Kicking Around an Idea I Have For My RV-6 ...dr
I'm thinking of maybe mounting a GMC 507 dedicated autopilot control in a cutout on my glare shied - centered in the middle. For the last decade I've been turning on AP modes with a series of soft keystrokes at the bottom of the PFD. Hear me out on this for a bit before you form an opinion. It's only an inch deep, weighs almost nothing, and I think I might be able to find somebody in the interwebs to 3D print me a mount that would allow both securing the 507 in the mount, and the mount to the glare shield.
While talking with Brad from Garmin over lunch he mentioned something about some people 3D printing switch housings for stuff. Later in the day it dawned on me I could use this maybe as a GMC 507 solution.
The edges could be tapered down to a point on top and bottom to make it look a little more professional in appearance. You could put holes on the side for pencils. Horrible rendition here...
- will it compromise the structural integrity of the glare shield. I don't think so but I'm not sure. I'll call the mothership during non-peak hours.
- will it impact my FOV on T/O and landing (NO - I made an actual-size cutout and sat in the plane (more pictures HERE). Put the camera lens right in front of my pupil on one of the pics.
- will it impact my ability to see the switches (NO - see above)
- it would travel up/down as the canopy is opened/closed.
Anyway, I'm still thinking this through. It sure would make interacting with the AP more similar to the stuff I've been flying lately on extra paper routes. 99% of that flying is spinning HDG and ALT knobs and pushing buttons on that panel. Commonality of workflow...
Has anyone done this in a side by side RV?
More to come and happy to hear feedback,
Supporting images:
AFCS control panel on Pilatus PC-12NG
Guidance panel on Falcon 900 (EASy II)
Flight guidance panel Cessna Caravan
I'm thinking of maybe mounting a GMC 507 dedicated autopilot control in a cutout on my glare shied - centered in the middle. For the last decade I've been turning on AP modes with a series of soft keystrokes at the bottom of the PFD. Hear me out on this for a bit before you form an opinion. It's only an inch deep, weighs almost nothing, and I think I might be able to find somebody in the interwebs to 3D print me a mount that would allow both securing the 507 in the mount, and the mount to the glare shield.
While talking with Brad from Garmin over lunch he mentioned something about some people 3D printing switch housings for stuff. Later in the day it dawned on me I could use this maybe as a GMC 507 solution.
The edges could be tapered down to a point on top and bottom to make it look a little more professional in appearance. You could put holes on the side for pencils. Horrible rendition here...
- will it compromise the structural integrity of the glare shield. I don't think so but I'm not sure. I'll call the mothership during non-peak hours.
- will it impact my FOV on T/O and landing (NO - I made an actual-size cutout and sat in the plane (more pictures HERE). Put the camera lens right in front of my pupil on one of the pics.
- will it impact my ability to see the switches (NO - see above)
- it would travel up/down as the canopy is opened/closed.
Anyway, I'm still thinking this through. It sure would make interacting with the AP more similar to the stuff I've been flying lately on extra paper routes. 99% of that flying is spinning HDG and ALT knobs and pushing buttons on that panel. Commonality of workflow...
Has anyone done this in a side by side RV?
More to come and happy to hear feedback,
Supporting images:
AFCS control panel on Pilatus PC-12NG
Guidance panel on Falcon 900 (EASy II)
Flight guidance panel Cessna Caravan
Last edited: