Left side door

I’m scratch building a fuselage and had intended to include a left side door to make operating on floats a little easier. In a recent conversation with a very reputable kit manufacturer I was told that this option was not often requested anymore. Builders that had that option reported it to be not often used and one more source for air leaks.

If if anyone here has a left side door I would be interested in hearing your opinion on its utility/worth. I know it adds to the complexity of throttle mounting, fuel line routing, etc. I’m mostly just interested in knowing if you find it useful and would do it again......or not.

Thanks.

My TCOW widebody Cub has both doors. My reason for the left door is that it was going on floats and I didn't think that it was wise for an old man to be walking across a wire stretched between the bows of the floats, particularly when the wind is blowing. Those days are over. I like it as sometimes the dock is on the left and sometimes it is on the right, both doors are used regularly. Air leaks are not a problem if you use a proper weather stripping. It is no more difficult to seal two doors than one. The throttle is in a different location than on a stock Cub, but is easy to get used to. The fuel lines go under the floor no where near the doors. Would I do it again, absolutely yes.

I use mine all the time in the summer on floats. I dock what ever way makes the most sense and the door isn’t usually part of that decision now. They guys I regularly fly with wish they had the second door. Throttle position is a little weird in the back seat. But what do I care, not where I’m sitting.


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Just my opinion. If you are going to be on floats, maybe. I put it on my cub, it's the first thing I tell people I would never do again. Weight, complexity and not needed for normal ops.

I am not trying to start a war. He asked for opinions.

Jay

It’s not just a float thing. Egress options are good. If my new Cub didn’t have such a huge tilt-up left window I’d have done another LH door.

https://goo.gl/photos/PuiR5ha2aBDbkUBS8

https://goo.gl/photos/GRXyyNHPoUik2V44A

http://www.supercub.org/forum/showt...Left-side-door&p=688282&viewfull=1#post688282

Some examples of left door and issues it creates and solutions.


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I have a left hand door on my 12 and only use it about 5% of the time. For those 5% Times it’s priceless! Try docking on the Kaknek river without one. It also comes in handy loading lumber. Everything you do to an airplane is a trade off. Mine is a Rodger Borer STC. Both my doors are constructed with welded aluminum compression members out of piper wing parts and skinned in sheet aluminum to save weight. I remember Atlee telling me every time we would se a full glass door “glass weighs more than sheet metal”.