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RV-3 Panel Critique

dwaynebob

Member
Okay, I know I'm really asking for it, but I'll do it anyway. Here is a picture of my proposed panel, and although I am in love with it, I'm not married to it quite yet, so feel free to chime in. My mission is mostly Day VFR with quite a bit of formation flying. V6 radio (pictured is different control head) top center as it will be easy to change freq's during formation. Uavionix AV-30 as it controls my Tailbeaconx (already bought it so it's going in). MGL Vega singles, EMS-1 for oil press, temp, cht, volts, etc. TC-4 Vega for egt. The second ADI is actually a TruTrak ADI PIlot 2 but they didn't have the image on hangarzulu.com so I improvised. Mag whiskey compass. Ipad will be mounted on a ram mount so I can reposition as needed. Switches and cb's are being decided soon along with a couple of idiot lights (earthx overvoltage warning light, canopy open etc. Not pictured is my FF/quantity gauge, which may take the place of the mag compass. Not pictured is my Sentry gps with CO2 detector.

Lastly, the reason for the top layout is the current panel already has the cut-outs for those sized instruments so it makes the work easier and keeps the structure intact. I will be putting an overlay on the old panel as I don't want to tear out the old one...I have enought to do already.

Let the darts fly...as they say.
 

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I personally would want my EFIS display higher on the panel and all the round displays moved down, but it’s your panel so it’s your choice.
 
I personally would want my EFIS display higher on the panel and all the round displays moved down, but it’s your panel so it’s your choice.

The Ipad isn't a true efis, that is just the pic from the panel builder. That Ipad will be foreflight moving map....I don't see myself using the synthetic vision feature of foreflight very often as I will be using the AV-30 for flight info.

That being said, I might play around with it and see how it looks with the ipad mounted higher.
 
feedback

Here's some brief feedback, hope it may help:

I like the look of the round gauges, it suits the RV-3.

My main concern is the AV-30 readouts for airspeed and altitude may be too small for use as PFD, especially when the pilot needs to be able to quickly glance at airspeed e.g. on short final.

I fly with a 7 inch EFIS (Dynon D180) and the airspeed, altitude and VSI are "just" usable for my eyes. These EFIS's are generally great, but they pack a lot of information into a small space and can be difficult to read without staring.
 
Flight instruments

I have an AV-30 in my RV-4. The airspeed is very readable.

That sounds interesting, and I don't mean to hijack the OP's thread, but are you saying that you have only the AV-30 and no other flight instruments in the panel? I'm wondering if it is possible to easily and safely rely on just an AV-30 (or similar mini EFIS e.g. G5) during all phases of flight?

My own experience is that in critical and higher workload phases, e.g. base/final, go-around, it is important to be able to check airspeed at just a glance, which implies a bigger display, or a dedicated instrument.
 
I have the AV-30 plus steam gauges for airspeed and altitude. For some reason I use the AV-30 airspeed mostly on take-off and use the steam gauge airspeed while landing. I think I would be comfortable using only the AV-30.
 
Bought my ship, installed one G5...
Noticed I didn’t watch the standby ASI anymore...
Installed a 2nd G5, both with back/up battery...
Got rid of the standby instruments altogether...
Before mirroring the last action, be sure your local exp or homebuilt regs allow for this...

Cheap, redundant, works perfect. For me.
 
RV-3 Panel

I’ve owned an RV-3, an RV-4 and now fly an -8. Having a bunch of hours in bubble canopies I would caution you against an IPAD. I don't like them because they never seem to be bright enough to read in full sunlight and I have had several shut down in flight due to overheating, others have different experiences. In the -4 I had a Garmin Aera 660 that was always nice & bright and it was hard wired to a GDL-39 3D so always had full ADSB IN along with Adhars for the synthetic vision backup. The G5 with a backup battery was the primary display but also had round dial airspeed and altitude.

I had the same issue in the -4, I didn’t want to put in a new panel so I was able to shoehorn everything on the existing panel the way I wanted with a little creative thinking. In your configuration I would recommend you take a look at the new Garmin Aera 760. I also have a 660 in my -8 and love it, it’s very bright and a great backup to the main EFIS. The 760 is bigger than the 660 and about the size of Ipad Mini.

You can get a lot of stuff in a panel if you take your time and look for used equipment to save $$. As others have said, I would put the primary flight display top dead center as high as you can put it.

Old RV-4 panel:


Updated RV-4 Panel: Loved that plane

 
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About using it for formation... The radio should be closer to your throttle hand, as that's the one you'll want to use most to change it. Otherwise, you'll be forever switching hands to switch radio frequencies.

Even better, wire the flip-flop button to your stick. Set up the next frequency in the backup, and you don't have to move your hands to switch frequencies. Some radios let you use two buttons, one to cycle through memorized frequencies and another to flip-flop them into the active window. If you have that option, do it.
 
I'm assuming you haven't yet bought any instruments, since you said proposed.
So, Everything you have, except radio and TXP, is available in one EFIS package and uses a lot less space. For example, GRT offers a VFR EFIS package for a very good price. I'm sure Dynon does, too. I think it would be lighter in weight and it's made to be viewed in sunlight.
That would leave room for a standard radio stack. (Unless you just happen to like the look of round gauges, which a lot of folks do.)
Then you could bring your iPad as a back up.
That's what I did in my RV3B and it has worked out great, for me. It even has an auto pilot as part of the EFIS installation.
 

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About using it for formation... The radio should be closer to your throttle hand, as that's the one you'll want to use most to change it. Otherwise, you'll be forever switching hands to switch radio frequencies.

Even better, wire the flip-flop button to your stick. Set up the next frequency in the backup, and you don't have to move your hands to switch frequencies. Some radios let you use two buttons, one to cycle through memorized frequencies and another to flip-flop them into the active window. If you have that option, do it.

The flip flop is a great Idea, I'll have an infinity stick so I have the buttons for that. I have had radios by my throttle hand years past, but I want to see if it's better being top center. In the -3 everything is reachable with my left hand...very small cockpit.
 
I'm assuming you haven't yet bought any instruments, since you said proposed.
So, Everything you have, except radio and TXP, is available in one EFIS package and uses a lot less space. For example, GRT offers a VFR EFIS package for a very good price. I'm sure Dynon does, too. I think it would be lighter in weight and it's made to be viewed in sunlight.
That would leave room for a standard radio stack. (Unless you just happen to like the look of round gauges, which a lot of folks do.)
Then you could bring your iPad as a back up.
That's what I did in my RV3B and it has worked out great, for me. It even has an auto pilot as part of the EFIS installation.

I do like the GRT, but I have already bought the AV-30 (mostly for the ADSB capability) and the TruTrack AP. Plus, the round guages fit in the holes currently in the panel, so ease of construction was what I was going for. I have emergency procedures if everything goes black...I carry a Garmin 296 in my flight bag as a back-up navigator :)
 
I've always thought having anything you need to twiddle, turn, twist or tap should be on the left side so your non-stick (non-flying) hand can manipulate it without incurring sympathetic movement to your right arm or hand.

Esssssspecially if you fly a lot of formation...
 
I think you will be very happy with the AV-30. They work very well and are pleasant to look at. Make sure to add the OAT option.

My only change would be using an aera 760 in lieu of the iPad for readability, reliability and all-around awesomeness.

Jim
 
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