G

GuppyBob

Member
Hello to all! I really like the idea of modifying the side consoles and moving the throttle inboard and aft. Got lots of pictures showing the impressive final results....I'm looking for photos or help in how you mounted the throttle quad structurally, and how you ran the control cables from the quadrant? New holes in the gear towers? etc. ANY help or photos would be greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks,
Bob
 
Moving the throttle

Bob, in a word....DON'T. I did this for a friend on a pre-owned 8. It was a lot of work, and I found no advantage in doing it over the stock setup. The Doll is stock except for a specially designed DJM throttle quad that Dayton Murdock made just for me. I'm 5' 11" with average length arms and legs. When sitting in my friend's 8, I find the throttle to be uncomfortably close. I'm sure I could get use to his set-up.... but why? If it's the looks of the side consoles that turn you on, well.....go for it! I really think it is hard to improve on Van's design.
 
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Thanks for the reply

Danny,
I guess its like everything on these planes...a personal choice. Based on your response, I sat in the plane and fabricated an interim bracket to check the geometry of the new throttle location...looks great...but I found that the stock location fit my arm and wrist better through the full travel of the throttle. I'm "cleaning up" the quadrant a little so its more to my liking, but the throttle will stay in its stock location. If its good enough for "The Doll", its certainly more than good enough for me! Thankyou for your response and words of advice! By the way, do you have any photos of your custom throttle???

Blue Skies,
Bob
 
I prototyped that setup myself because I also thought the sloped side-panels would look really cool. Here's what I found:

1. Unless you are a much smaller person than me (6'0", 220 lbs.), moving the throttles inboard and aft as you suggested will result in your left leg resting against the mixture lever inflight.
2. The throttle position ends up feeling way too far aft, IMHO, especially at low power settings. At idle, my arm was squished backward at an uncomfortable angle.
3. Rear seat passengers with big feet might conflict with the throttle quadrant, too. Depends on how you do it.

The tradeoffs were not worth for me, but they might for you. Sorry I can't help with specifics of the throttle repositioning. For me, the RV-8 is just not quite "bubba-sized" enough to have side consoles. Perhaps the RV-13, or whatever, will be wide enough... ;)

(What I did do is make a sloped console for the right side only. On the left, I fabricated a mini-sized sloped panel for the flap switch only. It sits just forward of the throttle/prop/mixture levers.)

Below is a photo of the right console as I was installing it a year ago. I extended it aft only far enough that it doesn't interfere with the back-seater's feet, and also leaves room for chart pouches, etc on the sidewall behind it. As far as the structure, it's basically a strong little box made of scrap pieces of angle, covered with 0.032 aluminum. It's attached to the bottom edge of the instrument panel with four nutplates/screws, and to the vertical channel cap with four more screws and nutplates. The right (outboard) edge of the console is braced underneath with angles, but it's free-floating along the fuselage -- no attach point to the skin. It holds eight or nine toggle switches and two circuit breakers, and is plenty strong for anything you'd want to mount on it:

Console-Right-16.jpg


Below is the "mini-console" on the left side. (The flap switch is not installed yet in this photo). It's made of scrap 0.032" and is attached to the top of the throttle quadrant with three screws and nutplates:

FlapSwitch-console-03.jpg


I'll post further detailed photos if anyone wants. Hope this helps. Have fun!
 
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Looks great!

Thanks for the response and pictures...I really like what you did with the right side console! I agree about the throttle feeling too far aft and inboard to be comfortable....One question...when the instrument panel is installed can you easily reach the flap switch on the small console that's ahead of the throttle quadrant?....looks like a GREAT idea!
Thanks for the post,
Bob
 
GuppyBob said:
One question...when the instrument panel is installed can you easily reach the flap switch on the small console that's ahead of the throttle quadrant?
Click to expand...

Bob,

Yep, the switch is just a very short reach ahead of the throttle. After a takeoff/go-around, for example, you can just reach out with your fingertips and flip the switch up.

Here's the cardboard mockup I made:

FlapSwitch-console-01.jpg
 
jferraro16 said:
Can you post more picks, please?
Click to expand...

