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Hi,
I spoke with Vans about it and they said that I can order the aircraft without the avionnic package and rewiring all the aircraft when my panel wil be finish. I would like to have your opinion about that. Did you think that it will end with a nightmare or it will be simple. I supose also that it should be cheaper to do it this way. This will be my first kit and I only have basic knowledge on avionic. The aircraft will be registered in Canada.

Thanks for your support
 
It wouldn't be any harder than doing steam gauges in any other experimental aircraft I'd imagine...

I doubt it would be cheaper, the Dynon kit is pretty inexpensive ($2200 for all your instruments? Try doing THAT with steam!). The rest of the equipment is basically about what you're going to want in a steam system.

The only way I would see to save money would be to do no GPS or something...
 
It is not a simple operation to install and wire avionics in an airplane. My suggestion, unless you have experienced help available to you, would be to purchase the avionics package from Vans and install with the directions supplied. You will save many many hours of work and rework to get everything working as necessary.
 
I built my steam panel for way under $2000.. bought the majority of everything right here second hand. I still need an attitude indicator but I have every other engine and flight instrument plus a nav, com, trasnponder and VOR/LOC/GS with DME. It can be done with patience. I chose this route because I prefer the look of round gauges and I could pay as I could afford each instrument.
 
Another item might be a problem - -

The electric anti-servo trim motor would take some time to figure out I'd say. Van's wants to have the motor run 'lock to lock' in 25 - 30 seconds. A straight 12 volts will run it in 12 seconds. You would have to have/make a controller that would run that motor that speed. If you get a chance to fly the RV-12, you will find at 125 MPH, the trim adjustments need to be tiny. Possible with some help from a supplier of such electronic equipment, but an item you would have to address I feel.

John Bender
 
I think it would be harder to install steam gauges than the avionics package, since you'd have to design the installation yourself. It would take longer, too.

But it should be possible if you'd prefer that. Your choice.

Dave
 
Like wing tanks and a taildragger landing gear....

Of course any of these would have added significantly to the cost and the delay before the RV-12 was offered.

Dave
 
TBPILOT raise a big problem with the trim controller did you know how I can handle this? I also prefer to have de trim on the stick. What do you think? Did you have some resources when you have to do all the wirring and the planning of you panel on other aircraft did you have some guideline in the manual?

Thanks again!
 
In my opinion, if you can only afford to install one glass instrument in your panel, it should be a GPS moving map. Since most people fly day VFR, the moving map is the biggest bang for your buck. You can cheap-out on the rest of the instruments (not that any of them are truly cheap), but you will find the GPS moving map to be very valuable if you do any long cross country flights...
 
I think on the low budget side, the instrument to install would be the
MGL Avionics Stratomaster Ultra HORIZON XL.
 
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