On Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 4:14:45 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 2:43:14 PM UTC-6, Andy Blackburn wrote:
On Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 11:44:31 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Andy, when I was laying out my ASW 24 panel many years ago (OK, over a quarter century ago), I wasn't just arranging paper cutouts on the blank panel to see what would fit. There were other consideration such as clearance behind the panel, minimum distance from the edges for structural integrity, minimum distance between two instruments for structural reasons as well as interference between them, obstruction of the top edge of the panel by the glare shield (I have a Streifeneder panel with higher knee cutouts and a three-flats--vs. rounded--cover), instruments that fit 57mm or 80 mm holes but had larger dimensions behind the panel (e.g., the Cambridge and ClearNav ADCs), switches and fuses, ELT annunciator, sightline behind the control stick, etc. And now we have the larger, non-standard panel displays mounted on stalks, in the panel, behind the panel, etc. Making sure everything fit was an iterative process to a certain extent. I cut the first hole, test fitted it, then proceeded, making adjustments as necessary.

Any quick thoughts to share with the group on how you dealt with these other issues? I assume that's what's meant by cutting a trial panel and testing for fit. I've changed my instrumentation a bit in the last few years so am thinking about a new panel. The idea of unpacking a brand new, beautifully cut panel and discovering my favorite instrument doesn't clear something by a few mm is daunting.

Chip Bearden

Chip,

I measured and modeled all the instruments in 2D - including the holes and the case cross-sections. I managed to arrange them such that they form a near-solid block (many of them touch cases to add stability). I also measured the backside of the panel because there is some curvature and wall thickness to account for, so I created a standoff buffer/border around the edge.

I taught myself to use AutoCAD as part of this exercise, so I did some simple checks to ensure that there was clearance along the length of each instrument. With some additional effort you can create a 3D model of the instrument panel and cavity as well as each instrument. I didn't find this necessary for the -27. A friend who did a panel for his Ventus used SolidWorks to make a full 3D model (Fusion 360 will allow you to do this without spending $4000 on software). It may help for specific situations though generally there isn't a significant constraint unless your instruments are super-deep.

Here's a link to the panel layout I did. You can see each instrument case is modeled in addition to the cutouts - as well as the panel backside offset. I used very tight tolerances for the instrument holes - so much so that I had to do a little bit of sanding on some holes to fit the the instrument. Makes for a very clean installation - much better than you get using a standard hole cutter and suits my perfectionist streak.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YH...VONRIDR67sUJlY

Andy


Thank you all for your input and great advice,

The panel project is well under way with the exception of the surface texture. I have made a mold off of an existing retired 27 panel and plan to make a number of extras. This will be for future instrument upgrades as time marches on. The soaring instruments are changing at such a rapid rate I anticipate further upgrades every 5 to 10 years or so.

Using glass instead of carbon was a enlightening. I was not aware of the potential safety issues with a carbon panel. The surface texture will most likely be applied with a spray gun. Looking at my retired 27 panel, the surface texture sure looks like an overlay. Around the edges and especially the leg radius areas you can see the stretch marks from the overlay material.. Before cutting any holes in the new panels, a prototype will be made with acrylic or aluminum for fit and function.

Thanks,
Chris

Chris

I have refinished modified or repaired panels by surfacing with spray filler and sanding smooth and flat to a 220 finish. Then I spray with Rustoleum black texture paint. When that has dried I overcoat with SEM trim black satin paint. Texture hides the tiny flaws and gives a nice appearance.
FWIW
UH