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Show us your panel!

This is third generation panel, my most recent upgrade is the GRT SX-SV.
I have one more planned change, I want to replace the GX-55 with a 430W.
This is how I purchased the plane.
(Before)
img8.jpg

currently (After)
panel001.jpg
 
Garmin tilt?

It looks like your Garmin GPS is tilted in the Airgizmo mount, is it just not seated? If it is how do you tilt it and it still be locked in? :confused:
 
N52VV is back in the air

Last flew March 20 with a VFR panel, and flew for the first time yesterday with the new panel shown below which will allow me to fly IFR with redundant equipment. This shot was taken after a flight this morning, and the plane is parked outside my hangar, 90 degrees to the runway. With AFS' synthetic vision, you can see the Blue Ridge mountains in the background, as well as the approach end of runway 3 at KCHO. I am still learning how to use the entire avionics system, and a lot more test flying is ahead. But for now, it is one sweet package. I did not count the hours to do this work, but I worked on it non stop since about mid Feb, when I started wiring up the avionics at home.

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I designed the panel so that only about 1/4" of the avionics bezels protrude from the panel. I think that makes for a neat looking installation. The 430 required a modification to the comm connector so that it would clear the bulkhead cross-brace. The mod is described earlier in this thread. The 430, 696, and XM antennas are mounted under the cowl. The 430 has performed superbly with this antenna location. In the previous VFR panel, the 696 and XM antennas worked flawlessly under the cowl for the 60 hours or so they were installed before the plane was taken down for the panel upgrade.


web.jpg


Thanks go to the fine folks at AFS for producing this equipment, and their tireless support as I asked them a gazillion questions during the installation. AFS is one fine company for sure. And thanks to Stein as well who was very supportive during the project.
 
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Fanastic Job

WOW Jim.......
Nice pictures........good detail!
I hope it works as good as it looks.
Congrats on getting back in the air!
It was good to see you Saturday evening at LKU.
 
Absolutely gorgeous Jim! Beautiful work! That's work to be proud of, and looks like it'll be a pleasure to fly behind!! Bet each time you get in, you'll look at it and say, "Oh yeah"!

Cheers,
Bob
 
Beautiful work, Jim! Truly amazing how the digital revolution has ... well, revolutionized the options we now have for our panels. There's so much info there, and so much redundancy. Well done!

If anyone ever hears him call on the radio, "Now, where again are you guys?", be sure to post it. :D
 
N421RT is almost completed!

Instrument and circuit breaker panel pics:

IMG_3245.jpg

IMG_3252.jpg



Almost a completed airplane!
IMG_3242.jpg


EDIT: Airplane belongs to a friend, Richard Boone, not me!
 
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Nice work Neal, I like the symmetry.

Can I ask a dumb newbie question - what is that between the Dynons?
 
It's the HS-34 module..

Nice work Neal, I like the symmetry.

Can I ask a dumb newbie question - what is that between the Dynons?

...from Dynon, with which you can select Nav Source, dial in baro settings and helps in interfacing the 430 to the Dynon's HSI,

You can get them in either vertical or horizontal orientation,

Best,
 
Not my RV-8, but a friend's...

Actually, the plane isn't mine (as attributed on the VAF front page today), but belongs to a friend, Richard Boone.

I wish I can afford to build an RV as nice someday (as in my .sig, my RV7 exists thus far only as a preview plans binder, a reserved N-number and a dream... no aluminum pieces yet).

I helped him out on the project with the avionics wiring since I'm a computer and electronics gearhead. The layout of the panel and equipment selection was his choice, of course.

The Dynon HS34 module lets you select either the VOR/ILS or GPS outputs from the Garmin 430 to drive the HSI display in the D100 as Pierre explained. It acts as an ARINC-429 interface converter for the Dynon's HSI and lets you set baro pressure, heading bug, OBS, etc, all with a simple twist of knobs. It also has a built-in voice synthesizer that connects to the audio panel/intercom and generates spoken alert messages. Pretty slick stuff. Here's Dyon's info webpage about it:

http://www.dynonavionics.com/docs/HS34_intro.html

The autopilot is only the base-level TruTrak Digiflight II with plain GPS NAV input. Sometime in the future, it might get upgraded to one of the higher-end versions. We included the ability of wiring up the ARINC-426 bus connections in the cabling harness for up to the Sorcerer model as a future possible upgrade.
 
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nice!!

Dang neal that looks awesome! great job!

No way that I am going to catch up now, you guys are JUMPING forward ;)

thanks again for helping me out with the antenna cables...

hey when is first engine start?!
 
hey when is first engine start?!

Quite possibly today or tomorrow. First flight is probably about a week or so away, pending final DAR inspection/paperwork/etc, and no mechanical problems.

