No, I haven't gotten back to the fiberglass work on the wingtips yet!  I will!  Today, I decided I didn't like the raised rivet heads and screw heads called for in the baggage compartment.  I dimpled all the holes so I can use flush rivets and screws.

I spent a few minutes (well, maybe 45 minutes) just looking around the inside of the fuselage.  It is sure becoming an empty hulk.  It's time to start making some things to put in there!

I decided to do what a number of other builders are doing with the floor of the baggage area.  when the floor is installed there is substantial space underneath between the ribs.  That space could be a nice little storage area for simi-permanent stuff like backup parts, emergency oil and a little emergency kit.  I marked the area to cut out on each of the 2 baggage area floor halves.

I drew through the cutout to mark the opening size of pieces of .040" that will be the "doors".

Knowing it doesn't have to be perfect, I did my best to get a good straight smooth edge with a cutoff wheel in the die grinder.

Ah yes, the doors roughed out.

I decided the openings wouldn't actually be serviced by doors -- they will be hatches that will be screwed down.  The reason is, I wasn't sure about the structural role of the floor panels and it seemed no one else did either.  I marked out screw holes.  It turns out there will 10 #8 screws per door.  That means I won't be getting things out there every 10 minutes.  I'm way too lazy for that!

Number 8 countersunk nutplates were riveted to the bottom sides of the floor panels.

This is basically the final product in place.  This is the right side (looking from the front).  There will be a matching access hatch on the left side.  Either one of these will easily hold a tools, survival kit, spare parts (like an extra spark plug) and a quart of oil.  They will also make a logical place to run conduit for all the wiring that will traverse this section of the fuselage.  My thanks to whomever thought of this.  I'm glad I had the opportunity to copy you!

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