I have always carried a 1.4 lb Halotron (inert gas, no chemical residue) fire extinguisher in my STOL 750.  I mounted it behind the passenger's seat, but never liked that location, fearing access might be blocked if something in the baggage area shifted forward, etc.

I recently experimented all around the forward cockpit but couldn't find a satisfactory location for ease of access and avoiding being kicked.  A common, ideal location is against the seat support below the pilot's knees, but with my dual sticks, that area has the dual stick linkage running through it.  I did not want to mount the extinguisher in the lower baggage area since ease of access and possible entanglement with cargo could be an issue.

It suddenly occurred to me that since I have a 1.75" o,d, tubular steel support running across the baggage area to mount my 4-point Crow harnesses at the proper angle (the discussion of this project is here), a roll-bar type mount might be the ideal solution.  I got the mount from Amazon and it was only $30 with a coupon, but I was impressed with the construction - all aluminum and powder coated.  It came with two massive clamps for the 1.75" tube, but they seemed heavy and I opted instead for the stainless screw clamps covered with heat shrink (all included with the mount).  The area against the tube is curved to match the radius of the tube and covered with rubber for increased grip ... it's quite secure and absolutely will not rotate on the tube!

The extinguisher is released by pulling the spring-loaded red knob and swiveling the extinguisher down and out.  The only negative is that it requires two hands - one to hold the red knob out and one to grab the extinguisher.  However, there's lots of times in-flight I've held the dual stick between my knees momentarily to free both hands, so that wouldn't be a serious problem and on the ground, not a problem at all. 

I know this isn't a common 4-point mount but there are a few who have copied my design and might find this useful if considering an extinguisher mount.  For those without the cross-tube, I don't see why this couldn't be adapted to a roof mount (with a proper reinforcing gusset) - they make the same mount for attaching to flat surfaces and it even costs less!

John

N750A

Views: 128

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Update:

I practiced a few attempts to pull the red release knob with my left hand and grasp the fire extinguisher with my right, but found I had to twist excessively in my seat and I didn't want a scenario similar to what happened to John Denver when he attempted to reach a fuel selector behind his seat.

I made a simple lanyard that I could suspend from the transverse cross member that is closer to the seats.  This worked out great as I can easily reach the lanyard and when I pull it, it moves my left arm out of the way and I can more easily grasp the fire extinguisher with my right hand.  The lanyard is suspended from the cross member by simply sticking a strip of Gorilla Tape across the lanyard - holds it secure but easily rips away when the lanyard is pulled.

For now, I have a "Pull to Eject" tag on the lanyard just for kicks!  (Yes, I'll explain the joke if I have to give a passenger briefing! LOL!)  I may eventually get a custom tag that says "Pull to Release" or something similar.

Finger's crossed I never have to use it!

John

Thanks John. I mounted mine below the passenger seat just above the floor and brief my passenger on how to remove it and use it.  I can still reach it from my pilot seat it if need be.

That's a good spot! However, in my plane the dual stick mechanism is obviously on that side, too, plus my autopilot's bank servo is mounted under the passenger's seat and the push rod extends from the lightening hole over to the bell crank in the central tunnel, so that area's fairly crowded!

John

RSS

New from Zenith:

Zenith Planes For Sale 
 

Classified listing for buying or selling your Zenith building or flying related stuff...


Custom Instrument Panels
for your Zenith
:

Custom instrument panels are now available directly from Zenith Aircraft Company exclusively for Zenith builders and owners. Pre-cut panel, Dynon and Garmin avionics, and more.


Zenith Homecoming Tee:


Zenair Floats


Flying On Your Own Wings:
A Complete Guide to Understanding Light Airplane Design, by Chris Heintz


Builder & Pilot Supplies:

Aircraft Insurance:

 
 

West Coast USA:

 
Pro Builder Assistance:

 

Transition training:

Lavion Aero

K&S Aviation Services

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty for all your building and pilot supplies!

How to videos from HomebuiltHELP.com

Developed specifically for Zenith builders (by a builder) these videos on DVD are a great help in building your own kit plane by providing practical hands-on construction information. Visit HomebuiltHelp.com for the latest DVD titles.

© 2024   Created by Zenith.Aero.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service