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Panel Question from a Newbie

AltonD

AltonD

Well Known Member
Been reading a lot about panels. I am considering an RV-7a kit and I am doin my homework.

I see a lot of avionics/electronic gear installed between the firewall and the sub-panel. My question: How do you get to this equipment after the skin is installed? Is it easily done?

Thanks for the help in advance
Alton
Dothan Alabama.
 
Usually, you assemble all of the tools you'll need, dump 'em in the footwell of the airplane, then toss in a flashlight or fluorescent trouble light so you can see what you're doing. Then you toss in a few old pillows to keep the sharp edges from hurting too bad. Once you've got everything in place, you climb into the footwell and go to work.

Unfortunately, just as soon as you get down there, you'll discover that either:

1) The batteries in your flashlight are dead.
2) A sudden power outage strikes, killing the trouble lamp.
3) You forgot and left one important tool sitting outside the airplane.
4) You need to pee.

Count on at least one convoluted trip out of the cockpit to correct whatever the problem is, then its back into the hell-hole and you remove, repair, replace, or inspect whatever needs attention.

In all honesty, most of the stuff under there is pretty reliable. Other than condition inspections, I've only had to crawl into the footwell a dozen or so times in 4+ years...

My airplane has a sliding canopy. I understand the tilt-up's (on the side by side airplanes) give easier access.
 
Plus, whether you go with a tip-up or slider canopy, you will typically install all your avionics before closing up the top panel. If you want to then keep your radios dust free, you can take them out because it would be easy to simply plug them in to the preinstalled harnesses and connections later.

Then after the aircraft is flying, you're still going to have to do some crawling up under the panel (more if you use a sliding canopy). But the most difficult part of the panel is the initial installation so it's no big deal later to change things.
 
Highflight said:
Plus, whether you go with a tip-up or slider canopy, you will typically install all your avionics before closing up the top panel. If you want to then keep your radios dust free, you can take them out because it would be easy to simply plug them in to the preinstalled harnesses and connections later.

Then after the aircraft is flying, you're still going to have to do some crawling up under the panel (more if you use a sliding canopy). But the most difficult part of the panel is the initial installation so it's no big deal later to change things.
Click to expand...

I managed to make my panel totally removable. This involves connectors (D-sub and pin-in-box), fast-on terminals to the switches, and pitot/static couplers. I takes about 20 minutes to insert or remove everything, and I've done it several times.

This makes service and adds/changes much easier... but you will still need to be a human pretzel from time to time.

FMI http://www3.telus.net/aviation/flying/RV-9A/rv-9a.html
For information on some of the devices I needed to make everything disconnect easily, see:
http://www3.telus.net/aviation/vx.html

The extra effort taken to make your panel removable for service will be paid off many, many times. I just had to make a modification to the Dynon EFIS keep alive power (disconnect it to prevent main battery discharge). I removed the panel, disconnect a d-sub pin and I was done.

While the panel was out, I glued in the firewall insulation, and I'll do my interior carpet before it goes back in.

Good luck
Vern Little
RV-9A

(Why are there so many Verns in aviation??)
 
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