Sure! Here's how I did it:

First, lay out the general shape of the console using cardboard:

Console-Right-02.jpg


I neglected to take a picture of an intermediate step, where I made a second template out of stiffer, thinner card stock. It worked better. Take some time to really perfect the shape and fit of this template. Then transfer this final design to aluminum sheet. Cut the pieces out. Bend and trim them to fit. Drill and cleco on whatever attach/stiffening angles you need underneath. (Here's the inside view. I later added stiffeners along each edge of the console):

Console-Right-19.jpg


Also, I later trimmed some of these angles to make more room for a couple of the switches.

For the aft attach angles (on the vertical channel cap), I taped the angles down tightly, then un-clecoed the console from them, leaving the attach angles behind to be drilled:

Console-Right-22.jpg


Here's a look at the components of the right console:

Console-Right-27.jpg


...and here it is, all clecoed and ready for final assembly:

Console-Right-30.jpg


The whole thing is attached with screws and nutplates, so it's removable in case I need to replace a switch, access wiring, or whatever...

Hope this helps.
 
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Thanks!

I have been struggling with the decision to move my throttle too, but I'm going stock based on this thread. Sounds like the hassle isn't worth it.

Buck,
Thanks for the great ideas and the detailed photos, that is awesome!!
 
Doll's DJM Throttle Quad

Bob,
I didn't like the way Van had the prop and mixture handles bent over 90 degrees on the deluxe quad. On long flights I rest my legs many different ways. Sometimes I cross them in-front of the stick sorta "Indian style". This posture naturally caused your knees to splay out. My left knee will hit the side of the throttle quad.

With the mixture lever bent over 90 degrees I would hit the lever with my knee. Therefore, I had Dayton Murdock bend my levers to the inside by just 45 degrees and make them short to fit under the throttle handle. It is natural to let your fingers drop down from the throttle lever to adjust the prop and mixture, and my left knee can rest on the side of the throttle quad without touching the levers. Other buiiders have contacted Dayton and just requested the "Doll's" throttle quad. Dayton know what that means! You will see other RV-8s out there with the same quad.

http://img525.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0695jg3.jpg
 
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Danny,
Thanks for the pic! I totally agree...I like the idea of having the levers "outta the way" for legroom etc. I really like the way you built the angled console for the fuel level gauges!....Super, another "nice to do" on my increasingly long list!
Thanks,
Bob
 
Another vote>>>>>

I have the Doll Quadrant with an Infiniti grip on the stick.

Once you get familiar with everything it is REALLY cool to not have to remove your hand from the throttle to deal with the fuel pump, flaps, or for that matter trim and autopilot.

I have about 50 hours on the plane now myself and would not change this part at all.
 
Fuel gauge panel

Bob,

I always liked the way the Grumman Tiger's fuel valve and gauges were presented. On the Tiger, the valve handle points to the fuel gauge of the tank in use. Many aircraft crashes each year are caused by fuel miss-management. John Denver's tragic loss in the crash of his newly purchased Long-Eze was a good example. Gravity systems like high-winged Cessna's are simple, but if the pilot must manage the fuel burn, then the fuel panel and valve should be presented in a way that is intuitive to any pilot that fly's the aircraft. That was the goal I set when building the Doll.

Like the Tiger, I put the Doll's fuel gauges in a place where the fuel selector handle would point at the gauge the fuel was feeding from. I ground off the little pointer on the handle, and plumbed the valve so that the entire handle was pointing at the left gauge when feeding from the left tank, and at the right gauge when feeding from the right tank. Any pilot can sit in the Doll and intuitively know what is going on with the fuel burn. I truly believe that John Denver would not have died that day if the builder of that EZE had done the same.

I have flown other RV's when I was not really sure how the handle worked so I left it alone for the short flight. Looking back, I should have known how it worked before I took off, but the builder could have made it simple. I wish that all RV fuel systems were standardized....but the are not!

I replaced the flat aluminum fuel value panel with the one in the picture. I made a template from a file folder, and then made it out of .32 aluminum. There you go...another thing to do!
 
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BuckWynd said:
Bob,

Yep, the switch is just a very short reach ahead of the throttle. After a takeoff/go-around, for example, you can just reach out with your fingertips and flip the switch up.

Here's the cardboard mockup I made:

FlapSwitch-console-01.jpg
Click to expand...


Where did you get that flap switch?

Steve
7A
 
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