Been working right along on my Chief project (fitting the windshield.....not fun ) and wondering if there is supposed to be some kind of a closure panel behind the seat and forward of the baggage compartment. Seems like it would be a handy place to drop stuff/never to be seen again. Although I've restored a couple of Champs this is my first Chief so there's a learning curve and nothing around here to look at.
There's not one in my 11AC. And you are right. I've used lots of different magnet extenders to retrieve various metal parts from " down under". I'll look at my drawings holdings tomorrow to see if there ever was one in the original design.
Seems like it is a problem in all kinds and sizes of aircraft. Was sitting in my FC Seat on an American Airlines 777 coming back from Tokyo when my iPhone fell into the seat, which has 11 motors and all kinds of gears and housings. The flight attendant said, "Oh, I forgot this time to make the announcement about the openings in the sides of the seat and maintenance will probably have to take the seat out when we get to Kennedy" With two flashlights and a lot of contorsion I was able to fish it out after about an hour. Two pieces of duct tape on every seat would solve the problem with little addition in weight.
On my Champ I had my phone fall through by the passenger stick. I have since purchased and installed leather stick boots and aluminum retainers from Don Jones in Guam. The luggage compartment got the Airtech Compartment Liner. Not sure if they make the same thing for a Chief, but worth a call.
When my Chief was being rebuilt, it got a liner in the luggage area, but it was the builder who fabricated a thin lightweight aluminum, removable pan.
Bob
Robert P. Kittine, Jr.WA2YDV
West Nyack Aviation, L.L.C.
New York, New York 631-374-9652 rkittine@aol.com
Kind of seems like there is not an original closure so once I get to that point I'm going to see about making some kind of tarp with snaps for easy removal for locating lost items. If nothing else it should cut down on cold air sneaking in and up the back. The Chiefs seem to have a lot of open space below the rudder pedals, etc. but I did notice there is a closure piece (of sort) that seals off the lower part of the boot cowl.
I'm planning on flying this on skis so I'd like to make it as warm as possible.
Thanks
Mike
The luggage canvas sling snap attaches to the back of the seat tubing and the factory also had fabric between the seat and the sides of the plane too. That covers the gap. Also, there was a fabric piece under the seat front that goes to the floorboards.
Mark Peterson
Harvey Field, WA
A copy of my old Chief website is preserved here:
I gave Mike some input on this and apparently it was in error. My canvas baggage compartment also covers that area but I found no original Aeronca info reflecting a Floor cover. Could you provide some drawing references which might have this detail ?
I don't know the drawing number, but back in 1990 I looked at some old raggy Chiefs that weren't restored at Harvey. They all had a panel of cloth, looking like the same fabric as the luggage sling, that looped around the front seat tube and ended up probably underneath the original rubber mat that was in the Chief. I sewed up one, it just needs a little cut out for the seat adjustment arm. It goes underneath the carpet I have on the plane. Keeps things from rolling back from the floor and into the tail. Most Chiefs, including mine, don't have the side piece of fabric that goes from the seat back to the side of the plane.
Mark Peterson
Harvey Field, WA
A copy of my old Chief website is preserved here:
Mine actually has aluminum panels I covered with fabric material on sides of the seat from under the dash to the back of the seat. Also around the boot cowl and a panel under the pedals to the boot cowl sides. I'm going to make some kind of a tarp or cover behind the seat and cover as much as possible.
Thanks for the input...
Mike
) and wondering if there is supposed to be some kind of a closure panel behind the seat and forward of the baggage compartment. Seems like it would be a handy place to drop stuff/never to be seen again. Although I've restored a couple of Champs this is my first Chief so there's a learning curve and nothing around here to look at. 
