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RV-7A Tip-up Panel Critique

UnPossible

UnPossible

Well Known Member
Hey - starting to think pretty seriously about the panel for my plane. After several hours of playing around on XPanel, I have come up with the lay out below. I'd love any critiques or suggestions to improve usability you may have.

333yd0x.jpg


Notes:
1) Panel is indended for VRF only
2) Engine is FI - no need for Carb Heat. (Black knobs are for Cabin heat and Alt air)
3) I'm plannning on using the Dynon Transponder, so no need for transponder panel space
4) I have an Andair throttle quadrant with the flap switches on the throttle lever.
5) If I have to add more switches beside those on the VP-50, the plan is to place them to the right of the Red Starter Button
6) I have a ICOM hand held... planning on adding an antenna input to the face of the panel to allow it to use the ship's antenna and function as a back up radio.
7) I have a Garmin GPS 296 hand held that will be in the fight bag as a back-up as well.

Thanks,
Jason
 
Pretty Clean..

The only thing I can see would be that big airspeed indicator as stand-by. Why not use one of the 2.25" units? They are available from Van's with the correct speed markings and they seem to work OK for a stand-by.
 
Panel Critique

Jason-

How many versions of the panel have you been through so far? When I was designing my panel, I had dozens of options for equipment and spacing, which lead to design after design. In the end, it is whatever your heart desires tempered by what your wallet can stand.

This panel looks clean with good visual lines for the layout. I am wondering why you need two ten inch EFIS screens and back up AS & ALT on a VFR panel. I would say take one or the other. All EFIS or one EFIS and the back up instruments. Just a thought. Take it for whats it worth. My .02?
 
pitot and static routing...

I would eliminate the stand alone airspeed, altimeter, and dg... very marginal value and you will need to run pitot and static forward... one of the nice things about the skyview system is in keeping the routing of your air lines to the adahrs (typically located aft of the baggage bulkhead) rather than to the panel.
 
Wait!!

Unless you have a year or less to go to first flight, I would leave firm panel decisions for later. Then, with about 6 months to go I would finalize everything.

Why? Because advancements in avionics are going forward at light speed. I remember what a sensation it was when Dynon D-10's first came out not so long ago... All the stuff that's sensational now will soon be superceded.

I bought and sold 2 sets of avionics before settling on the 3rd one 4 years ago and now I'm thinking about upgrade...

YMMV, of course...
 
Separate Alt Air and Cabin Heat

I separated my cabin heat and alt air. You do not want a passenger to pull this thinking it is cabin heat. Many alt air setups require removing the lower cowl to reset it. My alt air is over on the very left side of the panel.
Alan Jackson
Hartselle, AL
 
FWIW, I don't know how the flap switch works on a throttle, but I would try to avoid putting a flap switch some where that could accidentally gets pushed.

From a practical point of view, I am a believer that two smaller screen in the front of you is better then two big screen but not directly in the front of you. Likewise with a tip up, I am not sure if those screen can be added without much work on the ribs/attachment points. With two screen the work of modifying those ribs are just double of course.

Even for VFR only panel, I still would keep the steam gauges for sure, in case of any power/electrical issue you will always have the airspeed and altimeter. It will help with the value of the aircraft if you ever decide to sell it or if you ever decide to go the IFR route. Which brings me to that point, even if you don't think you are going to go IFR, build it in such way that it is easier to go that route should you ever change your mind.

If you don't have to necessarily burn space in your panel, try not to. One does not know what other instruments gadgets may come out in the feature that we wish we had room in our panel to add to it.

Only my 0.02c though

Good luck
 
Ditch the steam gauges....with a dual screen, dual ahrs, and backup batteries, they are not needed.

The Audio panel is overkill for one radio.
 
N316RV said:
I separated my cabin heat and alt air. You do not want a passenger to pull this thinking it is cabin heat. Many alt air setups require removing the lower cowl to reset it. My alt air is over on the very left side of the panel.
Alan Jackson
Hartselle, AL
Click to expand...

Great suggestion... I'll move the Alt air way over on the left.
 
Brantel said:
Ditch the steam gauges....with a dual screen, dual ahrs, and backup batteries, they are not needed.

The Audio panel is overkill for one radio.
Click to expand...


I wasn't planning on going with dual AHRS, but when I built the shelf I did include a space to add a second one later on down the line..... I love all the techie gadgets, but I'm having a hard time ditching the steam Airspeed and altitude gauges.... if everything electonic fails, at least I'll know how high I am and how fast I'm going.

Thanks for your suggestions,
Jason
 
mostly agree with others

Move the alternate air because a passenger will pull the knob. And if you follow Van's plans you will need to take off the top cowl to reset.

No steam gauges but have two Dynon backup batteries.

My dual 7" Skyviews are mounted similar to yours. It is out of sight unless I turn my head. If I put on my perscription sunglasses, I can not read the right side in bright sunlight. It is one of the relatively few things that will be done different next time around.

You will love how the SL30 works with the Skyview.

I have a GMA 240 audio panel just for the intercom.

You may want to put a couple led light strips in under the glareshield and one as a map light under the edge of the panel.
 
Bavafa said:
FWIW, I don't know how the flap switch works on a throttle, but I would try to avoid putting a flap switch some where that could accidentally gets pushed.
Click to expand...

As long as the flap swith has a guard on it to prevent bumping to activate it. Pics here arent a great view but give a general idea.

1415.jpg


1301.jpg


just my 0.02 also
 
it's really amazing to me that most of the replies suggest REMOVING multiple components and I have a hard time disagreeing with them. Today's EFISs have just about everything covered.
Suggest you do a thoughtful failure analysis before getting mentally locked in to everything. Not just "if electronics fail.." but how exactly would that occur given dual screens, backup batteries, etc. Take a hard look at the audio panel; how exactly will that be used? There are much less expensive units that provide a nice intercom and a music input with auto-mute.

Have fun- the panel is your personal stamp on the plane

Erich
 
I agree ...

...with the folks advising you to take equipment out since you are VFR. My RV-6A has only one navigation aid in the panel - a compass. For flying cross-country, I plug in a B-K AV8OR and use the AirChart Sectional book, on which I have laid out my course line w/ tick marks for expected times en route.

When I went to Oshkosh this summer, the power switch failed "on" and drained the battery (2nd time - they should contact me and I will help them design a switch w/ a MTBF of more than 25 hrs.). I navigated from Green Bay to Billings, MT w/ a compass and sectional w/ one stop in Fergus Falls,MN. I was less than one mile off my course line for the entire trip.

If your one EFIS (backed up by steam gauge airspeed and altimeter) goes TU, look out the window and follow the course line on your sectional, which is a far cheaper backup and just as effective as anything else you could have.

Take all the money you saved on the unneeded techie gadgets, buy lots of avgas and an auto-pilot and fly a whole bunch instead. More fun!

LarryT
 
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