Homebuilt UH-18SP Cockpit Enclosure

We welded the frames together for the doors from 1/2" conduit, remember that conduit is galvanized, so make sure you have good ventilation when welding it. We also sprayed the welds with some cold dip galvanizing paint. We then Wraped the doors with 8 MIL clear vinyl and used some left over HH-66 skirt glue to glue the vinyl. We wanted to use some 1/16" lexan but it would have taken at least 2 sheets and we didn't have the money to do that at the time.

Here is the outside of one of the latches I made.

Here is the inside of the latch in the 18sp's cockpit. The aluminium plate is to keep it from pulling through the thin 1/8" plywood cockpit wall.

This is the part of the latch that is on the doors. The wire is going through that one piece of aluminium so we can tie the latches shut when we travel just to make sure the doors won't fly open while were driving down the highway.

Here is the enclosure door closed and latched.

Here is the top of the door.

Here is a close up of one of the hinges.

Here is the door open on the homebuilt cockpit enclosure. It will actually stay open on its own.

Here is one of the back doors of the cockpit enclosure.

At the back of the hovercraft the roof is too short to climb in so we just bolted the back doors shut with a 1/4"-20 bolt and nylock nut.

Here are both of the doors of the cockpit enclosure.Click here to see some pictures from the first time we took the 18sp out with the new enclosure.

Homebuilt UH-18SP Cockpit Enclosure

Go back to my UH-18sp Modification index.