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Dual start buttons

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
Maybe this is an odd question, but I was wondering if it is possible to install two independent start buttons: one for the left seat and one for the right seat. There is no legal reason that you can't fly from the right seat. Correct? And with dual G3X screens, it seems that you could have all the information to fly from either seat.

The reason that I ask is that my wife is getting her license and is 5'2", while I am 5'8". She will have to have foot pedal extension and a custom seat. It would be much easier to set one side up for her and one side for me and not to have to switch things if she wanted to fly on her own.

Once the plane is started, the mag check can be done from the right seat even if they are on the left side.

Is this a crazy idea?

Thanks
Ken
 
Not quite sure if she can reach the mag switch, why can't she reach the starter?
My Wife flew our RV-6 from the right seat. We had the mag switches and starter on the throttle/mixture/etc. sub panel.
No reason you can't have 2 starter switches. I just don't see the need.
 
wouldn't it be hard to control throttle while starting and reaching over to hit the start button?

I guess the other option is to have start switch on the stick.
 
You would want to put the mag switch(Es) close to the middle of he Panel and could easily out in two independent start switches/buttons, but you would probably want a starter enable switch so you could disable the right button at least if there is a kid riding over there that may like to push buttons. You don?t want to crank the starter in flight.

As for dual key switches, I can?t think of a way that would work unless maybe you used relays. With either switch on off the mags would be dead. You would have to set it up so the mags are on the NC pole of the relays and either mag switch on would energize the relays to turn the mag or mags on. I won?t speak to the safety of using relays to run the p-leads.
 
I will have Vertical power, which will disable starter switch over 600 rpm. I will be using push button start with a hidden switch to "lock out" the ability to start. I agree that Mag switches near the middle would be good.

This is a thought experiment at this point.
 
Put the switches in the middle of the panel.
This was my thought as well. Why not in the middle, right above the throttle?

Otherwise, if the mag switches can stay on one side, the starter could as well. If you can reach one, you can reach the other...
 
I tried to avoid putting flight-critical switches too near the throttle/mixture. Probably overthinking it, but didn't want to risk tripping one when reaching for a control. No doubt guarded switches, or careful placement, would solve that issue.
 
I don't use a mag switch. I use two toggle switches and a button for starting.
Vendors also have mag switches without the starter portion. You can wire two buttons so that either one can be used to start the engine. The mag switch with the button is wired by the manufacturer so that when starting it shorts out the mag without the impulse coupling so that the engine will not start before top dead center. I have one electronic ignition and a mag without impulse so I start with the electronic ignition and then turn on the mag after the engine starts. The buttons can be placed so that both pilot and copilot can have a hand on the throttle when pushing a button. :)
 
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My RV-9A has the ignition switch on the far left, and it's very reachable from the far seat. Yes, you have to lean across, but so what? As for hidden switches and such, hard for me to see that the upside outweighs what I think is a considerable downside.
 
Starter Buttons

I see no reason you couldn't have 2 buttons, it would be easy to wire them. I can certainly see why you would want them, especially for a hot start on a fuel injected motor - one hand on the button and the other on the throttle/mixture for the hot start dance. With the VPX, there's no real downside, given that the button is disabled when the engine is running.
 
Stick switches

You could put the starter button on the stick grip, with the VPX this is a great option. You'd have to use a relay for that button though, since you're switching +12v from the VPX and all the other buttons on the stick grip are ground switches. For full control from either seat without unintentional inputs from the pilot not flying, I wired all the stick buttons through a panel switch that provides the ground to either one stick or the other. That way, there's no possibility of the co-pilot resting a book on the trim hat causing me to spill my coffee :p
 
I would be thinking about who else might be climbing into that right seat -- it will sometimes be a child or non-pilot, who could indadvertantly activate the starter while you're out checking the prop or otherwise not in the left seat and able to resolve things.

Also there's just KISS -- more switches & wires = more potential points of failure.
 
I like putting the push start and mags near the center. I also plan to put in a kill switch under the panel that needs to be flipped on prior to start.
 
Kidproof...

i-rpWrZ4L-L.jpg
 
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