I

IrishRV8Builder

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Hi All,
A friend of mine is building an RV-7A and has no idea as to how to wire up this planes electrical system from start to finish. He has bought a Dynon D100 and D120 EFIS and has come to me looking for inspiration. I have an electrical background in aircraft electrics but as far as designing a complete light aircrafts electrical system from a blank piece of paper is i big ask if i have nothing to start with.

Is there anyone willing to pass on a complete set of wiring diagrams for the dynon kit and complete aircraft electrical wiring drawings so we can get this project back on track.

I dont know whether Vans supply complete aircraft wiring diagrams for all the electrics or not, I havent seen any of the paper work that he has got with the kit yet.

All replies appreciated
 
Don't have a complete aircraft wiring diagram, but something I found very useful was a wiring matrix. Creating this was a matter of diligently reading the documentation from each manufacturer and, when clarity was not available, ask for help on appropriate forums. Note a lot of notes to myself to help me remember why each wire was important.

AeroElectric Connection also has some simple diagrams for common systems.

Hope that helps.
 
IrishRV8Builder said:
Hi All,
A friend of mine is building an RV-7A and has no idea as to how to wire up this planes electrical system from start to finish. He has bought a Dynon D100 and D120 EFIS and has come to me looking for inspiration. I have an electrical background in aircraft electrics but as far as designing a complete light aircrafts electrical system from a blank piece of paper is i big ask if i have nothing to start with.

Is there anyone willing to pass on a complete set of wiring diagrams for the dynon kit and complete aircraft electrical wiring drawings so we can get this project back on track.

I dont know whether Vans supply complete aircraft wiring diagrams for all the electrics or not, I havent seen any of the paper work that he has got with the kit yet.

All replies appreciated
Click to expand...
Van's provides a basic VFR (but very useable one) with their plans, or you can select from the many provided in Bob Nuckoll's "Aeroelectric Connection" book which run the gamut from pretty simple to very complex. Hope this helps.
 
Van does indeed have wiring diagrams, but...

if you deviate from what he has shown, then the wiring kit(s) may not be applicable to what you are doing.

As stated earlier, THE BOOK from AeroElectric Connections is a great way to get started. I think you stated that you had an electrical background...you should find the book an easy read. What you will learn is the whys and tradeoffs for the way that aircraft are wired and controlled. If you or your friend do not want to undertake the instrument panel planning, construction, or wiring, there are several companies that are listed on this web site that can help, but it isn't hard.

The wiring of the aircraft airframe electrical system is fairly straight forward (read the book!), but can range from simple to complex...depending on how many bells and whistles are added.
 
schematics included

A number of people have developed schematics using ExpressPCB and have the schematics on the respective web sites/blogs. I have my ExpressPCB schematics that are reasonably current (still making a few changes as a result of the test phase operational experience) that I can email if you want, my setup used the D100, D120, HS34, ADI II, SL-30, GTX-327, 496 and PS 3000. I know Vern Little has schematics on his site as does Matt Burch.
Each system is tailored to individual preferences as usual.
 
If you are using TurboCAD...

...I have a basic set that includes a Dynon D180 (same connectors as the separate Dynons) and the Z-11 basic aircaft system of Bob N. (AeroElectric) mentioned above.

It also includes a full set of symbols - but is really only intended for TurboCAD users. I found that the original AeroElectric stuff did not translate well to TurboCAD so I made my own symbols.
 
A basic approach

I did mine manually using pencil, paper. "Form follows function" is a good way to think about the task. Van's provides a basic schematic for the aircraft electrical system. If you draw a copy of that up on one sheet you will be half way done and you will have aircraft power to a bus from which to draw power for all of the unique systems on your particular aircraft. I went to sheet two using off page connector symbols for the aircraft power connections to keep the basic electrical system and the avionics visually separated. For the avionics I just drew rectangles representing the connectors and entered all of the pin numbers (or letters) in assending order and all of the pin function names (pin outs) on one side of the connectors. to get the pin function names you will have to go to the manuals from the equipment manufacturers and look at the connector pin outs. If you are using different manufacturers equipment you will have to figure out differences in terminology for the same signal, etc. Then the task is to supply the power to the right pins and interconnect the signal wires and connect coaxes to antennas. You will also have to make some decisions based on the physical configuration that you want in your airplane. The wire gauge and shielding needs will have to be determined based on wire length, current, voltage and signal type. Circuit breakers and/or fuses will have to be provided for wiring protection and switches and other electrical components will have to be included to provide the controls you want, like Avionics Master, Nav Lights and cockpit light dimmer. I think that if you sit down and approach the task this way it will force you to think about your system design and this interactive thinking will improve both the electrical design and the system design. It is a very good thing to do for the airplane and you and your friend because every wire and component is in the airplane for a well understood purpose and the schematic/wiring diagram will allow you to trouble shoot problems and modify the system as later modifications are required to satisfy the changing need.

I drew up a wiring diagram for a friend who built a Pulsar using the drawing functions available in Microsoft Word or Excel so you don't need a custom CAD package to do the job if you desire to use a computer. Drawing the diagram is fairly straight forward once you define the system configuration and requirements.

Bob Axsom
 
True on the custom...

Bob Axsom said:
I drew up a wiring diagram for a friend who built a Pulsar using the drawing functions available in Microsoft Word or Excel so you don't need a custom CAD package to do the job if you desire to use a computer. Drawing the diagram is fairly straight forward once you define the system configuration and requirements.

Bob Axsom
Click to expand...

..CAD package requirement, but if you can handle computers, a cheap package like TurboCAD - one or two versions old - only costs $20 or so, and will do a much better job....:)

I'm not talking about a full-up AutoCAD package here for many 100's of $$$....:)

With my symbols, half the work is already done...
 
Take a look at Vertical Power. It's a lot simpler to wire than old-fashion wiring and you get a lot of advanced electrical system features that would otherwise add up to very complex and difficult wiring.

We have a lot of customers who are new to wiring, and we really emphasize planning up-front and have documents to help with the planning. We are here to help review your work and provide help along the way. :)
 
MCA said:
Take a look at Vertical Power. It's a lot simpler to wire than old-fashion wiring and you get a lot of advanced electrical system features that would otherwise add up to very complex and difficult wiring.

We have a lot of customers who are new to wiring, and we really emphasize planning up-front and have documents to help with the planning. We are here to help review your work and provide help along the way. :)
Click to expand...

FYI, I noticed an error on a few (not all) of your wiring diagrams. Some of the solenoids depicted show the power lead to the internal coil off of the wrong post of the contactor. In fact, if it worked that way, you would never be able to power the coil of the contactor. It is just a minor drawing issue, but thought you would want to know. The ones I noticed are dual battery and dual Lightspeed.
 
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Aircraft wiring diagrams

I have complete aircraft system diagrams for 2 RV-10 aircraft that I have built. These systems are similar but not exactly what you need for your aircraft. I can design your entire electrical system with an equipment list specific to your aircraft for a reasonable price. My rate is $35.00/hr. The custom drawings will include the supplied systems by Van's for free. All diagrams are in word format for future modifications and revisions or changes. Email me and check out my web page at myrvaircraft.com
 
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