sonny junell

sonny junell

Well Known Member
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
 
Last edited:
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.
 
Last edited:
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...
 
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
 
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).
 
KISS

Mike S said:
Paper cutouts, easy to move/change.
Besides, CAD is way too confusing for me.
Click to expand...

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.

2lubceb.jpg


2v1b3tf.jpg
 
Panel planning.

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
 
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
 
Plexiglas is good for...

tinman said:
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...
Click to expand...

...checking the clearance on tip-up canopies.

Here is my mock-up, made with cheaper acrylic from Home Depot.

glass-panel.jpg
 
The Old-Fashioned Way Works!

Mine was a retrofit installation on a previously-built aircraft. I had cut a sheet of cardboard to the proper size for the panel, then pasted full-size outlines of the equipment onto that cardboard. My wife's a patient gal because she let this cardboard mockup sit above our living room sofa for a couple of months and was very patient as I re-arranged things a few times.

Just about the time I thought my layout was finalized a pilot friend came over for a visit. Luckily for me I gave him the best seat in the house, the big leather chair opposite the sofa. As we chatted he was looking at the mockup and eventually built up the courage to suggest a change. After he made his suggestion of a new layout it was obvious that his idea was far more functional than mine and the little stick-ons got rearranged immediately. Other than minor tweaks to some switch positions, this became the as-built layout. Man, am I ever glad that he spoke up because after flying behind this panel for a couple of years there's nothing I'd change if I had to cut a new one today.

As far as the nitty-gritty of how the panel was cut, I applied masking tape to the entire panel, then laid it out the old fashioned way with a sharp pen, ruler, square, protractor and vernier calipers. Then I carted it to our EAA chapter and used our mill to cut everything out. Instrument holes were cut with bi-metal hole saws turning slowly in the mill and lubed with Jet-A. The end result is very nice indeed, as good as most of the factory-made panels I often work on in certified airplanes.
 
You know Gil, I'm looking at your acrylic mock-up, and I'm thinking that the idea of a clear panel is sort of intriguing.....
 
My cheap...

TeaSea said:
You know Gil, I'm looking at your acrylic mock-up, and I'm thinking that the idea of a clear panel is sort of intriguing.....
Click to expand...

....circle cutter worked on the acrylic quite well. Since it is somewhat softer than true Plexiglas, it might actually be better for this application.

Once the holes are laid out, the fabrication was quite easy.
 
Super KISS

I bought Vans precut panel as seen on their demonstrator. Almost all holes already filled, radio and tx left. Talking to Stein now.
 
Autocad

Draw it with autocad, send it to the cutter. I have done about five now for different people and there's just no easier way to do it. Just need to be attentive, you can make things really fit tight, but functional, right down to the mounting holes.
 
At about $950...

CNEJR said:
Draw it with autocad, send it to the cutter. I have done about five now for different people and there's just no easier way to do it. Just need to be attentive, you can make things really fit tight, but functional, right down to the mounting holes.
Click to expand...

...for the "Lite" version, it's a bit much for home use...:)
 
Turbocad

Turbocad is only $130 for the regular version or $40 for the 2D-only version. Works great for panel planning.
 
$50, $150 ....

Why buy when you can get yourself a free professional 2D cad software. Siemens offers their Solid Edge Cad software for free. Their intent is that as you familiarize yourself with the 2D product, you will be hooked when you decide to upgrade to 3D (that one is not free).

I used Solid Edge for my panel design, and sent the info to the water jet guy. Came out real nice.

Save your bucks for fuel.

Here's the link:
http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/products/velocity/solidedge/free2d/new_user.shtml
 
You must log in or register to reply here.