That darn avionics cover

[Ernie Martin]

I'm on my second 337, I live in Miami, I don't hangar the plane, and I have a two-prong solution that works.

First, I don't use silicone because of what's left behind when you have to remove the cover. Instead I use Vaseline. I put globs of it along the gap and on each screw, and I work it in. Second, I made myself a cover using the neoprene/PVC flexible shower floor liner used below the small mosaic floor tiles (see picture) and keep it secured using 3 bungee cords.

The liner is sold at Home Depot and Lowe's. It's on a roll about 4 feet wide and you cut what you need (about 1.5 feet) to make sure it covers all the way up to the windshield molding.

Here are the positives: it works, it's easy to remove, it's inexpensive. On the negative side, the liner doesn't protect in flight, although that has never been a problem for me, either because the Vaseline is sufficient, the time I spend flying in the rain is generally short, or the airflow keeps much of the rain out.

Ernie