EDIT: I just got the phone call they started the engine up for the first time on the plane (it was run-in for a while at the engine shop when it was first assembled). Only two minor problems, one dead CHT probe and a mechanical issue with the prop governor cable bracket.
 
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Awesome Neal!

The -8 is looking great! Rick is very blessed to have a friend like you...your work is top notch. My RV-4 would not be flying without you and your electronic genious and it has been electronically flawless!

Thanks Neal!
 
RV-8 XPanel and Vans CAD file seem wrong!

I have been using XPanel to do my RV-8 layout and finding that I could fit more on the virtual panel than on the real panel. Looking at the .5" grid - the Xpanel template is one grid taller than real.

Yesterday, I downloaded the CAD files from Vans web site and found that the CAD file panel is .6125" taller than the real panel! (My real panel is 12" tall x 24" wide)

The CAD file reflects the UN-BENT panel! (So does XPanel!) - Makes it look like the panel is .6" taller than it is!

Surprising how much more fits on an RV-8 panel that is .6125" taller!

I have created a panel solid model in .step or .iges format - pm me for copy.
 
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Yeah,

I kind of found that out the hard way.

I used the cad file, laid out my panel and then had the blank water jet cut from that data.

My radio stack hole ended up too low.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


I tried to live with it but couldn't. In order to use it, I would have had to trim the flange of the cross brace behind the panel to fit the radios in. I ended up ordering a new blank and redoing it.

Glad I did.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 
Jesse: That's a great panel. Is your Xpdr a 327? Mine's a 330. I had to put GMA 340, the only shorter unit in my stack, in the slot occupied by your Xpdr. It clears the z-brace easily and the 330 just overrides the top of the brace. Does your AFS have synthetic vision? Are you planning serious IFR flying? Looks as though you're getting close!
 
You guys are going to be SOOOO disappointed. The HUD is fake. :(

Hey, you can't have a fighter without a HUD, right?

Actually, I found the vendor here on VAF. I searched high and low for the thread, but came up dry.

www.viperpit.org

UPDATED PICTURE:
N8RV_Panel_1.jpg


I added a pair of F-16 indexers to the glareshield -- the left one is AOA and the right one nosewheel steering/in-flight refueling (neither of which I need). All that's left is an ICP


Don has inspired me!

Where did you get the F-15 Mirrors from?

Panel.jpg
 
G3X in an 8

Here is the finished or almost finished product. After a few fits and starts I managed to get the panel painted and labeled. I initially tried water-slide decals but was not satisfied with the result. Font size and layout was not working so I re-did the labels using vinyl laminate made by a local sign company and am quite happy with the results.

The panel wings carry most of the switches, as well as instruments to allow monitoring the electrical system apart from the EFIS/EIS, ELT activation, clock/G-meter etc. Conventional breakers are mounted in a panel on the right. An AFS AOA is mounted alongside the avionics stack, the indicator will be mounted on the glare shield.

Feb132011-04.jpg
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Feb132011-17.jpg
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After 20+ years behind a conventional 6 pack-basic IFR panel, I have a big learning curve before that first flight.

Chuck
 
NICE!

Chuck, very nice panel! Are you going to use any glareshield lights?

I wasn't going to and then I saw SteinAirs LED strip lighting for about 50 bucks and installed them.

I really only installed them as "Effect" lighting, but the other day while completing some night engine runs those glareshield lights came in handly....plus they look cool :cool:
 
Glare shield lights

Thanks for the compliments. I do plan glare shield lights, even have the dimmer set up but have not selected the lights yet. I put the glare shield in place today for other work and was wondering just where to place the lights, central, or end-to-end? If the latter, did you shield them to keep them from shining directly in your eyes?
 
Chuck - I only installed the LED strip about an inch or so from the edge of the glare-shield. At night with the lights on full I do not notice the lights shining in my eyes. As you can see i cut the strip so it fits from edge to edge.


DSC02468.jpg
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It works!

I don't have the latest gadgets but tonight I applied power to all of the instruments one by one, and no smoke :)

It has been a long time getting here but it is cool to see it light up. Now to update and configure things.

esueix.jpg
 
CAD Drawing of Panel

I've searched all over for the CAD drawing of the panel you refer to on Van's website, no luck. Can you point me in the right direction? J. Hawkins
 
RV-8 Panel

2l8drhz.jpg

Just finished the airplane and flew it Tuesday. Here is a pic of the panel.
 
Nice!

DB, you have some very nice features in that main panel, C/B panel and those lower side panel!

Very nice job.
 
Well Done

Nice looking panel.

I have a question concerning the switch on the upper right. Can I correctly assume that the switch allows you to 1) engage the starter from a stick button 2) disable the starter 3) bypass the stick button ? I also assume it is an OFF-ON-(ON) ?

Don
 
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