How are you Designing your panel?

sonny junell · #1 05-13-2009, 01:48 AM

I am about 5 months from ordering my panel but would like to start planning now, for wire runs and so forth.

I looked at Epanel's demo version fairly nice I give it 3 stars, but they gouge you on the DXF conversion and it was limited on revisions bringing them to boarder line crooks

Panel Planner J, by one mile up, was better looking, and allowed for DXF conversion which was nice. But was a little dated in there instrumentation. 3 1/4 stars.

These are the only ones i have seen that showed any viability.

I am just wondering what other people are using. Thanks

N941WR · #2 05-13-2009, 04:15 AM

I just took the panel blank and taped four color pictures of the instruments and radios I wanted on it. For switches & breakers, I used a sharpie to draw them on and to get the spacing just right.

Then the mockup was placed in front of my weight machine where I would stare at it every morning during my workout. I kept moving things around until it sat there w/o a change for one month. Then I knew I was ready to start cutting.

As for the wire runs, I put plate nuts on the bottom of the ribs and on the bottom of the sub-panel. This allowed me to install adel clamps to hold the wires in place.

PS. There is nothing like a full size mockup to make sure there is room between the switches, carb heat, etc. to fit your hand. This forced me to move the fuel pump switch a 1/2" and the flap switch an inch.

tinman · #3 05-13-2009, 04:30 AM

I made my first trial panel out of plexiglass so that I could easily see behind the panel once the instruments were "installed" in order to check for potential interference. The plexi panel saved a bunch of extra work once the real panel was cut...

mburch · #4 05-13-2009, 05:17 AM

I drew everything in DeltaCad and took it to a local CNC house for cutting. I got kind of reamed on the price for cutting, so in retrospect I should have used one of the several places that specializes in cutting aircraft panels (or used the machine at work, doh!). But I'm very happy with DeltaCad... you have to create all your object models yourself, of course, but you can't beat the price.

mcb

Crossbow · #5 05-13-2009, 07:02 AM

While I am still a good way from doing panel work, however I have been thinking of it on and off for the last several months.

Therefore, I have been using the CADD software called ?MicroStation? since I use it at work and I am rather familiar with it.

RV-8 Building,
Empennage done, and
Wings in progress (currently working on the Ailerons).

Mike S · #6 05-13-2009, 09:27 AM

Paper cutouts, easy to move/change.

Besides, CAD is way too confusing for me.

Rick6a · #7 05-13-2009, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike S

Paper cutouts, easy to move/change.
Besides, CAD is way too confusing for me.

Same deal here. I used a lot of full scale paper mockups taped and retaped on the panel blank until I settled upon a suitable configuration for my needs. CAD? We don neeed no stinkin CAD. Also a General Flywheel cutter fitted to the drill press works perfectly for generating circular holes and a fiber cutoff disk fitted to the die grinder to generate the retangular holes works equally well.

Veetail88 · #8 05-13-2009, 10:31 AM

I tried the online panel planner but as I've worked with AutoCad for the past 20 years, I flat didn't like the interface. I was drawn to the instrument/radios/parts library they offer but it just wasn't working out for me.

So, I just build my own parts entities in AutoCad (blocks) and pase raster images to them that I've downloaded from web advertisements.

Then I create a raster image of "the current thinking", docter it up a bit with a photoshop type program and then paste it on my desktop for a week or so to think about it. I've even plotted the full scale version and taped it to my instrument panel plank so I can sit in the plane with it and think through it.

My larger problem is figuring out just what I want to do with it! What I "want" and what I "need" or what I'll actually "use" I fear are greatly different things!

A guy can pretty eaisly stick $30k into an -8's panel, but I could still do a pretty nice panel for $15k and all that extra money would surely pay for a LOT of hotel rooms when I get stuck away from home. But then there's alway that emotional "WANT" issue. Anyway, subject for a different thread.

Here's an example of my process result.

By veetail88

William Slaughter · #9 05-13-2009, 11:33 AM

ePanel Builder to see if I like how things look, then to the CAD program to see if it will really fit.

Ironflight · #10 05-13-2009, 11:39 AM

I started playing around with the on line panel builder to get some ideas, but then went the "paper-on-panel" route when it came time to get serious. Did the same thing with Louise's new panel. I am old-fashioned enough to still have my drafting tools from school, so layout is easy, and cutting the panel takes a couple hours. For me, at least, the thought of getting the computer file perfect enough to have a machine cut the panel without any "oops, I need another quarter inch!" moments is too spooky!

Paul