philosophically speaking
You know stuff happens and you might have a bad day no matter how you wire your plane. IMC with an electical fire........ or what ever "Snakes On a Plane" scenario you want to paint, may be your last. It just will not matter fuse v. CB. You can drive your self nutty with what ifs, but I think you have more to worry about statistically in a single pilot, single engine plane than what treat you think a fuse or CB brings.
For those that have creative minds and come up with gloom and doom senerios I say this, DESIGN YOUR ELECTICAL SYSTEM BY FACTS, NOT FEAR. You can design the B747 of electical systems but still have the prop fall off. The likely hood of a CB or FUSE causing the accident is remote, especially if basic good wiring practices are followed.
Back in the DAY flying factory GA planes, the standard procedure was to turn the MASTER off if you smelled smoke. With VAC flight instruments and an engine running magnetos and mechanical fuel pump, independant of electical power, you could fly without electricity. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FUSE OR CB'S. The issue of the increased dependence on electricity from Glass Flt Inst. panels and electrically dependant engines, with electric ignition and fuel system, is important but not a CB v Fuse issue.
I am all for the instruments with a self contained battery EFIS/Gyro like a Dynon or the Sporty's Back-up gyro, but this is not what we are talking about here.
CB's are now and have been the standard for sometime in the aircraft industry, Cessna, Piper, Cirrus, Lancair Columbia........ What does it mean? Nothing but it's a standard or common practice. My wiring is easily understood by any A&P/AI or person familiar with aircraft wiring. Using CB's readily accessible and visable on the panel, I achieve "commonality" with factory planes. Hidden and remote fuses blocks under the panel, cowl or elsewhere is a unique aeroelectric "experimental" thing. That does not mean it is better or worse, just different. Pick you poison. Some may say, so what, I have an experimental and I don't have to follow those stinking factory planes. Fair enough. Each to their own.
Common design and procedures are a plus to me. Sure it is experimental, but I use a certified engine and prop combo for a reason! I understand builders desire to improve their experimental, which they are free to do. I have no issue with fuses, but it is nothing new, no earth shaking invention or breakthrough in DC power distribution and wiring safety. There's nothing new under the sun, just a rehash of the same old.
Homebuilders wiring has improved over time, but there have been no quantum leaps. Little things like better fuses. The old glass tube fuse was not as good as today's ATC flat blade fuses, which already have been around about +20 years now. Same with CB's, they have improved over the years, but the principles of both are still pretty much the same and well understood. There are better CB's for aircraft coming down the road with fault interrupt. Probably too expensive for us or GA planes. So I see technology has brought the fuse into the picture with a small improvement. Some might argue a solid state is the ultimate wiring protection? How good do we need?
Just consider there are old planes, 30 or more years old, with realitively tired and poor electical systems, some with fuses, some with CB's, that are still flying with great reliability. How much better can we do than that? Don't over worry about it. Good grounds, solid terminal connections and safe wire runs, using quality parts is way more important than the choice of fuse or CB.
The plastic fuse block is cheaper and lighter, both good in my book. Good enough to recommend its use in an RV, but arguments that it's superior or safer is hogwash. I could make up scenarios where a pull-able CB, accessible in flight, could SAVE THE DAY, like a radio was still smoking after turning it's individual power switch OFF. We can go all day with the what if's. Still you should have a way to turn off all or most of the electical system quickly, while still staying in the air (min instrument and engine running).
I present my philosophy for entertainment purposes only, and let each individual reader decide, primarily those who have not already decided. If budget is not an issue, I would still go with CB's. If on a budget or trying to save a pound, I would have no problem with going plastic fuses block. Either way they get you into the air.
Viva La Difference.