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Panel layout review / comments

Your Alt Air and Cabin Heat knobs may interfere with the forward co-pilot stick position when they are pulled out.
 
oren_rokach said:
Thanks !
Must admit, i didn't notice it.

I went back to my osh flight in the Van's RV10
and it seems like same location.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Lq7E6GEfpKsdv7re6

I wonder if its interfering in anyway....
Click to expand...

On my -10 the stick almost passes below the panel, and does pass below the heat controls (same location as yours). Depends on your choice of stick grips and if you cut the stick down, and how much. You do need to watch out for the alt air and mixture controls at full forward and full right/left, respectively.
 
Switches

Can you post a picture that includes switch labels? I'm a little concerned that all of your switches are in one row with no spaces between.

You're very likely to end up with one switch that should remain on during flight and one that you toggle during flight. With no space between them, it's fairly easy to accidentally flip the wrong one.
 
beav said:
Can you post a picture that includes switch labels? I'm a little concerned that all of your switches are in one row with no spaces between.

You're very likely to end up with one switch that should remain on during flight and one that you toggle during flight. With no space between them, it's fairly easy to accidentally flip the wrong one.
Click to expand...


AVI MSTR
AVI BATT (TCW backup)
pitot heat
defrost fan
AP on /off
landing lt
taxi lt
nav lt
stobe lights
Wig wag
fuel pump


Thanks for the note, makes sense!
Aesthetics come first, practical second. no? :)
Will try and reorganize to give some spacing!
 
Pitch and roll indicators are reversed, but not needed. The G3X can show trim positions.
 
Panel looks great. Efficient. Since you are in the process of building up your panel I would add a PTT (for Comms) on the upper left and right side of the panel. It will keep your hands free from messing with the stick while on auto-pilot. I know if sounds trivial but you will really like it.

Ron
3T5
 
oren_rokach said:
Basically one for pilot, one for co-pilot.
In case of engine cut, one can fly the plane , other can focus on engine start
Click to expand...

This comes with the standard "It's your plane, so do what you want" disclaimer, but if it were me, I'd ditch the second start switch. It adds complexity and the potential for a passenger to hit it by accident.

It also seems like a long shot that it would ever be used and in that 1 in 1,000,000 scenario where a co-pilot is trying to restart the airplane and the prop isn't already windmilling, they can easily reach across the relatively small cockpit to hit the one on the left side.

Heck, I had a student fuel starve me in a piper once by running a tank almost dry (Checklist has you select the fullest tank for takeoff. He switched FROM the fullest tank to one that only had about 5 gal in it and I couldn't see the selector from the co-pilot seat, d'oh!) and I was able to launch across and get to the fuel selector hidden on the sidewall behind his left knee in about 1 second flat. You'd be surprised how agile you get when the big fan starts to sputter :)

+1 to putting a PTT on the panel, rather than on teh co-pilot stick unless you plan to have somebody hand flying from that side a lot. It's nice to have somebody run the radios without them having to be on the stick, especially with something that has light stick forces.
 
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Obvious personal opinion but that's too cluttered for me, especially being a VFR.

I would remove the G5 and center the PFD infront of pilot. Have the MFD butt to the right of that. If you want the plane right seat flyable then put the G5 in front of the copilot. Remove that 4th panel.

I would remove all the Annunciations, pitch gauges and as other have said that second start. Y and join the MFD right next to that. You have that G3X vertical on the copilot.

ELT placement, and switches completely up to you. I prefer to minimize switches so I probably wouldn't have a switch for defrost fans (Always on), AP (I have a head unit), landing/taxi can be combined if you want in a 3 way switch. 'Wig Wag' I guess is needed if it's not automated based on speed.
 
rcoleman-10 said:
Panel looks great. Efficient. Since you are in the process of building up your panel I would add a PTT (for Comms) on the upper left and right side of the panel. It will keep your hands free from messing with the stick while on auto-pilot. I know if sounds trivial but you will really like it.

Ron
3T5
Click to expand...

Thank you Ron,
Haven't thought about it,
Will definitely add!
 
AviatorJ said:
Obvious personal opinion but that's too cluttered for me, especially being a VFR.

I would remove the G5 and center the PFD infront of pilot. Have the MFD butt to the right of that. If you want the plane right seat flyable then put the G5 in front of the copilot. Remove that 4th panel.

I would remove all the Annunciations, pitch gauges and as other have said that second start. Y and join the MFD right next to that. You have that G3X vertical on the copilot.

