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Thoughts on Panel

GrinchF16

Well Known Member
Getting ready to pull the trigger on my RV7A tip-up panel re-do. Would like to get some opinions. Only unseen things are I can think of are that I will use an AFS ACM and will continue to fly with a Stratus to provide backup AHRS and ADSB-In for the iPads.

Not looking for debate on the ACM, I've read the posts and have flown electric jets for years so not worried about the breakers or single point of failure. Really looking for PVI items more than anything. Thanks.

Launch them spears boys!! (..and girls)
 

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Not that I have any strong opinions, but….

- The iPad is in the most valuable panel real estate, and the least reliable component on the panel. I suggest you move the iPad to your flight bag - it can do your backup roll there just fine.
- Move the left SkyView display as far left and as high as it will go.
- Move the Dynon D10A to the left of the SkyView display - where you currently have switches that are not used in flight. Move the switches down below the displays.
- Consider standard toggle switches for Master, Alternator and ignition (personal choice but I hate the Cessna key switch and split master/alternator).
- No need for a separate electronic ignition switch. Assuming you have power to it all you need is and on/off switch for each ignition, or if you must the single key switch.
- Move the three SkyView modules below the SkyView display - with the AP module on the right where your right hand naturally falls on it. You will find you control the radio by looking at the SkyView for primary and standby freq readouts, and you will be operation the knob panel by feel shortly after you start flying.
- Move the radio stack to the left, just on the right side of the SkyView display.
- Change the Garmin 175 to a 355 to provide TSO GPS nav and Comm #1. Then move the 355 as high in the stack as possible so you can see it when approach gives you yet another flight plan mod.
- Now that you have two comm radios, consider a simple stand alone remote Nav/LOC/ILS receiver. MGL makes one, but with luck Dynon will come out with a NAV/COMM that integrates with the SkyView.
- Save a spot on the right of the radio stack for a second SkyView display.
- If you really must have an iPad on the panel, put it where the second SkyView display will end up (this assumes you already have the iPad to play with, if not save your money and just get the second SkyView display).
- Remove the clock - no need with the SkyView.
- Move the USB ports off the panel to someplace low and out of the way in the cockpit. You don’t want wires hanging off the panel when you fly.
- Assuming you are using a fuel injected engine there is no “prime” function on the panel.

Carl
 
ACM

Have you discussed the panel with AFS? It looks like you're planning a "panel less" ACM panel. I am doing one now. It's important to review their schematics and clearly understand what is provided and what is not. What is on the ACM and what is not.
Example. The flap switch. The ACM harness sends flap control to the sticks out the stick connector. You can run it to the panel, no problem. You just need to know. Just a heads-up.
 
I have been in comm with AFS. It's not their typical build but we are working through any anxiety. I've been scrubbing the wiring diagrams and think I have a decent handle so far. In reality, from their perspective it's a very easy panel. Great input, thanks!
 
Just me

Just my opinion:
1) Ipads run hot, they do not seem to work as well at 8000' as they do at sea level.
2) one should be looking outside and not at Ipads unless one is IFR. If one is IFR, then I would recommend NOT using Ipads.
3) i think one Ipad on the right, for movies, flight plans, etc is good.

Just my opinion; it is worth what you paid for it.
 
I agree with pretty much everything Carl says. A few extra thoughts.

DO NOT put the pitot heat by any master switches, especially not rocker switches. Imagine a scenario where you've suddenly found yourself in icing and need to turn the pitot heat on quickly - your left hand is gripping the stick so you reach with your right hand to stab at the pitot heat and doing it blindly because you are just not able to look. You miss and turn off something that you really need. Put this switch somewhere that is easy to reach by memory only from the normal position of your right hand and away from any bad day switches.

I'd put the landing light switch with/near your other lights and give the boost pump switch a placement like the pitot heat - can't miss without looking.

You show a picture of USB power ports but label it EFIS Data USB. If this is the port for a thumb drive for the Skyview data, then keep it on your panel, left side by your Skyview if possible. If it's power, there are better locations off of the panel.

I agree with getting the iPads off of the panel, not sure the the right one would be all that useful that far away if you have your harness snug. You'd need very long arms to be able to get to the right side and touch anything.

Lastly, take all the time you can in settling on your panel layout and don't do anything until you've at least mentally sat behind a mockup and chair flown a wide variety of situations, including emergencies. This will really help you come up with a switch and device layout that will work for you in those situations. Find a big cardboard box and set it up on your kitchen table, draw something representing your panel on the side, set it up with similar distances as you have in the plane and get chair flying.
 
Just my opinion:
1) Ipads run hot, they do not seem to work as well at 8000' as they do at sea level.

The Apple specs on the iPad mini 6 do not state an altitude limit: "Operating altitude: tested up to 10,000 feet (3000 m)"

I've had several different iPad mini's (including the current 6th Gen) mounted in my RV-8s and fly with them every flight. I've flown them above 8,000' to 17,500' many times with no apparent problems with them.
 
