Glare shield and Paint Job Begins!

I recently completed the fitting with Oregon Aero for the custom glare shield for the plane. It took a few fittings and tweaks to get it to fit to our specific needs, but it was finally ready to pick up and get it installed. Oregon Aero did a great job accommodating our specific pattern needs. We have two defrost fans in top of the metal glare shield that needed to be cut out to allow air to pass through. We also had side panels that came up to the windshield bottom and we wanted to make sure the glare shield would fit flush against them near the door jam.

The glare shield is nicely constructed of smooth black leather and features a French seam sewn into the aft edge facing the occupants. It also has a fabric flap that fits around the upright arm from the console to the canopy top. This covers up any exposed areas in front of the upright bar. I applied Velcro to the metal console top in the areas that matched the glare shield Velcro that was sewn into place on the underside.

I also installed and wired the LED light strip on the underside of the console. The light is very flat and is hidden behind the bullnose in the glare shield. The lighting is controlled by a dial on the co-pilot side and works very nicely.

I took the plane up for a quick 30 minutes today since the weather was so nice. Just a few turns around the area and enjoyed the visibility. The primary goal was to burn up some more gas sitting in the tanks, because today was the day to start the paint job! After burning off a few more gallons, I landed and taxied to Craig’s hangar on the north side of the field.

Craig recently prepped his hangar for this project and power washed the floors. We easily backed the plane into the new home for a few months. At this point Craig will spend a few days looking over the project as it stands. We will then start removing control surfaces, inspection doors, etc… This will enable Craig to begin masking and identifying areas that need work. I hope to be involved as I can from time to time in assisting with the work.

We hope to have the project done in about 3 months. So that should coincide with late winter/early spring and the flying season begins anew!