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The Tunnel

gblwy

gblwy

Well Known Member
It appears that the only thing located inside the "tunnel" (27-05) is brake lines.

I'm considering installing a Garmin 695 in the tunnel, and a couple of steam gauges in the panel where the 495 "should" go. The latter to comply with a UK requirement.

Any fuselage builders able to comment on whether the tunnel is a suitable location from a "technical" perspective. It seems to require a two-inch depth, for a flush mounting.

Does anyone who has sat in the real thing have a view on the ergonomics of operating a GPS, or anything else, located on the tunnel? Could you reach it with seat belts fastened?

Cheers...Keith
 
I don't know much about the RV-12, but I do know that the 696 is a pretty big object. I assume that the tunnel section in the RV-12 has a structural purpose, so I would think twice before cutting that big a hole in it. Perhaps better to mount the GPS on it rather than in it. Or if you must have the flush-mounted look, fabricate a lightweight facade for the tunnel and leave the real structure alone. :)

cheersm
mcb
 
Is the cover structural?

OK thanks. I had assumed that the tunnel sides provided structural strength, but the top cover appears to be screwedon , presumably to provide access to the brake components. I therefore assumed the cover itself was not a structural component.
 
A screw-on cover may be structural

If nothing else, a screw-on cover can provide lateral bracing for the tunnel sides to prevent them from buckling under load. Consequently, I think it would be a bad idea to cut a big hole in the cover.
 
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