leeschaumberg

Well Known Member
When the bucking and thinking is started you have to install a panel that can tell you what you want to know. Use a panel planner to lay out your panel. This is not an article of what is recomended but one that helps you think of the many needed things. So with that in mind here goes.
*Glass Cockpit - This sounds strange or new because it is. Steam gauges have been around since moby was a minnow. With only 2 3.5 inch gauges you can see all flight and engine things. Yes all things! The second or engine gauge can double as the back up to the flight gauge. A manufacture that does this is Dynon. Just look at thier website.
*Vacum gauges are part of the past (steam gauges) so you don't need a vacumn pump.
*GPS with autopilot. Now GPS is around thier is no other guidance system that is this capable any where. You can forget ILS , VOR , ADF , DME , and etc. Precision is important so check how close you can read. Because GPS works any where you can have your very own approach. Just don't tell people. An autopilot is nessecary to fly from point A to B unless you are so prompt and capable that you can't stand it. Again a manufacture that comes to mind is TruTrack. Many GPS manufactures exist along with the portable units that can output to the autopilot signal and be used in the car.
*A 720 channel communication radio. There are many out there.
*A backup to your nav and com equipment. Things do happen and a portable radio would be nice when your out and about or at an airshow. Look at the Icom IC-A24.
*A transponder that replies with the required codes with altitude reporting.
*An electric trim. A nice button on the stick that moves the trim tab up and down so control pressure remains light.
*The ELT Some way to tell other folks where you are if you crash.
*Electric switch and breaker panel. This way you can turn things on and off , and not fry your wires.
*Annunciator light panel showing every thing that is turned on.
*Glove and map box.
*Throttle , prop , mixture control. A good multi lever control works nice.
*Intercom - This way you can talk to all the folks in your plane while you are flying.
*Music radio - When you're sitting there flying and looking at the moon you can listen to your favorite tunes. CD , or a satellite radio is what you need.
*You may need two steam gauges so you don't have to start praying when things go wrong. An altimeter and a magnetic compass. This way when every thing goes dark you know were you are. Installation of either does not require special things.
*If you want to make things easier stick with 3.5 or 2.25 panel mount gauges.
*With Van's around to help you can get all these things from them if you want to.
* It's easy to put a zillion dollars in your panel and almost nothing in your plane. A comon mistake.
Lee
 
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You've only scratched the surface. Other things to think about:

Carbon monoxide sensor
Glove box
Throttle/mixture/prop control mount
Annunciators/warning lights
Autopilot
Transponder
AOA

It seems like everybody enjoys designing their panel, but I've found it to be an overwhelming exercise in sensory overload and budget busting!! :eek:

Dave
 
I've taken a moderate amount of both

As you say, you don't want to have to rely on prayer until as late in the failure sequence as possible. Came close a couple of times - hanging on to the last rational information I had for situational awareness - it wasn't pretty. I know it is not possible to convince anyone otherwise because the new radionav/electronic media are just too good and easy. Even I the dinosauruspilotus want to just surrender to the siren call and rationalize that with enough backup batteries and alternators I can push the "Our Father ..." threshhold out to an acceptably remote probability. Sorry, I'm not there yet. Of course my position is influenced by the fact that I have already agonized through the design, implementation, test and operational phases of development with my little simple IFR/night instrument panel. The one thing I have found that I need is an autopilot for IFR flight in my RV-6A - even in blazing daylight. When I designed my panel I decided that the airplane I flew for the past 20+ years had an auto pilot but I never used it except occassionally to assure myself that it still worked so I wouldn't need one in the RV-6A. WRONG!!! This is based on current IFR operational experience in my RV-6A. There are times I have to get out approach charts and study approach or arrival procedures and my "sweet little pussy cat in VFR operations" airplane becomes a sleek panther that can be off altitude, heading and attitude quicker than I can find the ATIS frequency. For what it's worth, I would agree with the "modern" recommendation to include one in your panel planning. They are so cheap and good and essential for stable IFR operations that it would be a mistake not to. I have already bought mine from TruTrak and should find time to install it in the next few weeks.

Bob Axsom
N710BJ
 
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Two questions....

Bob, you mention a 'panel planner' is that a software / program, or are you talking about mocking it up with cardboard?

Regarding the autopilot for IFR... what about the RV10? Can anyone speak to IFR in an RV10 and whether or not it's feasible without the autopilot?
 
Panel Planner Software

GOT2FLY
Use your search engine and get a good panel planner. I use www.msn.com to find almost every thing including stuff I don't want. The address of the planner is www.epanelbuilder.com. It even has the proper size of the panel (RV8) or whatever you have. The best part of this planner is the cost. (000000000000000.00)
An auto pilot is always good unless you never look at a map or noise. With an altitude maintaining auto pilot you will even stay at the proper altitude.
Lee

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Knowledge is Power - Power saves you and your plane
 
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