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It’s been my experience that the Ipad is not a reliable tool and attitude information from a portable unit has proven less than reliable. Flying in VMC I did a few steep turns and the attitude info coming from the Aera 660 was whacked out and would have gotten me killed in IMC.

While you haven’t mentioned what type of flying you intend to do with the panel I can suggest if you plan to fly IFR that you add a second screen to your mix, or at a minimum wire the panel so that it can be added down the road as a plug and play addition. Between the D10A and two Dynon screens you would have some redundancy and negate the Ipad dependency. I would also suggest adding a second ADHARS unit.

This is what I did when I updated the panel in our RV-10 and is similar to what you are looking to do.

https://n7zk.com/build-log/panel-update/.

The only thing I would change on what I did is move the control modules to the right of the G5. The G5 is tricker to see from the left seat and I don’t think reaching a few more inches for the modules would be a big deal. All of the turbine cockpits I looked at had the auto pilot controls mounted high on the panel so I figured it best to emulate their design as best possible.
 
I'm going through a similar thought exercise as I plan a new panel and agree with most of what all the previous posters said, although I think your radio stack is fine location wise. My IFR 6 pack panel has the radio stack in almost that exact location, and I like it there. That probably leaves room for the skyview modules on the right of the EFIS if you want, or below.

I'm not sure I'd even put in a NAV/COM. I'd go with the GNC355 instead of the GPS 175, and leave the traditional NAV out. I have a KX155 and I'll keep that until it croaks, but if I didn't already own it I wouldn't have NAV /COM in a new panel.

iPads are great if you have steam gauges, and I love all the information I get, but once you have a skyview or G3X, doesn't it sort of lose it's cache?

While you haven’t mentioned what type of flying you intend to do with the panel I can suggest if you plan to fly IFR that you add a second screen to your mix, or at a minimum wire the panel so that it can be added down the road as a plug and play addition. Between the D10A and two Dynon screens you would have some redundancy and negate the Ipad dependency. I would also suggest adding a second ADHARS unit.

Is there that much benefit to a second EFIS when you already have a G5 for back-up? The G5 has AHRS independent of the main EFIS. I really don't want to install a 2nd big screen and I'm trying to understand the benefits.
 
I agree with reclamation of the iPad space on the panel. Your EFIS systems will provide all the information you’ll need (assuming they display chart and approach plates plus traffic and adsb weather). My iPad washes out in direct sun and will overheat.

Upgrade the right EFIS to the same as the left EFIS. Don’t need the clock, use EFIS/gps time. Consider adding a second USB power supply. Make sure you have USB data download/upload access for each EFIS on your panel and label each data port. I second the use of toggle switches over rocker because they take up less space, however rocker switches do allow for illumination and labels but requires a dimmer. Install a Garmin GNC355 instead of the GNS175. You’ll appreciate having a second comm radio. Install a Hobbs meter.

Here’s a thought that I haven’t seen mentioned yet but I sure like having on my panel. Add two receptacles for plugging in cannulas from an onboard portable Mountain High Oxygen system. My bottle is right behind the passenger seat with hoses running from the bottle under the passenger canopy railing to the cannula receptacles on the panel. I drape the bag holding the cannulas over the bottle which makes for easy inflight access. With the bottle behind the passenger I just plug in the cannulas and reach over to turn it on/off. Love it!
 
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You didn't mention a xpndr. If lacking that (not remote), and you want an IFR navigator, it's hard to beat the GNX375.

I think you'll find the EFIS does most of what you want. I'd go with a G5 backup rather than the D10. If you want an iPad in the panel for map, one should suffice.

Here is an simplified alternative layout that, IMO, gets the important things in front of you.

Have fun!
 

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Carl’s list is pretty spot on. I will add my agreement about the ipads. Mini or pro they are not reliable enough to be used as a primary display. I fly with one, but it is on a RAM mount on the right roll bar bracket (slider model). Its primary use is to preflight. While flying it is used as a secondary nav aid (Foreflight). Contrary to what Flying Canuck said, in a 7, one can easily reach “all the way” across to the right side of the canopy. Mounting it this way allows the screen to be turned facing toward the pilot. It works very well there.

Switches, think about ergonomics when placing them. Which hand operates them? When operating the switch what is the other hand doing? As had been mentioned, think about what switches might accidentally be pushed if they are near others. Think about placing them so you know how to reach them without looking. I think “left to right” when turning switches on. I think “right to left” when turning them off (example, first switch to turn on? MASTER. So it is far left. When turning off it is the last switch.). My thinking is most important switches are left to least important right. Separate vital switches from not so vital switches when possible.

Lastly, remove the “map/sunglasses” box. If you think you need one think about a center console between the seats.
 
Lastly, remove the “map/sunglasses” box. If you think you need one think about a center console between the seats.

I concur with Steve. I have a center console from AircraftExtras.com in my RV7A and it’s a great addition. Perfect for storing a lot of small “stuff.” Very useful for getting my old bode in and out of the aircraft. The map/sunglasses box on your panel is better space for switches or circuit breakers.
 
