More picky things for you - you're very patient!

1. I tend to have my strobes on all the time, on the ground and in the air. I only fly day VFR, just so that you know. My nav lights aren't very useful for collision avoidance in the daytime so those are usually off.

If I'm in any sort of busy area I'll have my landing lights on too.

So I'd change the order of those switches, swapping the strobe switch with the nav light switch.

2. The fuel pump, flaps and pitot heat are adjacent. And the fuel pump is adjacent to the flap switch. I'd move the fuel pump and pitot heat elsewhere. I imagine that the fuel pump will be on for every take off and landing, and perhaps the flaps too, so the switch positions are practically reversed. That is, for landing, one is up and the other down. Hate to accidentally mean to put the flaps down and instead shut off the fuel pump.

3. Would a single three-way avionics switch be worth considering? It would have all three positions: off, master and secondary.

4. Also, and here I have no experience except that I sometimes fly with pilots who are capable of acting as pilot in command - is there some sort of easily available autopilot off/on switch available to the copilot? I'm thinking of a single button, not a toggle switch, that would either invoke altitude and heading hold or disconnect that. Some people put something like this on the stick, but since all airplanes with sticks seem to differ, to me that's an invitation for confusion by the copilot.

5. I agree completely with the earlier suggestion to add storage in the panel. Can't have too much cockpit storage. That said, I am building an RV-3.

Dave

Front Panel Express can do that for you. If you want a custom color, you might have to get that done elsewhere first.

A few more thoughts
 

- write your checklists and play them against your panel.
- startup is the least important for driving your panel design, because you're on the ground and have tons of time
- don't place dangerous switches next to safe switches
- make sure your groupings are appropriate. If I had my old AirCam panel to do over, I would have put flaps and fuel pump very close since they were almost always used at the same time.
- put important switches, like fuel pump, at the end of the group
- it might be possible to make a cheap panel out of 020 to check things out before you cut one in 032
- some panels have primary and secondary attitude indicators that both rely on GPS as inputs to the Kalman filters. Looks like you don't have that issue.
- standardization is good. You will bring habits from other planes into your RV, and will take RV habits into other planes
- a Boeing guideline was to never use color as the sole indicator of anything. Red and plain toggles, ok, if spacing separates the reds. Red yellow white - cant condone that concept.

Good luck!

Ed

My favorite is anodized brushed aluminum with laser engraved text. So crisp and clean, and since the laser doesn't remove any aluminum, the panel can be stripped and re-anodized later. Plus, dirt and grime can't collect into the lettering since it's not grooved into the metal.

Let me know if you need my help....we actually do laser engraving for a few RV manufactures.

Besides anodizing, we can laser engrave or CNC route painted or powder coated panels or parts, as well as offer several other options from painted-on lettering, vinyl die-cut lettering, or custom name plates from metal or plastics.

Lots of options and we never make you learn any software....you have more import things to do....like wiring. :D

Fantastic information
 

The info that is coming up on this thread is fantastic. The ideas have definitely already influenced some of the switch locations and made me question heavily some of the approaches.

This is not to say I have changed everything, however, it is great to get a mix of pragmatism, experience and feel.

The discussions around colour, position and approach are just great. Hopefully I will have a final design by end of next week ready for submission.

I am realistic that his panel may change in future, however, I have allowed for some "expansion" space for other switch gear for short term changes.

I still have some stuff to mull over and this should gel over the weekend.

Keep it coming, I'm loving it.

New Version - getting there
 

I have added a new version of the panel to the thread. Some major changes including fitout for remote transponder. Still awaiting some feedback on alternate product for final decision.

Please take a look and comment.

Looks great Andrew

Will it be IFR?

lol, sorry mate :D

I like the movement of the transponder, but I agree with the post on making that a standard 2.25" hole for future compatibility. Also, I would like to see the GPS and auto pilot closer to the pilot, but that would split the screens. I don't see the need to split the radio stack as you have. I always put them in as a single cutout and use aluminum angles to hold it all together and to the panel. You may wish you had the extra space down the road.

Overall looks like a nice layout.

Garmin 750
 

Just a thought. You've got a bunch of money in the panel already and you have room, why not go with the 750? You can remote mount your Transponder and audio panel to make the panel even cleaner.

You can do a 3 position switch for your Pos and Strobes. This way you can use a combination of your choice and save one switch.

Looks good.

Unfortunately not that much money in the bank account. :-)

However, new modifications complete.

I need to look at panel spacing for the Garmin and PAR100EX, may be a final change.

And another update: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/95034127/2012_02_05_Font_B.pdf
Modified the font to see if this provides an easier readability. Spaced the writing a little further from the switches. Needed to add back the transponder due to certification requirements of ADS-B altitude encoding for 2020. Unfortunately due to space and screw holes, needs to be central. Am happy with that as the primary instruments for backup, Airspeed, AH, Altimeter and Compass all in same position. Modified colurs so that they have more contrast.