Tip: I gave my instrument subpanel more acreage...

in order to provide better positioning of some behind-the-scenes boxes.

Situation: I have an Aerotronics-built panel with the wires neatly laced, ready to be connected to the components. I have to clamp the wires out of the way, as well as find homes for the AFS AOA control box, a light dimmer, the LightSpeed ignition box, and two cooling fans. My initial attempt at positioning these boxes had them clamped on the side of the ribs and onto the subpanel.



Solution: A friend, after seeing this, suggested making a shelf and screwing it onto the bottom flanges of the ribs, thus providing more room. Here are a few photos, with more on my photo website. After following thru with his suggestion, and help in forming the shelf, I have excess room for installing everything.

Well that's one idea I'll be stealing. I'm already looking at how to put a hinge on it and make it swing down for access... If you people keep putting all these good ideas on this site I'll NEVER finish my airplane.

Under panel mounting plate in my RV-9A

I have a couple of photos and text on this page showing how I mounted my Plasma III ignition control module and my altitude encoder.

http://www.n2prise.org/rv9a069.htm

You can see more about it on this web page.
http://www.n2prise.org/rv9a085.htm

There is a photo at the bottom of this page.
http://www.n2prise.org/rv9a088.htm

The first and third photos on this page show more details about how the mounting plate and angles are mounted to the firewall and the bulkhead behind the instrument panel.
http://www.n2prise.org/rv9a096.htm

Possible "concern?"

Guys,

All looks great and anything we can do to make neat, safe installs is in all of our best interest, however be sure to make removable as this "shelf" can make it difficult to get to the rivets when you attach the outer skin, but I'm sure you have considered this,,,

Kenny Gene

There are nutplates everywhere

Thanks for looking, Kenny.

I have installed the shelf with #8 screws and nutplates. As I have been routing wires and cables behind the panel, I have considered lying on my back and moving the shelf around as my helper and I rivet the top skin in place. Some of the wires that are clamped to the shelf have disconnects in them and the others will allow me to move the shelf 4-5" around.

The holes that will be under and inside of the canopy itself will be pop-riveted. I am going to use the glareshield material from Cleaveland Tools on top, which will cover all of the poprivets.

Gary,

That looks good.

One suggestion, replace the #8 screws with #8 cap screws. That will make removing those components much easier when you are laying on your back on some future date.

In fact, buy a bunch of those caps screws and use them any place you can think of. (Fuel tank access panel, baggage compartment bulk head cover, the floor pan along the sides, etc.) Removing them is so much easier when using a flexible nut drive shaft.

Thanks, Bill,

I knew I needed to order some cap screws, but I hadn't come up with a location for them yet.

Gary Baker said:

Thanks, Bill,

I knew I needed to order some cap screws, but I hadn't come up with a location for them yet.

Click to expand...

Gary,

I used the SS cap screws on my tanks and the black ones everywhere else. They seem to hold up well.