I've installed wiring, plumbing and cables and am getting ready to rivet the forward top skin on my fuselage. Not sure I'm still flexible enough to get under the panel for future maintenance or to buck rivets. I was thinking of installing an access panel (about 4" x 10") on each side and sealing everything up with pro-seal and countersunk screws. Any comments?
Van's Air Force
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Fuselage access panels
- Thread starter jpowell13
- Start date
pierre smith
Well Known Member
Yep
John, quite a few builders have done so as well. Consider this though...if you're going with a glass cockpit, make it a 2 or 3 piece modular panel, easily removable for access to the rear of it and you won't have to crawl in upside down and painful..I'm there, at 67 too.
Here's a picture of my 3 piece panel in my -10:
Best,
John, quite a few builders have done so as well. Consider this though...if you're going with a glass cockpit, make it a 2 or 3 piece modular panel, easily removable for access to the rear of it and you won't have to crawl in upside down and painful..I'm there, at 67 too.
Here's a picture of my 3 piece panel in my -10:
Best,
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Front Deck Access Panels
Here's what I did on the three RV's (all tipups) that I've built to date....
Hope that helps...
Here's what I did on the three RV's (all tipups) that I've built to date....
Hope that helps...
pierre smith
Well Known Member
Nice work, Fred.
The 496 in the upper center of the picture has XM weather, as does the 496 in my ag airplane...wouldn't be caught without it!
I'm an occasional IFR flyer, enough to satisfy regulation requirements and take refresher training annually from a good ol' southern CFII near me.
Fred, really great work on your access panels too! I recall from some time go that the top forward skin is structure, so the panels need close screw spacing and at least the thickness of the skin.
John, removing that big old screen should give you plenty of access behind the panel if you have enough harness length.
Best,
The 496 in the upper center of the picture has XM weather, as does the 496 in my ag airplane...wouldn't be caught without it!
I'm an occasional IFR flyer, enough to satisfy regulation requirements and take refresher training annually from a good ol' southern CFII near me.
Fred, really great work on your access panels too! I recall from some time go that the top forward skin is structure, so the panels need close screw spacing and at least the thickness of the skin.
John, removing that big old screen should give you plenty of access behind the panel if you have enough harness length.
Best,
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My thought is to Pro-seal the access panel to the doubler to keep the water out and help with the structural integrity. I recently opened the access panels on my fuel tanks and found that a little acetone softened the Pro-seal enough to get the panels off without too much problem.
frazitl
Well Known Member
You might consider
an alternative way to gain easy access to the back of your panel. I modified my 7A with a tilt-down panel that gives easy access to the back while sitting in my comfy aero-classic easy chair...
See link below for more photos..
https://picasaweb.google.com/frazitl/TiltdownPanelRV7a?authkey=Gv1sRgCKbelI-2vK-ChwE#
an alternative way to gain easy access to the back of your panel. I modified my 7A with a tilt-down panel that gives easy access to the back while sitting in my comfy aero-classic easy chair...
See link below for more photos..
https://picasaweb.google.com/frazitl/TiltdownPanelRV7a?authkey=Gv1sRgCKbelI-2vK-ChwE#
WingsOnWheels
Well Known Member
I know thins doesn't apply to the OP since he already finished his panel.
I have thought quite a bit about adding access panels to the forward skin, but am trying to avoid it if possible.
I designed my panel in CAD to be modular. It is in 3 major sections.
A frame the rivets to the airframe and has nutplates to attach the other panel section, the fram also supports the radio stack separate from the other sections.
Pilot and passenger sub-panels that can be removed without disturbing eachother or the radio stack. The vents and engine controls also stay with the frame section.
Since my panel is pretty simple, I am going to try to keep as much of the equipment on the subpanel so I can just pull one of the panels to access it while in the seat.
I have thought quite a bit about adding access panels to the forward skin, but am trying to avoid it if possible.
I designed my panel in CAD to be modular. It is in 3 major sections.
A frame the rivets to the airframe and has nutplates to attach the other panel section, the fram also supports the radio stack separate from the other sections.
Pilot and passenger sub-panels that can be removed without disturbing eachother or the radio stack. The vents and engine controls also stay with the frame section.
Since my panel is pretty simple, I am going to try to keep as much of the equipment on the subpanel so I can just pull one of the panels to access it while in the seat.
pierre smith
Well Known Member
The Air Tractor's panels are also held in place with Dzus fasteners and fold down too...neat idea.
Best,
Best,
Terry:
Where did you get your rocker switches?
I was seriously planning to put access panels (2) in the forward skin. But now you have me thinking differently
Paul
N277PM
LAF
Doing the canopy (second time again :-( )
Ready to hang the O-360 B2C modified for constant speed.
Where did you get your rocker switches?
I was seriously planning to put access panels (2) in the forward skin. But now you have me thinking differently
Paul
N277PM
LAF
Doing the canopy (second time again :-( )
Ready to hang the O-360 B2C modified for constant speed.
jay.pearlman
Well Known Member
I imitated Fred's design with four panels across the front. Panels are flush and were easily (with patience) constructed. I decided to use many 6-32 flathead screws to get more uniform pressure. Probably overkill.
Proseal was easy, though a little rough first application because I use vaseline as a separation layer. A thin second coat after some roughening of the original took care of that. I talked with a number of people about leakage and the consensus was that with care in build, there should not be a problem.
I have glass instruments which are removable, but the bay just behind the firewall has a lot of electronics and the panels give most excellent access to this area.
Proseal was easy, though a little rough first application because I use vaseline as a separation layer. A thin second coat after some roughening of the original took care of that. I talked with a number of people about leakage and the consensus was that with care in build, there should not be a problem.
I have glass instruments which are removable, but the bay just behind the firewall has a lot of electronics and the panels give most excellent access to this area.
Two access panels for me ....
I installed two access panels in the center portion of the forward skin, nearly identical in size and shape to the ones pictured earlier. I did not put them in the curved side portions, because I was unsure of my ability to perfectly match the contour with the panels.
I have not "final sealed" them yet, but plan to use #2 Permatex to do the deed. Others have reported that worked well. I'm also planning a water-resistant fabric cover over the electronics that lie underneath.
I installed two access panels in the center portion of the forward skin, nearly identical in size and shape to the ones pictured earlier. I did not put them in the curved side portions, because I was unsure of my ability to perfectly match the contour with the panels.
I have not "final sealed" them yet, but plan to use #2 Permatex to do the deed. Others have reported that worked well. I'm also planning a water-resistant fabric cover over the electronics that lie underneath.
Now that's not a bad idea at all - something that can easily be tucked up out of the way to work on the equipment but will keep moisture splatter away if the cover plate leaks while flying in the rain.
