i do have to stow my bag of stuff in the cargo bag i do struggle with the frame tubes . i can see the advantage of the hinged turtleback if a person need access often .

[kitfox2009]

Hi Chuck

I am a volunteer member of CASARA (Civil Air Search and Rescue Association) here in Canada. If things work similiarily in the US, maybe you should at least throw in light sweater!!

Did yours leak at the hinge?

Cheers

Don

[cap01]

don , i never flew with the folding turtleback so i dont know if it leaked . it surely would have since the hinge was open to the elements . the find you before you get cold comment was in jest . i flew sar for years down here with the civil air patrol , i kinda know how the system works . had an acquaintance die up in the mountains from exposure because they couldnt get to him . survived the wreck to die like that , bummer . that was in the days before 406.

[HighWing]

I think I would solve the rain issue with some of the 3M vinyl tape you can find at a typical hardware store. I used it during my external camera days for securing fairings etc. on the camera set-up. It never came loose and never left any residue when removed. It comes in one and a half inch wide rolls and is available in white, red blue, yellow, black and I think other colors. It should cover the hinge from the outside and bend with the hinge. Also, I would suggest aluminum hinge available from Aircraft Spruce as a much lighter alternative to SS and flush rivets would allow the tape to seal better.

In a previous life, I restored an antique car that was made long before rubber weather stripping. It used U shaped sheet metal gutters that captured any leakage past a joint and channeled it to a tube that led any drips to the bottom of the car. I recall some who did exactly that on the bottom of the windshield to keep water off their feet in the Kitfox old days. You could do that and rivet it with the hinge rivets.
Lowell

[84KF]

2737

2738

[kitfox2009]

Hello Steve

Nice looking job! I imagine that is aluminum hinge. Did you cover it over with tape? I hanger my a/c and (fortunately don`t fly much in the rain) so this may not be much of an issue.
I do use RHINO TAPE on my elevator gap seals. I cut 3/4 inch foam plumbing pipe to fit exactly over each of the rounded hinge portions of the stabilizer and elevator. Taped these on and then sealed it over top and bottom with tape. The foam sections just roll on each other and fill the gap completely. Have about 6 months and 70 hours so far and no change in the tape.
Guess I could take a few pics if anyone is interested.
I also plan on modifying my baggage sack like yours in order to carry the lighter stuff like sleeping bags further back. My Vixen has cross tubing in that area that I must work around.
Thanks for the pics.
Don

[SkySteve]

Don,
Yes on the pictures, please.