Cobra 850 designed by David Feltham Cockpit to Engine Access

[Capitain Mike]

Has anybody had any experience in opening up (increasing the Size) of the engine access panel in the cockpit locker port side of a Cobra 850.

I was in the engine bay yesterday and I did a stupid thing!

Usually I go in barefoot no shirt and only a hat and shorts. If you don't know why then you have never been in your engine bay.

Everything is so confined it is easy to catch an item of clothing etc. on something that is very hard to release and you find yourself unable to turn or exit through the access panel.

This time It happened to me. Luckily there were crew on board but they could not help, until I got myself through the access panel there is no room in the cockpit locker for more than one person.

This time I forgot to remove my sandals, my right foot went alongside between the starboard stern engine mount and the hull as I twisted to exit through the hatch, unfortunately though my foot could go further into the opening on attempting to withdraw the offending foot it was trapped by the heel of the sandal and (I don't know what I was not in a position to see) eventually I got out panic free because as I said I was not alone on board.

A mobile phone in the cockpit locker is a good idea if you are alone on board and you are stuck inside.

So though there have been discussions here regarding the pros and cons of access/maintenance hatches in the cockpit sole.

The question is can I increase the size of the access panel horizontally in the ply bulkhead or will this jeopardise the structural integrity of the Cobra 850?[