Hey guys,

I installed the Selkirk extended baggage kit, and I'm finding myself wishing for more places to secure items back there. I have the standard four eye bolts that would allow me to string a net from the floor behind the rear seat to the bulkhead below the rear window, but I'm wondering what sort of creative methods you've come up with to add more?

I think one easy way is to add nutplates and use the bottom holes used to secure the plastic cover on the bulkhead, which would give the option of netting off the extended baggage from the standard baggage.

But the one area I'm not sure about is securing things in the extended baggage itself so they don't shift around. I'm going to get a piece of carpet made to provide a little more friction so things don't want to slide so easily back there, but I'd sure like to keep everything nice and tight against the rear bulkhead of the EB both to keep things from shifting and to maintain the benefit of maximum aft CG. All of the gear that lives back there permanently are in various bags, so even just a strap across all of it to the bottom rear corners of the EB would work, I just don't see a lot of real estate to rivet attachment points.

What is the weight limit on the extended baggage? I’ve forgot what it was on my 170 but was pretty low. I reused the old main baggage bulkhead, with new fasteners, to close off the extended baggage, and prevent stuff from coming fwd. I kept sleeping bags and pads (light stuff) back there, and that bulk pretty much kept stuff from moving around.

The other benefit to that was that, parked on a ramp, someone peeking in a window would see a stone empty baggage compartment, and not notice the aft compartment. Unless I was on a trip with more stuff.

MTV

Its 50lbs on my plane, I have about 40lbs of tools, tie downs, etc. occupying the rear half of the EB. About the only other thing to go back there would be bulky but light items like sleeping pads/bags.

I have the Selkirk EB in my 182 also. I like keeping a tool bag and a bag of essential gear back there, so installed some of those Atlee Dodge baggage tie downs with the rings that clips on and off the base. I installed them with oversized aluminum plates under the fiberglass floor for added strength. Aircraft Spruce sells them also. I like knots, so I rigged up my own binders with some Para-Cord and small steel rings.

Ok, yeah, I asked Joni about it and she said I couldn't secure anything directly to the fiberglass...

CParker wrote:Ok, yeah, I asked Joni about it and she said I couldn't secure anything directly to the fiberglass...

With much weight and a serious deceleration, I’d agree with that assessment. Better to have a barrier tied to structure of the plane, as at opening to aft baggage.

Besides, you seriously are going to crawl back in that aft baggage to tie stuff down? You’re more flexible and determined than me...

Which is not a challenge, by the way.....

MTV

I did some maneuvers and pattern work over the weekend to get a feel for the new CG. The stuff in the back of the extended baggage never moved. I'm not so worried about it any more.

I might add that second set of eye bolts down at the bottom of the bulkead just for flexibility, but nothing back in the EB.

You might look at raft D-rings... Basically a steel or webbing D-ring imbedded in a circle of material that glues onto the raft, or the floor of the extended baggage. I wouldn't glue them to the aircraft skin of course, but assuming a good adhesion, they are fantastically strong.

Whether this would constitute modifying a STC is beyond my expertise...it theory you can remove the D-ring and the extended baggage floor is as-it-was, as apposed to drilling holes in it.