In true military form – no plan survives the first contact of battle….
There was a number of changes that i was forced to perform, mostly from design flaws where I had to ‘guestimate’ dimensions.
Once I started building, some glaring issues were staring me in the face, others were more subtle or slightly hidden….
I will list these changes as I discover/address them:
initially cut too much of the height of the frame & had to put legs back on it.
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/frame__petes-794x1024.png)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P8231324-1024x768.jpg)
reduce the height & depth of the pilot dash
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P9261445-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P9301454-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA021463-1024x768.jpg)
add a pedal shelf to the PLT station, behind the CPG seat & create a nose cone to incorporate a CPG pedal shelf
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA191511-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA201514-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA201515-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA201516-1024x768.jpg)
The pit (without proper doors, is a bit difficult to get in & out of…. so i decided to the turn canopy in to hinged pop-tops
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA021461-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA011457-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA181504-1024x768.jpg)
These welds were all done borrowing my neighbours little MiG welder & I was without gas, so it was a bit ugly…. don’t judge me guys.
I also had to move rear cross bar on aft section to middle of section & reduce the bench depth
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA121488-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA121489-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA121492-1024x768.jpg)
changing the hinged pivot location of the CPG canopy, relocated due to lack of travel.
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P9221414-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA111477-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA111478-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA111479-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA111480-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA121485-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA121486-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA121487-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA121491-1-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PA181503-1024x768.jpg)
this took a fair bit of work, cutting elements previously welded, cleaning up the frame, then relocating hinges & rewelding the frame for strength
replaced the PLT gas struts with larger units (smaller one couldnt hold the weight of the canopy frame
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P9231421-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P9251430-1024x768.jpg)
had to replace the 90 degree brackets holding the gas struts, as they were all splitting when i did them up or after the struts had operated a few times…
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P9251431-1024x768.jpg)
![](https://avimator.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/P9251432-1024x768.jpg)
so i made my own out of some scrap angle iron…. bomb proof now ya bitch