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Post your steam gauge panel pics!

rightrudder

Well Known Member
I have yet to set one rivet on my RV-9A (let alone receive any of the pieces!), but I like to think ahead. I guess I'm not a glass-panel guy, and I want to set up the my panel to closely emulate my DA-20 trainer. I'd love to see what others have done with relatively basic VFR setups.
 
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This is old school circa 1999. Still doin fine. 430's are old school now. 4,400 hrs.:(
Headed to osh 2013 via Canada.
 
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Great stuff, everyone! Thanks and keep it coming?I'm getting all sorts of ideas. Ronschreck, lovely but a little too basic for me! I'm really leaning toward the light gray treatment of the panel. Roberta, the quadrant-style throttle/mixture setup is great?who makes that?
 
My 9A came with a homebuilt quadrant. After some hours, I have decided to re do it and go with conventional sub panel. It frees up a lot of legroom and space. My custom fuel valve... that I discovered had a universal socket joint and monkey motion came out already. That and the throttlemixture move will put more real estate where I want it. Just a thought... for your planning.
 
My 9A came with a homebuilt quadrant. After some hours, I have decided to re do it and go with conventional sub panel. It frees up a lot of legroom and space. My custom fuel valve... that I discovered had a universal socket joint and monkey motion came out already. That and the throttlemixture move will put more real estate where I want it. Just a thought... for your planning.
Great input. I've flown a couple of 172s, so I'm familiar with the pull knobs. I'm 6'2", 205 lb., so I will need some room.

Weasel, very cool! Veneer over aluminum? Is that mahogany?
 
it all goes up for sale

I got a good build... when I bought the 9A. But it is too heavy.
Everything you see in red is up for sale. Putting a GRT mini in as primary rather than a backup. Will cut new metal and probably paint it red again... reminds me of a bordello I saw in a movie once.
 
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RV 6 steam panel

My plain jane panel. I also have a garmin 396 that I suction mount but I'm going to try to resist the temptation to bling up the panel.

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I would take a close look at making sure you have space for an Ipad/Ipad mini. It's like turning a steam-panel into a glass panel ;-)

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Best of Both

Not strictly steam, but after mechanical electrically driven AH and DG and a 3 1/8 CDI in the first project, the next project ditched the failure prone, vibration sensitive, expensive single-purpose gyros for two small EFIS, leaving the instantly interpretable, easily viewed in any light and slant angle four-pack, which also yielded an HSI (vastly superior to a CDI). It's proven the easiest to pilot and understand of all five -7s I've built. The later ones had increasingly complex EFIS' that provided no more useful information and are far more difficult to quickly pick off important info without staring and squinting at them. There's nothing more readily understood than a big, fat, round steam gauge.

Steam is easy on the eyes, but the D10A (serves as HSI) and D6 (AH) gets rid of gyros. Once upon a time a bigger Lowrance 1000 occupied the area where the 510 now sits; that's why it looks scabbed on - it is. Instead of pure steam, go for the combo. Cost is nearly the same.

John Siebold

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I would take a close look at making sure you have space for an Ipad/Ipad mini. It's like turning a steam-panel into a glass panel ;-)

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Best advice ever!!!!! I have a Stratus II and iPhone/Ipad mini. Totally updates an older setup.
 
I would take a close look at making sure you have space for an Ipad/Ipad mini. It's like turning a steam-panel into a glass panel ;-)

I really like that idea, and your angle mount on the right side looks like a great setup too. I'm planning on having a nice empty-ish spot on the right that would make a perfect iPad home.

Where are you guys sourcing your steam gauges? Has anyone found a set from an aviation flea market, where someone was changing to glass and was selling a whole panel-full of them?
 
I can't really justify (or afford) an upgrade, however, this one still does everything I need.

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Cant Resist

This started out as a large format 10" glass panel, but it could not handle the environment. This has been getting the job done for over 200 hours. The Aspen never made it past paper stage.
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Bruce G, now I just find that very very nice. It might be called steam... I prefer to think of it as precision mechanical devices. Very nicely done sir.
 
And Just Like a Playboy from the 60's...

These things are so lovely! This is like Playboy magazine for men in their 60's and 70's.

...Everything you need is right there; you just need to use your brain a little for the rest of the picture. Today's EFIS systems require little extraneous thought. It's all right there in front of you.

Good analogy.

Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP
 
RV-4 Steam Panel with an IPAD Mini

Dave,

Now that you mention it, I do have a cross country package I put in the RV when I'm on my way out of town. I made a sheet metal bracket that clips into the panel and over the top of the Garmin 296 which stays in place. I put some soft velcro on the back of the IPAD Mini mount to protect the Garmin 296 screen. I have a Stratus 2 antenna mounted just aft of the back set on top of the fuselage just inside the canopy. With the recent addition of synthetic vision in Foreflight this is truly a really nice poor man's EFIS. In case you're wondering, yes the stick clears the bottom of the IPAD just fine.

Oly

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Here's a hybrid- Couldn't do away with the old round engine gauges!

Score, I figured out how to post a picture!

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