This is the nose tie down. Its an optional mod from the CP's. My flying plane has this and I've found it very useful over the last 11 years when needing to tie down the plane and as a great place for securing the nose during maintenance too. So I wanted it for this new build.
I first had the correct size piece of steel get a 1/4" block welded on the end. You can see this in Pic 2. Pic 1 shows the job is done but more to the point, the relevant CP.
Pic 2 also shows the removable tie down that fits in the tube from the outside. That notch at one end works around the AN3 bolt you see there loosely in place.
The 1" tube also has a hole in it so that the bolt for the AN5 that secures the nose gear via the NG6 block all goes together. Its a pretty clever idea... as long as you can live with the hole in the nose. I might find something white to stuff in there. It also allows removal of the NG6 bolt for servicing. I have put a small hole on the opposite side too so the bolt can be punched through. All to make life easier.
Pic 3 shows the piece in place with 4 plys of BID and peel ply. Thats another little thing done.
