Removing Baggage Shelf?

[Dave Clark]

Does anyone know the legality of removing the baggage shelf? Is there an STC or has anyone gotten a 337 for it? With a Javlin tank I'm thinking it might be better gone. I also have thought about making it removable with nutplates and bolts or tinnerman nutplates with screws.

[wa4jr]

Hi Dave....my 54' 170B came to me without the baggage shelf and there is no paperwork in the airplane's file regarding the installation or removal of the shelf. I always thought the shelf was an extra item approved for the 170 so it could go in and out as many times as you wanted. If it were me I'd just pull it out and not worry about it

[zero.one.victor]

The hat shelf in mine was mounted with sheet metal screws,it was removed (and subsequently sold) a few years back. No paper trail on the removal.
Dave,I know of a guy looking for a hat shelf for his 52 B if ya want to sell yours.

Eric

PS-take off enough stuff and you won't need that Lycoming.......

[CAS]

The IPC shows a baggage shelf as standard equipment.

My aircraft did not have the shelf when I bought it and there does not seem to be any documentation about its removal in the logs.

I suppose the odd part goes missing in a life of over 50 years [plane and pilot].

The lack of a baggage shelf does not seem to adversely affect the performance or handling at all and makes access to the baggage area much easier .

David.

[Dave Clark]

Well I ripped the headliner out yesterday in preparation for the Javelin and BAS shoulder harness installations. It was a really ugly old thing which I had plans to change anyway. My original thought was to be able to get into the tailcone without removing the tank but removing the shelf won't help me there. I see that I can drill out the rivets to remove the shelf then rivet on some tinnermans so that I can take the shelf in and out pretty easily. So sorry to all you guys that need a shelf I'm going to keep it! Looks to me like one could make the shelf pretty easy though. Especially if you use a simple aluminum angle across the front instead of attempting to roll it.