I've been flying a DA20 lately, and in addition to the various things I like about how it handles, I particularly like the little guard thingy that Diamond puts on the DA20's flap switch. I decided to make one for my airplane too, starting with a chunk of 1"x2"x1/16" extruded aluminum.
I drilled a hole for the switch in the exact center of the piece I cut, then sawed off one side of the rectangle. The flap switch handle fits perfectly between the two sides.
After much cutting and filing, I ended up with a halfway decent looking switch guard:
Here's how it looks with the switch handle removed. I drilled and tapped holes for a pair of 4-40 screws; one into the spacer behind the panel, and the other one into the panel frame. Between the screws and the switch mounting nut and keyway washer, the switch guard isn't going anywhere.
A small hole on one side admits a hex wrench, so I can tighten the set screw that keeps the switch handle from spinning off the shaft.
See, it works – you can easily actuate the switch with your finger:
…but foreign objects flying around the cockpit can't accidentally make the flaps go down. Also, please recycle.
Also, Mary was in town this weekend, so here's the usual photo of her looking cute:
