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RV-10 Upholstery / Ceiling Ideas

ScottSchmidt

ScottSchmidt

Well Known Member
Finishing the RV-10's headliner and ceiling can be a pain, I know. With no great kits out there other than to just glue some fabric, it is hard to really finish it off nice. I think one of the nicest finishing jobs is Debbie Dewey's plane. She did a great job.

Debbie's ceiling upholstry. She used a GM overhead console.
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Just thought I would share one idea that I came up with for lights. I wanted lights on the front and back that were white and then some red LED's for my panel. I have four dimmers on my panel. (front floor, rear floor, switches, glair shield). The white lights I used are manufactured by Whelen. They are expensive but are very low profile. They worked great on my floor but could have used something cheaper on my ceiling. The red LED?s were purchased from Stein Air here .

I wanted a system that could hold my two red LED's, my white LED's and cover the four bolts that attach the front steel brace. I also wanted the installation to look clean. I found these plastic boxes at Radio Shack for electronics and cut them down about 1/2 inch. This box had about the right width and length. I rough cut a hole for the light and installed a brace on the inside to screw it into the roof. The two holes on the front are for my red LED's.
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RV-10 Upholstery Idea Continued

Because the top is a sandwich of fiberglass, honeycomb and fiberglass I took a piece of aluminum, put two nutplates on the back and cut out the fiberglass where the nut plates would recess into the roof. I then used epoxy and 6 pop rivets to hold it into place.

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I had the boxes leathered covered and hooked my white LED?s to my ?Switches? dimmer and my red LED?s to the Glare shield dimmer. There are two screws that hold the box in place and then the light is installed. Tim Olsen has a write-up here using these red LED?s on a night flight. I used them the other morning at 5am and the white and red LED?s were awesome.
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I did the same installation in the back except I only used the white LED?s and made the box lower profile.
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Here is a shot of the seat belt hanger I built from aluminum and had leather covered as well. I attached it to the ceiling in the same manner except I used 3 screws and had covers for the screws that were left over from the side panel kit supplied by Flightline Interiors.
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I know many of you are installing the overhead air conditioning and vents, so this won?t work. Yours will look even cooler. (pun intended)
 
Thanks!

Thanks for taking the time to offer up some suggestions Scott. Always appreciated, especially the pictures!
 
Scott,

The lights and interior look great. Your plane and trip write ups a constant inspiration to me. It's exactly the kind of motivation I need to kick my butt into gear and start building my 10.

One quick question: Did you glue the headliner material right onto the fiberglass, or do you use some other method of holding it in place?

Thanks for the tips and the trip reports....keep them coming!

-John
Planning to build an RV.....someday :rolleyes:
 
Cool

Good writeup, thanks.

Check out the window closeouts that Accuracy Avionics sells.

http://www.accuracyavionics.com/v1/fiberglassoptions.html

I have a similar setup to your black box lites, switch and dimmer both in the box, centered between the front door hinges.

As my plane isnt yet flying, it is good to hear that the lights work well.

Early on I had toyed with the Chevy overhead console idea, including the drop down DVD screen, sure looks good the way it was done on Debbies plane. I may have to re-visit the idea.

Thanks for the post.
 
jtrusso said:
Scott,

One quick question: Did you glue the headliner material right onto the fiberglass, or do you use some other method of holding it in place?

-John
Planning to build an RV.....someday :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The headliner material is micro-fiber and it is glued to a flexible board (almost like cork board) that helps it keep it's shape. The headliner is three pieces. We did the front piece first, then the back and filled in with the middle.
But yes, we glued it directly to the fiberglass. I thought about screwing it in or using velcro but the glue (contact cement) appears to work great.

If it starts to fall I just quickly go inverted.

Check out the window closeouts that Accuracy Avionics sells.
Click to expand...

That is really cool. I spent alot of time filling, sanding and painting around my windows to make them look good.

I can't wait for Oshkosh next year. There are going to be some really nice interiors.
 
Overhead Console

What vehicle is the overhead console from? Looks very smart. Thanks.
 
RV-10 Window Cutouts

Is anyone still making these? Is Accuracy Avionics still in business? The website is still up and I've tried the contact email address. No answer.

Bill Gipson
40227
 
Flightline AC

Bob,

Thank you.
The Overhead console is from Flightline AC,the folks who put together the air conditioning system for the RV-10. They will sell you the overhead without the AC.
The close out rings for the windows and along the overhead was done by me.
 
Lookin Good

Ernst, the window trim closeouts look very nice.

Did you do a wet layup over the cabin top, or are they made up from flat stock???

Details man, there are folks out here who want to steal your ideas:D
 
wet layup

Mike,

The window trim and the overhead trim pieces are wet layups.
2 layers of glass and a layer of carbon fiber for stiffness.
On top of that a 1/8" upholstery foam and finished with a vinyl.
The window trim will be secured with embedded click bond plate nuts.
These will be glue to the outside of the window frame with the nut portion through the frame and protruding about 3/16" on the inside so as to receive 6/32 finish screws.
The overhead trim pieces are secured with screws and embedded nuts.
 
Ernst, thanks for the info.

That is some of the nicest finish work I have seen yet for a 10.
 
Ernst
Very nice finish indeed. Could you explain which click bond hardware ( a picture would be nice) and a little better explaination as to how you plan on using them. I'm finishing glueing our overhead console and making plans for a headliner. I'll try to follow your example but never having seen a Click bond anything, it's hard to visualise.
Thanks Ron
 
Wow their website is useless.

Any idea where they sell them retail?

I'm thinking the snap-in-type auto interior fasteners might be easier/cheaper and available on every street corner.

Phil
 
I used Click Bond products in several areas and really like them. Nice way to put nut plates in an area that is difficult to rivet, or too tight to fit a normal nut plate. The threaded studs are really handy as well. Nice way to put adel clamps in an area where you don't want to drill holes. Ditto on the tie wrap mounts. They are relatively expensive, but sure handy in some areas.
 
Click bond

I am getting a little bit ahead of myself.
The close out frames are not yet installed but the pics will give you a clue as to how they will be secured.
Click bond nut plates are not supposed to be used this way but this solution provides for a tight mechanical bond between frame and trim.
Washers are needed anyway to elevate the window to be flush with the outside of the cabin top and the click bond plates are the same thickness as washers.
http://picasaweb.google.com/ErnstFreitag/01192009_3?authkey=w8EW03DMjjo&feat=directlink
 
Thank you Ernst
I'm glad you added to your original post as the fastners are not placed as I had pictured. I like your method and now I know that I must purchase the click bond fastners before glueing the windows.Spent the day fairing and sanding the cabin interior, long way to go but I guess I'm gaining.
Thanks again Ron
 
Overhead console

Here's my overhead, well part of it. I also have a duct that goes all the way to the baggage bulkhead, for the air conditioner.

Overhead


Overhead


Overhead


What are the chances that I will need to remove the door hinges in the future from the cabin top?

Regards,
Lenny
#40803
Fitting the doors...
 
removal access

Lenny,

Can't tell you if you will have to remove the door hinges in the future,but it
looks like your version of an overhead console will allow access to the nuts.
Especially since there are large recesses for the 4 nuts.
If not, I would make access possible somehow.
 
We are now also at the stage where the pink dome can be finally attached.
Seeing that we want to upholster/cover as much as possible of it, can someone please give us advise.

1) Is it OK to put it on and fix it to the fuselage now?
2) Or should we spend some time on the inside of it and finish it properly for example around the door frames?
3) If we want to roll our own overhead console and close out rings should we do it now before fitting the roof?
4) Should we paint around the door frames?

We are in South Africa and it not east quickly order stuff.
Thanks.
 
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