What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Raising the bottom of the Instrument Panel?

claycookiemonster

Well Known Member
One of the many wonderful things about the newer glass instruments is how SO MUCH information can be compressed into a smaller space than the old "Six-pack" days of round dials. D10 with GNC 355 and Garmin_Dynon Com.png
My tentative panel will leave room along the bottom of the panel unused, so I'm interested in cutting the panel along the bottom to allow for a longer stick and more leg room.
I'm concerned that cutting off that rounded corner at the bottom will reduce the integrity of the panel. Am I over thinking that? I know I could always rivet some angle along the newer edge down there.
 
Are you talking the formed "leg" across the bottom of the panel. Then no; that supplies the stiffness to that part of the panel. You would have to reform the panel with such, rivet on a stiffener, etc.

My opinion is your proposed change isn't worth it/leave it alone. (Currently unplanned) switches, breakers, ELT annunciator, whatever will eat up said panel real estate. Let an 8 driver weigh-in if your suspected problems are such or have alternative solutions. In the end, it's your build.
 
I don’t have any experience with the 8, but if it’s similar to the 7 I don’t see why you couldn’t get that stiffness back by riveting a nice angle along the bottom.

Alternately, I know Walt has said that vans will cut you a taller panel on the cheap if you need it to cram in all the goodies. Might be worth it to give them a call and see how easy it might be to go the other way and get them to just make you a shorter one.
 
Regardless of whether o9r not you can cut it shorter (I know of some cases where folks cut only the CENTER shorter - sort of a notch in the bottom - I think. You’re going to find that your avionics are not going to mount as close to each other as you think they are. You’ll need supporting structure between things in order to make the panel work. If you’re cutting that much of the panel away to provide square openings for the boxes and faceplates, you’ll need stiffeners of aluminum to restore the structure and to give you rails on which to mount some things.

Just speaking from experience - its easy to cram more stuff in than will fit!

Paul
 
To Paul's point, you have no allowance for the radio rack support angles or similar. You will have to shift the G3X right if you want the stack there.

As for shortening the panel, should be okay if you reform the flange or replace it with a stiffener.
 
Going through this right now also. My radio stack was planned to be at the same location to the left overlap seam, but the trays mount to angle stock that are riveted to the backside of the panel. I've had a difficult time finding pictures showing how people mount these trays.
 
If you can make that work, go for it. I'm 6'3" and the real value in raising that bottom up is it will allow more stick height, and I'm not reaching down between my legs to fly the plane.

When I redo my panel, I plan on trying to gain an inch there if I can.
 
This is a one piece panel created out of 090. It was then attached to the perimeter of the original panel attach points. There is a 1/2” angle riveted across the panel just above the arch and ties all in to the original structure. Probably overkill. But it can be done. The “stack” G5 and switch’s are all recessed and nearly flush with the panel.

YMMV and probably will.
 

Attachments

  • D10B0578-1003-44C8-BDD5-5B0D096ADFF2.jpg
    D10B0578-1003-44C8-BDD5-5B0D096ADFF2.jpg
    390.4 KB · Views: 247
I trimmed my panel a bit (arched the bottom actually) to allow a longer stick but you'll find you're still restricted by the bulkhead behind the panel. It doesn't give you as much clearance as you think. Do not trim the bulkhead behind the panel.



One of the many wonderful things about the newer glass instruments is how SO MUCH information can be compressed into a smaller space than the old "Six-pack" days of round dials. View attachment 24517
My tentative panel will leave room along the bottom of the panel unused, so I'm interested in cutting the panel along the bottom to allow for a longer stick and more leg room.
I'm concerned that cutting off that rounded corner at the bottom will reduce the integrity of the panel. Am I over thinking that? I know I could always rivet some angle along the newer edge down there.
 
Options

One of the many wonderful things about the newer glass instruments is how SO MUCH information can be compressed into a smaller space than the old "Six-pack" days of round dials. View attachment 24517
My tentative panel will leave room along the bottom of the panel unused, so I'm interested in cutting the panel along the bottom to allow for a longer stick and more leg room.
I'm concerned that cutting off that rounded corner at the bottom will reduce the integrity of the panel. Am I over thinking that? I know I could always rivet some angle along the newer edge down there.

You will need the angle at the bottom for structural integrity. If you are really "bent" on more room, a couple of options I can think of:

1) When I laid out my new panel, I was looking for MORE length at the bottom, not less(for switches). Turns out, Vans makes an oversized panel. Bill from Up North Aviation who cut my panel has the CAD RV8 template, so he was able to create an RV8 panel from the blank stock rectangle panel to fit the RV8, but just a little longer. I suspect he could do the same, only shorter, leaving the bend at the bottom if you wanted. In the end, I used the stock panel, but I considered having Bill cut one a little longer.

2) Stu chimed in - but I like what he did and took a picture. Here it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nkZvtgbIoo
 

Attachments

  • Capture.JPG
    Capture.JPG
    101.6 KB · Views: 90
Last edited:
setback

I took a different approach and recessed the center portion of the panel about an inch. Made a big difference in legroom.

i-ZTgpKVq-M.jpg
 
Last edited:
Van designed the stick, pushrods and bellcranks to provide a specific relationship between stick force and aircraft response. Lengthening the stick will change that. Do you understand what that change will do to handling qualities? Do you really want to mess with that?
 
Just my opinion but I would rethink lengthening the stick unless you are a large person because the shorter stick is so sweet on the controls as is. Like others said it’s your plane though
 
Van designed the stick, pushrods and bellcranks to provide a specific relationship between stick force and aircraft response. Lengthening the stick will change that. Do you understand what that change will do to handling qualities? Do you really want to mess with that?

Absolutely. A little more pitch sensitivity is well worth the current setup where I'm reaching down between my legs to fly, and can't get my thumb on top of the stick for trim..

You can only go about a half inch longer because of the steel crossbrace, unless you go with an S-Bend.
 
Back
Top