[WingsOnWheels]

Lately I have been thinking ahead to my panel layout and how cramped the left side is going to be. It appears that the most common method for mounting the eyeball vents is at the corners under the panel.

Being a big guy 6'4" (and long in the leg) I am concerned with my knee hitting the edge of the vent braket. I have looked at moving the vents up into the panel, but then I run into space issues to fit an EFIS and backup AS and Alt. The eyeball vents simply take up a lot of realestate. The round shape does not fit well in the mostly rectangular puzzle of the panel.

I have been looking on-line at some automotive style rectangular vents. These vents are available in a wide variety of sizes and configuations. A vent like the example pictured below could be mounted in the panel, under the panel, or in the corner below the panel. The rectangular shape does not protrude out as far into the 'knee space' as an eyeball vent.

Unfortunately, I have only been able to find vents made of plastic, but there has to be something out there made of metal. The vents I have seen are made to fit a 2" duct squished into an ellipse

Has anyone used or seen rectangular vents in an RV?

 

[rleffler]

This is for the RV-10 rear vents, but it sounds like it may do want you want. Go to aerosportproducts.com for more details.

 

[RVbySDI]

Just a note on the leg room. The rectangular vents may create more leg room but I do think it will be a marginal improvement at best. I am 6'1" so not quite as long legged as you are but I have absolutely no issues with that far left corner space where the vent goes. My left leg never comes close to bumping it.

However, I do have an area that is really driving me crazy. That is the fuel selector valve plate. I have the standard plate supplied with the kit. I simply painted it to match the interior color but I am going to have to do something about padding the edges of this plate. No matter where I set my right leg, my leg rides against the edge of that plate. It is KILLING me!

I hope you do not have plans to put a center console in your plane. For the long legged crowd, that is a huge mistake as there is no where to put your legs, if you have a center console, except directly in front of you with your feet on/near the rudder pedals. Trust me, you are going to need to be able to move your legs around. Any console, even as small as the fuel selector valve setup that is standard with the kit will be restrictive.

This is true if you have an auto pilot. Once you engage the auto pilot you do not want to be kicking around the rudder pedals with your feet. To keep your feet off of the pedals you will need to be able to move your legs around somewhere else. There is no room for legs and a console in this situation.

Just food for thought in your planning.

 

[WingsOnWheels]

Steve,

I'm with you on the center console, I have no intention of installing one. I am also concerned about the fuel valve arrangement. I have been thinking of ways to lower the valve closer to the floor so my knee doesn't rub or to pad it like you mentioned. As far as the vents go, I will just have to wait until I do the first fitting of my panel and see if there is interference.

 

[cnpeters]

Recall you will want the vent to completely seal like good eyeball vents. Most auto vents don't seal well, and depend in an internal flapper door or similar controlled by your vent setting knob (floor, defrost, vent, mix etc). I have seen many reports of the smaller eyeball vents (1 1/4 inch) working very well compared to the larger ones. Won't find a car vent much smaller in vertical dimension.

 

[elippse]

I use the large, round, plastic eyeball vents from ACS. I have them mounted on the bottom of the instrument panel where they are centered between the legs on each side. I have a single 1" diameter hole at the bottom of the windshield for the cabin air. It feeds a diverging fiberglass duct that inturn feeds a 105CFM blower, which then feeds the two eyeball vents through a fiberglass duct. Even blowing hot air on a hot day, like this past Saturday's 104F at Flabob still feels good.