The last two days I’ve been working on the passenger side shelves for the engine monitor, air data computer, and the satellite receiver.
Passenger side mounts
Exhaust Inventory
After being on backorder for several months the FWF Kit’s exhaust package arrived this week. The box was in rough shape, but luckily everything from the inventory was present.
I had a few extra unmarked parts which should be interesting to figure out.
Standby battery
Tonight I decided where to install the standby battery and made the parts to mount it above the center channel about 3 inches aft of the firewall on the cover panel between the sets of rudder pedals. I made backing plates to reinforce the panel and to hold the nut plates.
It was a pain to work on this panel because the canopy release cable passes through behind the battery, and I can’t remove the panel without undoing work on the canopy release mechanism. So I drilled, deburred and riveted everything with the panel nearly in place, which was awkward.
Sub Panel Mounts
Over the last couple of days I’ve been slowly refining the design and construction for the sub panel mounts on the pilot side. The two biggest boxes going in this area are the Vertical Power and Transponder unit. Originally I was planning to orient these horizontally, but when I installed the bank of switches, there isn’t enough room. So I switched the orientation to vertical. This also meant the standby battery wouldn’t fit, so that is going to move somewhere else. Tonight I finished the construction and test fit everything.
Sub Panel Mounts
Tonight I worked on making the first mount for the sub-panel. This will house the GTR-20 remote com radio, and the GMA-245R remote audio panel.
Since my last blog post I’ve made multiple revisions to my plans for mounting the hardware. I’m reasonably happy with the final arrangement, and it’s good enough to get started building. I’m sure I’ll decide to change something else, but it’s time to get started making stuff.
Everything went according to plan, and it turned out alright. With no pre-punched or pre-formed parts the whole construction process took a lot longer.
GEA24 mount
Tonight I worked out how I plan to mount the GEA24 box. This will mount directly onto the sub panel, with a doubler on each side to support the nut plates and provide some additional strength. The box itself is not heavy, but with the cables attached it will be heavier. It also needs to be able to withstand repeated +6/-3 G loads without cracking, so I want the mount to be strong.
Space on the forward side of the sub-panel is tight on one side, and open on the other. I made up to backing plates, the drilled, countersunk, and primed them.
Remote boxes
Tonight I came up with what I believe will be the right placement for the remote components behind the panel. Initially, it looks like everything will fit in with room to install all the necessary wiring harnesses and d-sub connectors. On the left side, I need to determine the orientation of the boxes. I think setting the vertical power and transponder vertically against the sub-panel, with the standby battery sitting on a tray at the bottom of the space will result in the best clearance. However I’ll keep options open and try both.
Now I need to work out the tray structure I need to build to hold these components. I’ve seen a few ideas, but need to settle on a plan.
Panel test-fit
Tonight I installed the panel inserts and mounted the G3X screens. This is a temporary install to measure distances and clearances behind the panel, and to confirm my suspected lack of clearance between the control stick grips and the panel.
It really starts to look like an airplane cockpit with the screens in place! Unfortunately, as I suspected, the stick grips are just touching the screen bezel in their forward most position. I’ll need to shorten the sticks by approximately 2 inches to allow them to clear the bottom of the panel.
Panel remote mount components
Over the last few days I’ve been researching different approaches to locating the various remote mount equipment that comes with the G3X system I’m installing in the airplane. The wiring harness and panel itself have been made by an avionics shop. The decisions I need to make are, where to locate the various equipment, and how to mount it on, or around, the sub panel. I decided to make some cardboard mock-ups of the components so I can work out clearances and try different options. I measured each component that needs to be installed, and then used some scrap cardboard to make each of the boxes.
Last night I started by locating the main wiring hardness that connects all of the components together, and connects to the fuselage wiring harness. The hardness itself is extensive, and heavy, and just untangling it and orienting it correctly took a few minutes. Once I had it in about the right place I zip tied it to the bottom of the panel. As I start installing the components, I can start connecting the pieces together.
Right now I’m still missing the actual panel plate and a few components. Still, I should be able to make a decision on where and how everything will be mounted, and then I can start fabricating some trays and/or brackets.
Canopy fairing finished
Tonight I painted the canopy fairing and peeled off the tape that forms the aft edge. for the most part it came out ok, but I was a little disappointed in the way the tape broke up on the aft edge as I peeled it away. I’m left with sections of jagged paint where small pieces of the electrical tape are still trapped under the aft edge of the fairing. I will need to carefully go over the edge to remove the pieces of tape.
