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Hi All,
The instrument panel was something that I spent a lot of time thinking about. I wanted it to look good since that's what everyone sees when they stick their heads in the plane but more importantly, I wanted to make it as functional and easy to use as possible.
I've had lots of comments about how well it turned out so I thought I'd share what I did.
The panel itself is a stock Quickbuild panel in the stock location. The size was just right for a 10" Dynon Skyview display - no extra space but it fits. The angle set by the mounting tabs on the horizontal tubing running between the door posts turns out to be pretty much perfect in flight.
I did extend the steel tab that is welded to the horizontal tubing to accommodate all 4 of my push-pull controls. The tab acts as backing for the aluminum panel to reinforce it at the controls. It was a little too small for all 4 controls. I'm not sure if newer kits have adjusted the size of this tab or not. Either way, it was an easy addition that probably wasn't strictly necessary.
I tinkered with a couple CAD programs and online panel designers but I ended up going old school and doing this one by hand. There's something about having it at full scale right in front of me that I like. I mocked up the instruments and all of the other bits and pieces using cardboard cut outs so I could move them around until I found the right layout. Once I though I had it right I used a scrap piece of aluminum to do a test run. It turns out that was an unnecessary step but I wanted to make sure I had everything just right before I committed to drilling and cutting the actual panel.
Drilling into the final panel was a little nerve wracking. Measure 4 times cut once. Everything worked out well in the end though. The Skyview screen and radio cutouts were the hardest part. There's very little bezel overhang so the cutout has to be just right. I cut it out with a dremel cutoff wheel and then filed it for the last 1mm (1/32"?) or so.
Now for the most noticeable part. The graphics. I originally looked into powder coating the whole panel and then etching the letters into it. That would have been the ultimate way to make it look amazing but I would have had to digitize the whole thing and I just wasn't interested in doing it on the computer. I ended up doing a vinyl print.
Now there was some computer time involved in setting up the vinyl but I had the print shop do that part. I drew out the panel, the holes, and the text I wanted at full scale, photographed it, and sent it off to the shop. They used Illustrator to overlay my hand drawn copy and turn it into a print file. Once we had it close i printed it out full scale and laid it over the panel to check the fit. A few tweaks but it was very close. Once I picked the colours and the fonts all we had to do was print it and drop it place. Installing it was pretty straightforward. I set the panel on a fluorescent light tube so we could see the holes through the vinyl as we positioned it.
The vinyl is the same 3m stuff that's used on vehicles. They usually see it lasting at least 5 or 6 years on the exterior of vehicles and signs that are fully exposed to the elements so I'm expecting to get many years out of it. It's durable stuff that's easy to clean. I used the leftover vinyl to wrap the structural tubes that run from the center of the windshield to the top of the door posts and the A pillars so everything matches nicely.
2020 11 16.jpg
File_003.jpgPowering up the avionics, radio, and lighting circuits on the test bench.
File_004.jpgThorough bench testing - everything worked perfectly the first time when it was installed in the plane.
IMG_4834.jpgChecking the fit and feel of the layout
IMG_5651.jpgFull scale sketch of the panel for digitization
IMG_5710.jpgChecking the fit of a test print on a light. Same method used to install the vinyl
IMG_5792.jpg
IMG_5868.jpg
IMG_5870.jpgFinished product with the door posts, pillars, and windshield structural tubing wrapped.
The instrument panel was something that I spent a lot of time thinking about. I wanted it to look good since that's what everyone sees when they stick their heads in the plane but more importantly, I wanted to make it as functional and easy to use as possible.
I've had lots of comments about how well it turned out so I thought I'd share what I did.
The panel itself is a stock Quickbuild panel in the stock location. The size was just right for a 10" Dynon Skyview display - no extra space but it fits. The angle set by the mounting tabs on the horizontal tubing running between the door posts turns out to be pretty much perfect in flight.
I did extend the steel tab that is welded to the horizontal tubing to accommodate all 4 of my push-pull controls. The tab acts as backing for the aluminum panel to reinforce it at the controls. It was a little too small for all 4 controls. I'm not sure if newer kits have adjusted the size of this tab or not. Either way, it was an easy addition that probably wasn't strictly necessary.
I tinkered with a couple CAD programs and online panel designers but I ended up going old school and doing this one by hand. There's something about having it at full scale right in front of me that I like. I mocked up the instruments and all of the other bits and pieces using cardboard cut outs so I could move them around until I found the right layout. Once I though I had it right I used a scrap piece of aluminum to do a test run. It turns out that was an unnecessary step but I wanted to make sure I had everything just right before I committed to drilling and cutting the actual panel.
Drilling into the final panel was a little nerve wracking. Measure 4 times cut once. Everything worked out well in the end though. The Skyview screen and radio cutouts were the hardest part. There's very little bezel overhang so the cutout has to be just right. I cut it out with a dremel cutoff wheel and then filed it for the last 1mm (1/32"?) or so.
Now for the most noticeable part. The graphics. I originally looked into powder coating the whole panel and then etching the letters into it. That would have been the ultimate way to make it look amazing but I would have had to digitize the whole thing and I just wasn't interested in doing it on the computer. I ended up doing a vinyl print.
Now there was some computer time involved in setting up the vinyl but I had the print shop do that part. I drew out the panel, the holes, and the text I wanted at full scale, photographed it, and sent it off to the shop. They used Illustrator to overlay my hand drawn copy and turn it into a print file. Once we had it close i printed it out full scale and laid it over the panel to check the fit. A few tweaks but it was very close. Once I picked the colours and the fonts all we had to do was print it and drop it place. Installing it was pretty straightforward. I set the panel on a fluorescent light tube so we could see the holes through the vinyl as we positioned it.
The vinyl is the same 3m stuff that's used on vehicles. They usually see it lasting at least 5 or 6 years on the exterior of vehicles and signs that are fully exposed to the elements so I'm expecting to get many years out of it. It's durable stuff that's easy to clean. I used the leftover vinyl to wrap the structural tubes that run from the center of the windshield to the top of the door posts and the A pillars so everything matches nicely.
2020 11 16.jpg
File_003.jpgPowering up the avionics, radio, and lighting circuits on the test bench.
File_004.jpgThorough bench testing - everything worked perfectly the first time when it was installed in the plane.
IMG_4834.jpgChecking the fit and feel of the layout
IMG_5651.jpgFull scale sketch of the panel for digitization
IMG_5710.jpgChecking the fit of a test print on a light. Same method used to install the vinyl
IMG_5792.jpg
IMG_5868.jpg
IMG_5870.jpgFinished product with the door posts, pillars, and windshield structural tubing wrapped.
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