Boy was this a can of worms. Here’s my second attempt. You don’t get pics from the 2 days of work the first go was.

Problem…huge cavity needed at the top of the strut for the whole thing to extend.

Solution a sliding trap door that opens and closes with the strut keeping all that nasty cold air attached to the outside of the plane.

Pic 1 shows the hole and a bit of piano wire I’ve bent and will flox in to hold one end of the spring. Pic 2 has the hinge floxed in place. Pic 3 and I’ve got the cover on and nut plates. For the spring, it hooks on one end and a bit of safety wire attaches it at the top. Easy install and removal.

A simple answer to a breezy problem.

Hook and spring

Floxed hinge

A better mouse trap?