The front gear of this aircraft is getting an automatic extend for the front gear as a fail-safe from landing wheels up.

Its a little laser.

The laser unit is a LightWare SF11_C 120m.  Its a device that senses the ground when it is 120m or about 393 feet away. If I haven’t already lowered the gear and if the plane is traveling between two set speeds, the gear will come down. Of course the laser just tells some yet to be assembled electronics in a box that its time to do something.

I need to mount this unit on the bottom of the plane pointing downwards.

First up I wanted to get a good clamping surface on the laser. I’ve since found out that they do make mounts for these things. I just assumed it was my problem. I started with some pour foam to get myself two flat surfaces.

I gave the laser a couple of plies of BID and then found some foam block off cuts with one side already glassed.

After a lot of testing and measuring for placement I had my laser mounted with hot glue and refined the fit.

The final mounting piece was glassed in and a base was added. A little foam will go on that later for a snug one screw fit.

While all that was happening I was working on a perspex window in my removable hellhole and RAM air cover piece.

This took some refining and worked out pretty well.

Here’s the laser in place. It is NOT a camera! Its a proximity laser OK?

Finally the ‘money shot’. Laser install for no drag penalty and easy access for maintenance if ever required.