SL30 Flush mount

Flush vs. standard mounting the avionics stack,

I'm installing a
- 396 (air gizmo mount)
- SL30
- King 76 transponder

Anybody have any inputs into flush mounting all these, or should I go with the standard mounting? I have not yet received the sl30 and 396 mount, so I am having a hard time visualizing the mounting. But I would like to plan ahead.

Thanks all,
Scott
RV-6 -- N776RV

I flush mounted my 76 xponder and 96A comm. While I don't have the panel finish yet, they look pretty good so far. I just had to use larger angle for the rack mounts, front and rear. The hole has to be a bit bigger if you want to be able to slide the radios in from the front.

It might be a bit tough pulling them out.

You can see most of my panel in post #208 on this thread. The SL30 is at the top of the avionics stack so may not be all that visible in the photo on this post:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=1742&page=21

I flush mounted all of my avionics in the standard aluminum panel furnished from Vans. I cut out the openings using a computerized laser cutter at a local machine shop. As far as JonJay's comment about removing the units, in my case they come out easily. Just unscrew in the normal fashion and the radio head slides out the front as originally designed.

Although your 796 may have a slightly different frame setup than my 695 you may want to think about the way I panel mounted my 695. I fabricated a bracket to fit behind the panel and attached it to the back of the 695. Then used standoffs and hex head screws above and below the GPS that you may be able to see in the panel photo. Somewhere I have some construction pics of the panel. If you are interested I can see if I can find them and post. Just drop me a note and I will see what I can find.

Hey Steve, maybe I am not doing something right but I have to grab the sides of mine once I have loosened the locking nut and pull to get them to disconnect.

JonJay,
I understand what you are saying. In reality my avionics are not exactly flush with the panel. There is just enough protruding (maybe 1/16 to 1/8 inch) that allows me to grab an edge with my fingertips. I do have just enough to be able to grip the front of the radio and pull it out.

Something to think about-- picture flying on a not so smooth air day, you reach over to adjust a frequency or something when you hit an air pocket & your unsupported hand hits some random knob(s) because there is no support on the all flush mounted panel. This is when it is nice to have the bezels mounted proud as in most installations. You could still even out the face depth of the varions different components for better appearance, but leave some ledge for hand support.

For those cutting their own panels without precision tools, the bezel on non-flush mounting will hide a certain amount of error.

Ralph Inkster said:

Something to think about-- picture flying on a not so smooth air day, you reach over to adjust a frequency or something when you hit an air pocket & your unsupported hand hits some random knob(s) because there is no support on the all flush mounted panel. This is when it is nice to have the bezels mounted proud as in most installations. You could still even out the face depth of the varions different components for better appearance, but leave some ledge for hand support.

Click to expand...

+1 on that. I installed an Aera above my SL-30/40 and the radio makes an excellent steady rest when using the touch screen.

reconaviator said:

Anybody have any inputs into flush mounting all these, or should I go with the standard mounting?

Click to expand...

Ralph Inkster said:

Something to think about-- picture flying on a not so smooth air day, you reach over to adjust a frequency or something when you hit an air pocket & your unsupported hand hits some random knob(s) because there is no support on the all flush mounted panel. This is when it is nice to have the bezels mounted proud as in most installations. You could still even out the face depth of the varions different components for better appearance, but leave some ledge for hand support.

Click to expand...

vlittle said:

+1 on that. I installed an Aera above my SL-30/40 and the radio makes an excellent steady rest when using the touch screen.

Click to expand...

+153 on that! Might look nice sitting on the ground, but don't think it will work very well in actual flight in any other than really smooth air.

When considering flush mounting equipment, it may help to note that different equipment may have different widths. I remember one recent thread on a "new panel" project that the builder pointed out that one radio in his stack had less bezel than the rest. While the trays were all the same width, the equipment bezels were not.

Also, more and more EFIS units and other "modern glass" are designed for surface mounting.

I considered flush mounting but in the end, I chose traditional installs given the variety of different equipment from different vendors with a variety of installation methods. The end results look integrated since all of the equipment have similar "projections" from the panel.

You may also consider that the transponder you are installing is a Dinosaur and may need to be replaced sooner than you expect