The temps were down a bit today so I got back to work in the shop. I looked at a number of RV-8s at Oshkosh to see what other builders have been doing to get some additional storage compartments in the fuselage in the area of the front and rear cockpits. In particular, I inspected Danny King's "Beautiful Doll".
I decided to keep the metal work simple and fabricated two flat panels to partially box in the two bulkheads just above and aft of the foot wells (under the rear throttle quadrant on the port side). I put a 1/2" flange on the bottom edge of the panels to add some strength and mounted them with two platenut/screws on the forward edge and utilized the existing single platenut/screw that holds the side panels under the passenger arm rests. I plan to install the same type of edge protection on the upper edge that will go around the glareshield edge.
Finally, I made a pattern for a hinged panel that will be installed between the switch console and the mid-cabin cover. The basic pattern can be seen in image three below. There will be a piece of piano hinge on the bottom and small flanges on each end of the panel to add some strength. I am not sure yet what type of latching mechanism will used to fasten the top edge to the console. I could, of course, use this panel space for circuit breakers and just put platenuts and screws across the top attaching it to the console but I need storage more than panel space, besides I am thinking seriously of using fuses rather than breakers (these could be mounted on the aft side of the forward baggage bulkhead where the parking brake valve is located). I do need to find a place to mount a fire extinguisher where it can easily be accessed.