ELT placement, and switches completely up to you. I prefer to minimize switches so I probably wouldn't have a switch for defrost fans (Always on), AP (I have a head unit), landing/taxi can be combined if you want in a 3 way switch. 'Wig Wag' I guess is needed if it's not automated based on speed.
Click to expand...

thanks Justin
It is indeed a VFR plane. for now!.
I have no IFR rating yet , and have only 250hrs, mostly on LSA. So I am not sure yet how and where this hobby will go . but I designed everything to be adaptable to a GTN650 if/when I would like to. hopefully I will. in that case, I made clearance for my GNC255 to go up above the co-pilot PFD.
I am flying quite often with co-pilots, and therefore wouldn't want want to discriminate them ;)

and yes, Will definitely remove that defrost button. what was I thinking?

Thanks a lot!!
 
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Desert Rat said:
This comes with the standard "It's your plane, so do what you want" disclaimer, but if it were me, I'd ditch the second start switch. It adds complexity and the potential for a passenger to hit it by accident.

It also seems like a long shot that it would ever be used and in that 1 in 1,000,000 scenario where a co-pilot is trying to restart the airplane and the prop isn't already windmilling, they can easily reach across the relatively small cockpit to hit the one on the left side.

Heck, I had a student fuel starve me in a piper once by running a tank almost dry (Checklist has you select the fullest tank for takeoff. He switched FROM the fullest tank to one that only had about 5 gal in it and I couldn't see the selector from the co-pilot seat, d'oh!) and I was able to launch across and get to the fuel selector hidden on the sidewall behind his left knee in about 1 second flat. You'd be surprised how agile you get when the big fan starts to sputter :)

+1 to putting a PTT on the panel, rather than on teh co-pilot stick unless you plan to have somebody hand flying from that side a lot. It's nice to have somebody run the radios without them having to be on the stick, especially with something that has light stick forces.
Click to expand...

Hi Terry,
I mentioned a few times in this forum, that unfortunately( like my wife claims ,mostly not in a positive way ), that I am 1:1,000,000

I had a vapor lock, engine cut, and engine was not thread-milling, back than, would have been happy if co-pilot could assist in starting the engine while I will look for a suitable landing area

Thanks!
Oren
 
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Oren, not sure what the regs are in Israel regarding circuit breakers but I utilized a 28 circuit ATC fuel panel. The blade fuses are glow type (if it blows It lights up so easy to ID a blown fuse). It is a huge space saver. My two alternates each have the traditional breakers. Other then reseting the alternator fields I prefer not to reset a blow fuse in the air. Are you using the stock Van’s panel. You can get an aluminum panel from Stein Air that will provide more usable panel space height wise. The only issue you need to modify the control sticks slightly for panel clearance.

This is the fuse panel I used.
Bussmann 15712 Rear Terminal ATC Fuse Panel, 28 position, w/Fuse Cover
Item Number:15712-24-04-21A
Manufacturer:Eaton's Bussmann
 
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Panel planner

Oren, if you don?t mind me asking , who?s panel planner web site are you using , did my last one the old fashioned way , but determined to get this next one built by professionals
 
your plane, your choice

oren_rokach said:
and yes, Will definitely remove that defrost button. what was I thinking?
!
Click to expand...

Like so many things, your plane, your choice.

You will spend a significant amount of time with the master on and the engine not running. You will want a way to shut everything off you don't need (such as the PFD for updates), or be planning a way to get external power to the ship so as not to drain the battery. Also in my case the defrost fans are noisy (relatively speaking) so when the engine is quiet, I also want the fans quiet.
 
elev666 said:
Oren, if you don’t mind me asking , who’s panel planner web site are you using , did my last one the old fashioned way , but determined to get this next one built by professionals
Click to expand...

We are working with SolidWorks.
Downloaded all Garmin's 3D models and embedded them in Van's supplied 3D model. and I am so glad we did.
Initially was workign with 2D only, and was pretty sure I can clearly imagine how would fit behind the panel. We found so many issues, such as collisions with ribs, collision with Flanges, problematic locations in sub panel I intended to cut to let the GNC255 in...

one advise for those who work with solidworks:
Mcmaster has all of its components modeled!
its a major time saver. even if you are not purchasing from them. still use their closest component as a starting point

I will upload this our latest today,
Anyone who wish to have our 3D solid model as a reference, is welcome to leave his/her email. We modeled many components that can be reusable: Brakers, AML34 rocker switches, ACS starter switch, Cessna amp/bat swithc. leds...etc
 
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leok said:
Like so many things, your plane, your choice.

You will spend a significant amount of time with the master on and the engine not running. You will want a way to shut everything off you don't need (such as the PFD for updates), or be planning a way to get external power to the ship so as not to drain the battery. Also in my case the defrost fans are noisy (relatively speaking) so when the engine is quiet, I also want the fans quiet.
Click to expand...

.............aaaannnnd its back ! :) LOL
 
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