Were it not for having to unscrew the two bolts that hold the gas struts in place and five screws that hold the top cowling on, I could remove the whole top and front of the airplane (spinner to tail) in about three minutes with no tools.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hey Mark I can see the many benefits of being able to open up the airplane in this manner and I have contemplated doing like wise - many times. My concerns are: = wood /composite by nature will make it tricky to avoid an obvious seam. I considered using a beading to seal the gap, improve the appearance and avoid movement that would lead to wear. You appear to have this well under control - no seams are evident in any of the pics. = Structural integrity. I accept that the KR boat is adequate and requires no support from the turtle deck. Making it one piece must surely contribute to the rigidity and torsional strength. I have a pet fear of flutter and want the airframe (in general) to be up to the beating if ever I experience flutter on any control surface. = Roll-over protection. I would prefer this to be an intrinsic part of the boat structure - securely anchored to more than just the top stringer. I cannot see any pics on your site that show how you handled the roll over bar. My current design hang-up is the rudder pedals - bolt them to the floor or hang them from above? Due to this curiosity I have a close look at what others have done every chance I get. Every time I look at the pic of your installation (before the FW was fitted) - it bothers me that you may not have enough leverage for the braking action. The pedal pivots at about its centre and thus leaves maybe 2" of pedal above the pivot. Looks like it may be difficult to apply adequate breaking pressure - no matter what part of your foot is applied to the pedal. 56ML looks very, very good in the picture taken from above (pic below the plenum). The tail feathers look a bit bigger than stock? - maybe coz there are no wings to give that perspective. Take care Steve J Zambia Jayquip(at)microlink.zm
