Don Davis
Architects at Nieto Ave, Long Beach, CA

5582363, Dec 10, 1996

Jul 6, 1995

8/499039

Don Davis - Long Beach CA

E05B 1310, B60R 2502, G05G 500, B60K 3706

244 1R

A guard shield is provided as a protective security device in the cockpit of an aircraft to prevent instruments in the aircraft control panel from being removed by thieves. The guard shield is formed of a flat, laterally expansive, rigid plate with a pair of parallel slots defined in its lower edge. The slots extend upwardly into the interior of the plate and terminate in blind ends. The slots are laterally spaced from each other a distance equal to the distance of the separation of the steering columns for the steering yokes utilized by the pilot and copilot. The guard shield is mounted so as to rest upon the steering columns with the steering columns residing at the upper extremities of the slots in the blind ends thereof. A locking mechanism is employed to hold the guard shield closely adjacent to the surface of the instrument control panel, so as to prevent the removal of instruments therefrom. The locking mechanism may include a padlock and possibly also a throttle cover mounted upon the throttle which projects outwardly and rearwardly from the control panel of the aircraft.