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Buss fuse blocks behind panel

RV7 To Go

RV7 To Go

Well Known Member
Hi All,

I am beginning to wire my 7 and plan on using the Aeroelectrics wiring plan for fuse blocks. I see many people putting the blocks behind the panel eliminating in flight access. I would appreciate any thoughts on this method and alternative locations/suggestions.

Al
 
Oh boy, Al. Bob Knuckles has a section about the pros & cons of resetting in flight. You'll get lots of different answers here on the forum. As for me, my fuse buss is hinged between the subpanel & instrument panel so I can drop it down for easy access & wiring. I 'could' drop it down during flight, but don't intend to. ;)
 
Follow the logic. What are you going to do if one of the fuses blows in flight? You can't fix the reason it blew and putting another fuse in will likely result in the same ending. Why mess with it when you've got an airplane to fly?

I also think it's an asthetic thing. I don't like the RV-12 panel for this very reason although I can't deny the accessability. In the end, you can do what you want. It likely doesn't make that much of a difference one way or the other.
 
I put fuse blocks behind the panel (inaccessible in flight but realtively easily accessible on the ground) and 12 resettable circuit breakers on the panel for things that "may" nuisance trip or I may want to be temporarily power down for maintainance or inflight malfunction. The fuse block are an excellent way of distibuting circuits and will likely never require replacing a fuse. Each circuit has it's own fuse/breaker and if tripped, will only power down that particular circuit.

Bevan
 
Hinged Panel

I built a hinged "floor" that hinges on the subpanel and has two #8 screws that screw it to the bottom of my panel. It holds 2 fuse blocks and is not accessible in flight but is very easy on the ground also. I changed the orientation of the fuse blocks since this picture was taken, but you'll get the idea.

11-15-09-02.jpg
 
Last edited:
PaulR said:
... It holds 2 fuse blocks and is not accessible in flight but is very easy on the ground also.
Click to expand...
Did ours about the same way... It is accessible in flight if you REALLY want to. Have to get the screwdriver and remove two screws.

The rest of the critical systems run on 6 circuit breakers.
 
Buss installation ideas

Thanks everyone for your input! I like the idea of the hinged panel. Uses space more effectively behind the panel and allows easy access. Great idea!

Al
 
Al - Hinge fuse panel got my vote too (see my log ) - thanks to Dan Horton for the method. My belief is don't reset a fuse in flight and the hinge panel is great for maintenance access and is a real space saver.

Regards

Bob Ellis
www.rv-8.co.uk
Aircraft at the painters after successful test phase
 
like breakers

I have used my breakers in-flight to reset a specific piece of avionics a time or two.

On the ground, I use the breakers more frequently. If I'm testing or updating a device in the panel, it is convenient to preserve battery life by pulling breakers on things I don't need on.

Very happy I didn't listen to Bob Knuckles on this one.
 
I went with fuses for all except electronic ignition and alternator field. Crow bar overvoltage protection needs a breaker.
Everything in my panel can be turned off (radios, Dynons) so I didn't miss breakers for trouble shooting.
I love the simplicity of fuses and they just don't fail.
Nothing wrong with breakers, but they do take more work and cost more.
For my VFR ship I'm satisfied with the fuses.
 
Fuses, pretty much the same as the pic above, but I left the rib in place and made a "fuse bay" behind the panel. 3 busses...main, hot, essential, plus the essential buss diode. No CBs. No avionics master. Alternator field on a switch next to the Master Power switch.

We'll see how it works out... :) I'm of the opinion you shouldn't reset failed circuits in flight, too...
 
Fuses, pretty much the same as the pic above, but I left the rib in place and made a "fuse bay" behind the panel. 3 busses...main, hot, essential, plus the essential buss diode. No CBs. No avionics master. Alternator field on a switch next to the Master Power switch.

We'll see how it works out... :) I'm of the opinion you shouldn't reset failed circuits in flight, too...
 
Hinged panel

Another vote for not messing with it in flight.

I did use a hinged panel with 1/4 turn wing fasteners for quick access without tools though.

The photo shows the panel hanging down for access.


hs9u28.jpg
 
I went a slightly different route: I had planned on using fuses, but wanted to have a visual indication of a tripped circuit. You can do this with fuses by making a separate indicator panel. Instead, I am using inexpensive commercial breakers. The breakers are resetable (though I don't plan to reset them) and have a trip indicator, but they are not pullable. For a few circuits that I may need to kill in flight I will use pullable breakers (things like trim motors, AP servo power). I am also planning on a small number of fuses for items I don't care much about like the Hobbs meter.
 
For what it's worth, the RV-14 has a fuse block behind a center panel below the throttle/mixture controls. The panel has cutouts so only the fuses show.
 
Here is a picture of my panel and hinged fuse panel before it was wired and installed. Another Dan Horton convert.
DSCN2780_000.jpg
 
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