Finalizing Panel: All thoughts welcome

[BobTurner]

Looks like you are planning some type of electronic ignition? In standard Lycoming set up you start on left mag, I see right is marked 'start'. Is there a starter button somewhere?
Never mind, I get it. Right is off for start. I guess starter button is just right of mag switch, not labeled.

[MrMoisture]

Andrew,
Congratulations on getting to this point.
Not sure why you are going with individual back up instruments vs. something like a Gemini EFIS. They are under $1,300 and you have a full six pack in a single EFIS that can be powered by a small dedicated back up battery pack for hours on end w/o ships power. I have on in my 8A to back up my dual G3X and love it. (lower right)

I see you have worked hard on symmetry but it seems to me that your farthest left switch hole should not extend further left than the left edge of your PFD. It just looks wrong to me.
Since I have decided to spend your hard earned cash I would suggest you look hard at the possibility of swapping out the GTN650 for a GTN750 and then remote mounting the transponder. I know, I know it's more expensive for sure but that is a single pain vs. years of large screen joy, functionality and added resale. I have played with both for hours and really prefer the large screen GTN750.
I echo other comments on 3rd party panels. Aerosport panels are a really nice upgrade but that is your call.
One last comment. A Whisky Compass really? UGH, I hate having anything obstruct the windscreen view. Especially something you are never likely to need. If for some reason you feel you NEED a mechanical compass to back up your 3 other compasses then I suggest a panel mounted compass to keep your windscreen view clear.

[cubdriver]

You may want to think about installing idiot lights that will indicate when your doors are not fully latched. I was in an RV10 where the door departed on takeoff due to not being fully latched in the back. We had a safe landing and now sensors and idiot lights are now present in the panel on that airplane. A mi or but very important mod to your design. You also may want to cut in a glove box since you have the room. Looks great!

[Strasnuts]

Like Cubdriver states idiot lights for the doors are a must. My G3X and I'm sure your AFS will allow a discrete in for CAS messages. Mine is a big red annunciator that comes up on the G3X anytime either a fore or aft pin is not fully engaged. Really easy to wire. Just run one ground wire to Van's prox switches on each side. Closed ground creates the CAS message. I also did this on my remote CO gaurdian. Mine reads "LEFT DOOR OPEN" and "RIGHT DOOR OPEN" and "CO ALERT". You can also create an alert with the message. Makes a clean panel.

[rleffler]

Originally Posted by Strasnuts

Like Cubdriver states idiot lights for the doors are a must. My G3X and I'm sure your AFS will allow a discrete in for CAS messages. Mine is a big red annunciator that comes up on the G3X anytime either a fore or aft pin is not fully engaged. Really easy to wire. Just run one ground wire to Van's prox switches on each side. Closed ground creates the CAS message. I also did this on my remote CO gaurdian. Mine reads "LEFT DOOR OPEN" and "RIGHT DOOR OPEN" and "CO ALERT". You can also create an alert with the message. Makes a clean panel.

Sean,

You are being too modest. What is needed more than the idiot light, is your safety latch. Then the idiot light shouldn't ever come on (although I still have them installed)

bob

[pkill]

Check out what these guys did with their switches…. Mounted them on a standoff channel so that only the toggle showed on the panel… might solve your label problem ??

http://www.4sierratango.com/panel1.htm

pk

[Metal Man]

Who is doing the actual CNC machining? We do custom aircraft panels, if it's not too late give us a call

[Captain Avgas]

Hi Andrew, I was going to engrave the labels on my panel but in the end I decided to have labels printed onto self adhesive vinyl for greater labelling flexibility....and I'm very glad I did. Engraving is really classy...no doubt about it.....but it absolutely locks you in....and you are virtually certain to want to make changes or additions to the labelling as the actual wiring of the avionics takes place.

I'll give you a few examples of changes I made after the panel was all labelled (none of which I expected). I decided during the actual wiring to make the panel removable so that meant relocating the alternate air vent (change of labelling position). I then decided to put the co-pilot's press-to-talk button on the panel so that it was easier to remove the co-pilot's joystick (new label). After that I decided that I wanted to instal a control wheel steering CWS button on the panel for my autopilot (new label). And so it went. Many unforseen changes.

The problem with doing the panel labelling in advance is that quite often you just don't know what you don't know. If that is the case then it might be better to have a labelling system with some flexibility in it.

Just a comment for your consideration.

[BGS]

Sorry to hijack this but maybe get some input since it is on the same subject. I am having trouble finding a solution.

I have the Aerosport Symetrical Panel and inserts. They are all cut and drilled for everything, but now need to find somebody that can get them painted or powder coated and engraved with lettering. Do not want to use any stickers of any kind. I am having trouble finding someone that I can have these sent to and get it completed without first trying to learn a software program.

Anybody have any ideas on a solution.

Thanks
Brian

[roee]

Originally Posted by Captain Avgas

... Engraving is really classy...no doubt about it.....but it absolutely locks you in....and you are virtually certain to want to make changes or additions to the labelling as the actual wiring of the avionics takes place. ...

Captain Avgas has a good point about how engraving the entire panel locks you in, so making changes later on becomes very painful. It's a trade-off. But I believe that I've found a happy medium, giving me the best of both worlds. On my panel, rather than have the actual panel engraved, I made five different overlay panels that are individually engraved. If a revision is needed to one of the overlay panels, an individual overlay panel can be swapped out relatively easily and inexpensively, without redoing the entire panel.



Sorry for the crappy image quality. If you want to see greater detail, here's my CAD drawing:

http://www.kalinskyconsulting.com/rv...l%20layout.pdf

P.S. My avionics, not installed in this photo, are: AF-5600 EFIS, above it an annunciator panel of my own design, then from left to right a Gemini PFD, TruTrak/AFS autopilot, Trig TT22 transponder, and below those is a GTN-650.

P.P.S. I used Front Panel Express to fabricate my overlay panels, but I used a different tool to design them, not their freebie tool.