A while back I was doing some work on my jet, I don't have room in the workshop for a bench and a dedicated jet stand so use the workbench top as the place of surgery - problem is making sure the jet is safe and at a height where its easy to work on.
Sure I could use sponge or pillows, carpet or a variety of other 'soft furnishings' but not all are ideal and not all hold the jet from rolling over should it be tilted. I tried one of the low jet stand products, but this made the the jet too high to work on so had a friend cnc an idea I had and this is it - the Bench Buddy
Kinda naff name but it had a tacky ring to it so for now that's what its going to be called.
Essentially it a cnc cut high quality closed cell foam rest, shaped with a shallow curve in the top face to cradle the jet fuselage, in addition to the curve it has a series of holes cut out, these weaken the foam allowing it to further compress where the loads are from the airframe shape resulting in a deeper cradle effect. I mounted the two foam cradles to a cnc cut MDF base, this is shaped to allow the corners of the frame to be fixed with screws to a work top or if needed a wooden carry frame, where the two slots cut at each end would allow a Velcro or strap to be passed down and back up for securing a fuselage to the bench buddy for transport.
The height allows good access when placed on a workbench, but also allows a safety space under the airframe for aerials or vents to remain clear from grounding.
Its a work in progress so comments and ideas on how to improve it are very welcome, depending on the final outcome and cost to manufacture I may look to add it to my shop as an accessory for those interested. My jet is a small 2m span sports jet and it sits nicely in place and when rocked is reluctant to roll over but moves back to its original position when released. It is designed to work with much large jets too.
marcs