Removable baggage floors - surprise!

I decided to make my baggage floors removable so I could install equipment underneath. When I drilled out the pop rivets to remove the left baggage floor from my QB fuse I found something unexpected -- a large countersink bit left behind by the factory in the Phillipines.

I'm glad I discovered it, so I won't have a steel rattle dinging up that bottom skin from the inside on every bump. Also, in this case, it proved that making the baggage floors removable can actually make your airplane a few ounces lighter!

When I removed my floors to also make them removable, I found a cleco under one side. I thought I hit the jackpot...a free cleco, but it was not to be. It was all rusted and unusable. Well, at least I got a free ball cap.

Reminds of a story I read recently... A company here in Australia rebuilding a Ki61 found a bucking bar in a wing bay left there since WW2 - hate to have that rattling around!

Seems like there are many little "gifts" in the cue bee kits!

Jim Robinette's housed some drill bits and what-nots too!

CJ

To date in aircraft I've found a Snap-on 11/32" combo wrench, some misc files, and a magnet. Most of these were left by other mechanics, not the factory. On the other hand, we found a 1969 Cessna T-210 that had some of the elevator rivets missing from the factory! Make you wonder about certified airplanes sometimes .

Mystery tools inside airplanes

Re: QBs
Yep - I think everyone needs to remove those floors - if for no other reason than to check the torque and workmanship on the entire airplane.

Re: found inside planes
I used to own a pokey little Piper Colt with some friends. At one point we we're having a problem with low oil pressure and if I recall correctly the problem was a worn face where the oil pressure relief spring was installed. Our mechanic recommended a nearby highly rated (and high $ ;-)) engine shop to do the work, because they could machine the bad face without tearing down the engine. I flew the plane the tenish miles from my home airport and left it with them to do the work. When I did my preflight the next day to fly the plane home, I found an 18" mag lite sitting on top of the cylinders and a rag in the airbox. Not ideal, but mistakes happen.

Re: scary mechanic stories
Last year when I was hanging the engine on my RV, I had scheduled time with some friends to help with the 'push and prod the engine' while I get these $%^& bolts into the rubber mounts. While prepping the night before, I realized that Van's had accidentally included two bolts that were too short. No problem I think - I'll just head down to this airport and ask around to buy some correct bolts. Well at home I keep my bolts all nicely organized and bolts that are galled, have questionable history, been overtorqued etc go in the trash. I would have expected an FAA repair station (especially the 'top tier' engine place) to have similar standards on inventory management. By was I surprised - the place was happy to sell me the correct bolt, if only I could find it: In the parts room their AN bolts were all haphazardly dumped in a series of bins with bolts that had clearly been pretty damn used in with the new virgin stuff.
I found a bolt that was 'almost' (i.e. not good enough) right - it was like 3/16" short. I said that it wouldn't do because the threaded portion would be down in the hole. The fellow helping me said, that's no problem - we make substititions like that all the time. At that point I decided a rush order with AS&S was needed. ;-)
Suffice it to say, I now know there is a lot more to a good shop than a red carpet, @ss kissing and a fancy paint scheme on the engines.

Things hammering around

I changed the oil in my 172 about 4 months after I had the local AI come to my hangar and replace the bad vacumn pump. When I removed the cowl for the oil change I found a ball peen hammer.
Now you might think that I just got a ballpeen hamme for free, but I had been missing my ballpeen hammer for 4 months. I had even bought it replacement. I don't use that AI anymore and ever preflight I reach through the inlet to check the between the cylinders for tools/other things.

Kent
RV9A more then 90% done, less then 90% to go.