Battery and Electronics Access
Having watched many RC plane build videos and RC airshows online, I got several ideas on how I wanted to access the electronics and battery compartment inside the scale L-1011 model. One of the glaring issues that I have notices with many designs is challenging battery placement. It’s very common to see the batteries right next to the electronics on the same mounting plate. It’s also common seeing people contort themselves to mount the batteries in larger models.
I’ve opted for a double deck design where the electronics will be installed on the lower deck (Cargo Hold) and the batteries will be mounted on the upper deck freeing up space. One of the advantages I see with this design is the ease of access when installing and removing the batteries. Not only this, it will prevent accidentally knocking electronics when fiddling with the batteries.
The lower deck is easily accessed by removing the battery mounting plate which will be held in place with Velcro which loops through a metal rod affixed between two bulkheads. Following in the principal of easy accessibility, you’ll notice that I have design it to have a very large access door which swings up to provide unobstructed access to both compartments.
The latch mechanism was something I spent a little more time thinking through. My design heuristic philosophy is driving me to avoid any visible latches, hinges, pins, or pegs. So The latch is recessed behind the fuselage skin. To cover the hinge mechanism, a small access door will be held in place by two magnets. This will make it as simple as pushing on the top or bottom of latch cover to remove it and have access to the hatch. By doing it this way, the latch cover serves as non flight critical “hidden” door which has zero impact on the latch. The end result preserves the visual integrity of plane.
