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Tell Me About Belly Pods

Thanks guys. I’ll call Bob.

I was hoping he made a wider pod for the -12. I’m not sure I have my dimensions right but I think a -18 is like 25”, a wide body is 29” and the -12 is 33”. A 33” wide jumbo pod would be awesome.
 
Ted, We emailed a little while back about a pod. It’s still an option I’m considering but the dimensions are not quite what I’d like.
 
whee said:
Thanks guys. I’ll call Bob.

I was hoping he made a wider pod for the -12. I’m not sure I have my dimensions right but I think a -18 is like 25”, a wide body is 29” and the -12 is 33”. A 33” wide jumbo pod would be awesome.
Click to expand...

Those dimensions are all basically correct for the widths. Unfortunately options are slim for the -12 as all the pods are -18 pods either contoured for a -12 belly or with a big "adapter" flange like the Airglas pod. Nothing certified of a wider width for the PA-12.
 
Bummer. I was hoping that since Firmin had a -12 that he built the pod for that width and it was modified to work on -18s.
 
I agree a pod built specifically for a 12 would be ideal. However The 18 pods modified to fit 12’s look good and function great. I don’t regret the purchase and wish I didn’t wait 15 years to put one on.

I would add that most 12’s probably don’t need a pod. I finally decided to get one when the kids and all the gear needed to go in one trip. Now that they are big enough to leave alone I could probably get rid of it. But it is convenient and will stay on for the foreseeable future.
 
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My understanding is that the first Firmin pod was for his -12. It was demand that drove design and production to -18 pods, as it still stays. I’m bleeding money on the annually planned upgrades but a pod for my -12 is high on my list for a summer addition.
 
AZinAK said:
My understanding is that the first Firmin pod was for his -12. It was demand that drove design and production to -18 pods, as it still stays. I’m bleeding money on the annually planned upgrades but a pod for my -12 is high on my list for a summer addition.
Click to expand...

Bill Firmin's first pod was for his -12, I'm not sure where the mold went, maybe Bobby Piatt when he finally got all of the Pod business. I had the 3rd one he built for others. No top in the pod, no hinge on the door that was on the left side. I got a field approval, and the FSDO stopped that shortly after. Cannot remember the year, in the 80s I believe.
 
Story I heard was the 12 pod mold was narrowed to make the 18 pods, but I would not lay any money on that story. DENNY
 
I had a great conversation with Bob, what a cool guy. He didn't know why the -12 pod was narrowed but the -12 pod and the -18 pod are the same width. He makes the STCd -18 pod, the -18 Jumbo pod which is deeper but not STCd and the -12 pod which is basically the same as the regular -18 pod but with a flatter top to match the belly of the -12. He does not make a Jumbo pod for the -12.

His Cessna pod would almost work but the thing is massive. It would be an awesome pod if you had a C180/185.

Thanks for all the info guys.
 
I just bought a 12 pod from Bob. If memory serves, he said the 12 and 18 are dimensionally the same. However the 18 has "channels" molded into the sides to accommodate the narrower 18 fuselage. I think they are there to clear the gear attach fittings.
 
I've seen the original molds and they don't look like they were narrowed or modified at all. There's a good chance they were made intentionally narrow to clear float/gear fittings, steps and various other protrusions on the belly. The -18 ones that go all the way to the sides of the fuselage have to have significant inletting for all those parts.
 
skukum12 said:
I just bought a 12 pod from Bob. If memory serves, he said the 12 and 18 are dimensionally the same. However the 18 has "channels" molded into the sides to accommodate the narrower 18 fuselage. I think they are there to clear the gear attach fittings.
Click to expand...

My original-12 pod was wider than the current ones. I know this because my Honda 1000 generator fit better in the original pod turned sideways upright and moved to most forward part of the pod.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Scooter7779h said:
My original-12 pod was wider than the current ones. I know this because my Honda 1000 generator fit better in the original pod turned sideways upright and moved to most forward part of the pod.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I'll need to do some digging to find where I read this, but I was under the same understanding that the original -12 pod form was built to take advantage of the additional width the -12 has over the -18 resulting in more volume with the same length and height.
 
AZinAK said:
I'll need to do some digging to find where I read this, but I was under the same understanding that the original -12 pod form was built to take advantage of the additional width the -12 has over the -18 resulting in more volume with the same length and height.
Click to expand...

That is what Bob said when I was talking to him today. He said Bill narrowed the pod for the -18 before he got sick and he did not know why Bill did not keep the -12 pod it’s original width.
 
Such a bummer there isn't a pod like that anymore (besides custom ones like Carbon Concepts) that us -12 guys could use. I need to look into the Field Approvals that have happened and see if that is a direction that is viable for me.
 
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