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Instrument Panel on 7A

330Jock

Well Known Member
Ok, this is gonna sound dumb, but I'm gonna do it anyway!
When I look at photos of all those great panels out there, they look like they are level, or square to the eye. I am just putting my upper fuselage forward section together. Ribs, sub panels, skin, instrument panel, and when you get everything clekoed together the panel is canted back oh 7 to 10 degrees or so. In other words the bottom of the panel is closer to you than the top of the panel. As I look at the rivet lines, angle of the glareshield, angle of the sub panels, they are all angled the same amount, including the upper firewall. Is this correct? Just wanted some confirmation that I wasn't nuts!
 
Panel should be canted forward 8 degrees compared to the side longeron (after the bend at the spar bulkhead).
Back in the days of vacuum AI instruments, you had to specify the 8 deg offset.
 
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This was taken with the square on the backside of the panel. If you put the square on the longeron it's even a more pronounced angle.
 

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Thanks for the picture Paul!
One more question now that I understand the info you guys provided. When installing the F721 C&D angles that hold the bottom of the panel, did you mark them while the skin is on, and then actually install them with the skin off. Was thinking how hard it would be to get under there with the skin on.
Thanks
 
Thanks for the picture Paul!
One more question now that I understand the info you guys provided. When installing the F721 C&D angles that hold the bottom of the panel, did you mark them while the skin is on, and then actually install them with the skin off. Was thinking how hard it would be to get under there with the skin on.
Thanks

I installed after the side skin was on. I am not sure how one would do this with the side skin off, since so many things have to line up to make the position accurate. The rivets are accessible from the open front end. (Assemble panel with brackets; drill brackets, remove panel, rivet brackets; easy peasey)
 
I remember those.


When jigging it together, I think I never used more clamps in a smaller volume anywhere else on the plane.
 
I marked and drilled everything with the top skin on, then removed the skin. It wasn't removed for the sole purpose of putting these rivets in, I just wasn't ready to full install it yet. I couldn't figure out how to get a squeezer in there, so you have to buck most of these rivets, and you should have the space to do that with or without the skin in the way. It's a lot easier without it though. Also, the center rivet in the bracket is impossible to get the gun fully seated if you've already installed the nut plate. I would suggest drilling everything out and prepping everything, then install the brackets onto airplane, then install the nut plates onto the brackets. My 2 center rivets have smiley faces from a slightly offset rivet gun.
 
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