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Interior & extended baggage

RPURCELL

Registered User
Homer, Alaska
I am currently laying out my interior for my PA-14. I am considering using .040 aluminum for the floor back through the original baggage area. This is what the old floor was made of and it worked well, and made it easy to have access panels for servicable items in the belly. I may use .060 Kydex for the floor in the extended baggage, .040 Kydex for the lower side panels, and .028 Kydex for the upper panels in the extended baggage. The old interior was .020 aluminium but Kydex seems like it might be the way to go. I am also considering a open extended baggage area by eliminating the shelf for the upper baggage. My thinking is that it might be easier to retrieve items back in the extended baggage. Is there a pitfall in not installing a shelf in the extended baggage? I am looking for that magic balance between weight, strength, ease of care, and cost. Suggestions and experiences would be appreciated. I have searched the site for all the relative information and need to make a final decision and then go get materials.
 
One supposed advantage to the upper shelf is a place to put things if you want to sleep in the lower baggage. Personally I never put anything in the upper baggage in flight except covers.

Will you have an external door for the upper or lower baggage? I put a door in the floor of my upper to reach the lower through the upper external door.
 
My 12 has .032 baggage floors. The lower baggage floor extends to the front edge of the rear seat, flat all the way. The only access to the upper is through the outside baggage door. All the side panels are .040 Kydex, and are going in now. We're going to try to heat form Kydex for the headliner, using standard D windows. L-19 glass eliminates the headliner. I may be sorry I didn't go that route.
SB

I don't think .060 Kydex will be ridgid enough for the floor. When you handle Kydex in full sheets it's much more flexible than you expect after handling little samples. CAC has some composite floor materials, but they haven't burn tested them yet.
 
You guys in Alaska, the PlasChem company in Anchorage has some really nice floorboard material that is a foam/fiberglass sandwich. You can get it in several thicknesses and they even have a "diamond plate" mold if you're interested in some "non-skid" properties. The stuff is really light and relatively inexpensive. I'll be going this way on the next one I do.

I think I'd not put Kydex on the floor for the reasons StewB stated.
 
srewartb,
How did heat forming the Kydex work out?
I am trying to choose interior matls. (2+2) .
Laz
 
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