What Side Should The Door Be On?

[Folks]

This Griffon thing has taken over my day because by some strange coincidence; I've been led to a parallel link elsewhere.
It looks like a Shackleton will soon fly again in UK. One is being restored to flying condition, by a group based less than 15 miles from where I sit. It taxied last Saturday! Look here:

At 1:00 minute it does show the door on the right...

Surely just for commemorative purposes only, right? And for the thread's sake, Yes, I see the right sided door. LOL
PS Someone flew a B17 at a couple thousand feet right over my house a couple of months ago.

 

[skygazer6033]

Back in the early 70s I was a student pilot on my 1st long cross country flight. I was landing at a small airport in Alabama where the controller advised me "traffic on final make good time departing runway". Landing traffic was a B17. Seems a company had bought a number of B17s and B25s to use as dusters in the never ending battle against fire ants. Seems like a let down for once proud warplanes. Oh, the trainer I few was a Cessna 150. Doors on both sides.

 

[goldwing06]

Surely just for commemorative purposes only, right? And for the thread's sake, Yes, I see the right sided door. LOL
PS Someone flew a B17 at a couple thousand feet right over my house a couple of months ago.

that would be the eaa b17, named aluminum overcast. it tours the country and offers rides, to earn it's keep. eaa.org has more info on it, as well as other antique or replica ac. we had the ford tri motor here the first of this year. good turn out of folks getting a ride in a piece of history. what is noticeable is the lack of interest, by todays youth, in aviation. as has been mentioned, sounds of a high performance war bird does more to stimulate your senses than a jet does. different time, different generation, different priorities and different loyalties.

 

[Texconsin]

I don't know how EM will ultimately decide to handle this however it is my understanding that the vehicle is designed symmetrically so that the door could be installed on either side. The issue I see with changing what side the door is on is that this would require a lot of tooling and part changes to provide body/door panels,new interior panels, and reversed door and window hardware including routing the shift and parking brake cables to the other side of the vehicle.

Personally I would tell EM to save the money and sell the vehicle as is. For such a fuel efficient and inexpensive vehicle the right hand drive countries can get used to opening the left side door and shifting with their right hands.

I can't imagine shifting with my left hand, period. We got it right (and right-handed) in America.

 

[wheaters]

I can't imagine shifting with my left hand, period. We got it right (and right-handed) in America.

Never hired a European car, then? o_O

But it's what you're used to. My daughter has only just turned seventeen. She has had just three driving lessons in her life and she can manage it well enough...

 

[JEBar]

I can't imagine shifting with my left hand, period. We got it right (and right-handed) in America.

agree .... I still don't agree with shifting the nuts and bolts in American made vehicles to the metric system

Jim

 

[Truett Collins]

agree .... I still don't agree with shifting the nuts and bolts in American made vehicles to the metric system

Jim

Agreed there......had to double the size of my tool box and tool collection....(EXPENSIVE)

 

[JEBar]

Agreed there......had to double the size of my tool box and tool collection....(EXPENSIVE)

and heavy ..

Jim

 

[wheaters]

No real need to buy two sets of tools. If you hammer wrenches hard enough, they'll often go on.....

 

[goofyone]

I can't imagine shifting with my left hand, period. We got it right (and right-handed) in America.

You would think it would be very odd however it is only strange for a short while and quickly becomes normal. I have had to do this a number of times in several countries, and islands in the Caribbean, and the strangest part for me has actually been parallel parking.