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Panel Layout
I recently flew an RV that was very well built, flew well, etc. However, the builder was more interested in making everything line up than worrying about switch placement and function.
For example, all the switches were standard toggle switches of the same size, lined up in a neat row with the same gap between them. Some did have colored rubber covers on them. Right next to the master, on the left side of this side-by-side's panel, was the fuel pump switch. I could see someone accidentally turning off the master, powering down the avionics, while on approach when trying to turn on the fuel pump on a bumpy day. The other gotcha is that hidden in that row of switches was the electric primer. Worse than accidentally turning off the master would be turning on the primer when trying to deploy the flaps because the switches were next to each other, flooding the engine. When designing your panel, take into account what could happen, if you were to turn something on or off by mistake and don't place commonly used switches next to a flight critical swich. I grouped my swiches by "phase of flight" and not function. Thus my interior lights are not close to my landing and taxi lights. My swiches are also laid out so for landing or takeoff, you just go down the row, turning them all on, left to right, and then put your hand on the throttle until you land. You can even toggle the flaps up and down without removing your hand from the throttle. (More details are available on my website.) Remember, someone else may fly your plane and as an aid to them, logical switch placement is critical. |
Hi Bill,
To each their own I suppose. I'm a control freak so I have a lot of switches. My 20 or so are switches grouped by function and separated from other groups by one switch space (in case I screwed up, there's room to add another switch if needed). The groups (of function) are located left to right so there is some flow. But flow is never going to be exact. As a result, if I want a light, I will look to the lighting group. You really can't go too far wrong by turning on/off the wrong light. Groups typically have odd numbers of switches so I can easily memorize their function (left, mid, right), and never more than 5 in a group. The left switch is the first or most commonly used item in the group. Further, I have any flight critical switches with a red boot on the toggle. They are located directly in front of the left seat pilot so they are part of the left/right flow, always in view and further from the passenger. The red boot indicates caution before movement and my passenger is always instructed not to touch anything especially anything red. Other colors loosely indicate function, ie yellow = lights, blue = fuel pump (100LL is blue) etc. Always a compromise like everything in aviation. Bevan |
With the current generation of glass panels, there is always a little button-pushing going on. Consider what can happen in turbulence, I have my switch row a hair too close to the bottom of my EFIS screen and twice now in a bump I have had my hand deflect downward to contact those switches.
I'm already planning round two of my panel, that's one of the changes that will be made. |
Also, my switch panel (which runs the entire length of the bottom of the instrument panel) is recessed about 3/4". This helps to prevent inadvertent switch operation when moving the hand about the instrument panel.
There are a lot of ways to do a panel. I just throw these out as ideas. While I spent a whole winter researching and designing the panel, and it works very well for me, I realize there are about as many ways to configure the panel as there are builders. Bevan |
Individual choice.
I chose to lay out the switches left to right in groups for a flow from power through avionics including pitot to lights. As I have seen on other craft, fuel pump and flaps are near throttle so they can be activated while hand is on throttle. |
Yes, our panels may be more similar than not.
Bevan |
Although purely preference, I would argue for seeing how it's done on relatively recent production aircraft. The human factors folks there have spent a lot more time thinking about this kind of thing than most of us.
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As side note, I have seen switches scattered all over the place. Flap switches down between the seats, up on the top of the panel, just under the glair shield, you name it. On a bumpy flight, those locations can make it difficult to reach and take the correct action. Between the seats was an odd one as you will have to do it by feel. Interior light switches next to taxi and landing lights are not a good thing because if you are coming in to land at night and flip on the interior lights instead of the landing & taxi lights you could ruin your night vision. While we as builders and fliers learn our panels, rows and rows of intermixed switches aren't always "best practice". What I did was mocked up my panel and kept moving things around until I was comfortable with the position of everything, including switch spacing for my big hands. On a go-around you can push the levers forward, push the carb heat in, and toggle the flaps up without removing your hand from the throttle quadrant. The master switch, mag switches, and starter button are all in a row; master on, mags on, press the starter. In an in flight emergency, you just go right down the row, you don't need to hunt for switches or buttons. Things the passenger can mess with, put on the right side; panel lights (not used very much) are just right of center, interior lights and cabin heat are way over on the right side. Still accessible from the left seat but out of the way. Remember, you are designing for the worst case, high stress, situation. Not necessarily for sunny day no problem flights. The simpler and more logical you can lay our panel out the better. When in a high stress situation, one of the first things that goes is your fine motor skills. Thus placing switches close to one another that have nothing to do with primary flight situations could become an issue at the worst time. |
The taxi camera switch should be easy to reach also......... ;-)
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