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Contrary to what Flying Canuck said, in a 7, one can easily reach “all the way” across to the right side of the canopy. Mounting it this way allows the screen to be turned facing toward the pilot.

I will admit that this particular motion is painful for me due to a shoulder injury, but even if you can reach that far, it's far from an optimal position for operating a touch panel with much accuracy, especially if it's bumpy. Now if it isn't flush mounted, then that's a different story. An angled mount from that side could make it quite usable if you don't have to fully extend your arm to use it. Nothing operates nearly as well at arms length with locked elbows. If you must have a panel mounted iPad, this is a decent option. I had one on a RAM mount with an 1-1/2" arm on the right side in my first panel, although the mount was just to the left of the panel mounting screws - much closer to me. I didn't like it there much so it came out when I upgraded to IFR. The arm mount did also expose the unit to sunlight more which did adversely affect readability.
 
I will admit that this particular motion is painful for me due to a shoulder injury, but even if you can reach that far, it's far from an optimal position for operating a touch panel with much accuracy, especially if it's bumpy. Now if it isn't flush mounted, then that's a different story. An angled mount from that side could make it quite usable if you don't have to fully extend your arm to use it. Nothing operates nearly as well at arms length with locked elbows. If you must have a panel mounted iPad, this is a decent option. I had one on a RAM mount with an 1-1/2" arm on the right side in my first panel, although the mount was just to the left of the panel mounting screws - much closer to me. I didn't like it there much so it came out when I upgraded to IFR. The arm mount did also expose the unit to sunlight more which did adversely affect readability.
So in my case I do not use the ipad (Foreflight) as a primary navigation tool. Once it is mounted in the RAM mount I am not reaching over to it for any flight critical reason. I really appreciate the Foreflight audio alarms for traffic from the ipad but that does not require any action on my part. As I stated previously, I do not view the ipad reliable enough to use as a flight critical tool.
 
Is there that much benefit to a second EFIS when you already have a G5 for back-up? The G5 has AHRS independent of the main EFIS. I really don't want to install a 2nd big screen and I'm trying to understand the benefits.

The following assumes that one does not believe the ipad is a valid backup when flying IMC.

With two panel mounted screens you can pull up approach plates on the second screen vs looking down at the (unreliable) ipad. Big head movements are a bad idea when IMC. On the second screen you can also send comm frequencies to the Dynon radio from the flight plan, pull up the weather enroute etc while leaving the PFD and chart on screen #1.

If one screen fails you have a second screen to fly on. (I have had one fail with a rainbow screen of death on it).

The G5 with its own battery is a last resort backup for a complete electrical failure as it only provides airspeed/altitude/and attitude info. It shares only a power wire with the ship in my install.

The redundancy of the second screen is a benefit but the real value is the functionality and ease of flow while flying with it. Comes back to your mission: do alot of cross country IFR and it makes it much easier.
 
So in my case I do not use the ipad (Foreflight) as a primary navigation tool. Once it is mounted in the RAM mount I am not reaching over to it for any flight critical reason. I really appreciate the Foreflight audio alarms for traffic from the ipad but that does not require any action on my part. As I stated previously, I do not view the ipad reliable enough to use as a flight critical tool.

We fully agree there. I use it for flight planning and EFB and nothing more. It is a great tool for that, but I've had my iPad overheat too many times to ever rely on it in critical phases of flight.
 
Great Work!!

Great thoughts guys! You all continue to impress me the more involved I get. I was deliberate in not stating my going in thoughts/limitations because I wanted raw input. But here are a couple of things I have to keep in mind. 5th kid just graduated college and youngest two just started ATP flight training. That said, budget is a major consideration. Once they are off the teat then I’ll be able to continue to upgrade. That is one of the main reasons I am using the ACM, very plug and play as I go.

So, initially the braces on the panel really concerned me. I built the panel around that. Through several conversations on this forum I have concluded that the braces can be moved without much issue. So I took that out of my crosscheck. Instead, I sat with a blank panel and said “If I were king for a day..”

The elephant in the room is obviously the iPads. The Skyview screen to me is a little small. I fly 787 for a living so I do have to keep that in context. My intent is, once I am in the terminal area IFR, to fly with the Skyview in 80/20 screen with PFD and Engine. The iPad just to the left will be my charts/moving map. The display is much larger than the Skyview split screen. Having the Skyview offset to the right a bit also puts the PFD directly in front of me. Two reasons I placed the Skyview low with the panels on top. First is that the airlines have the Mode Control Panel (MCP) across the top of the panel so it’s continuity for me. More importantly though, my bi-focals work perfectly with me looking outside then shifting my eyes in to the lower panel. Getting old is not for the timid… The second iPad is a bit of a place holder. Admittedly my wife will like the iPad better but my intent will be to replace the right iPad with a 7” Skyview. A side note here though, I think flying plates on the right iPad is a bad idea. Moving your eyes in IMC is a great idea, moving your head, is not. My other thought on the left iPad is that, even though I’m OK with the single point of failure risk with the ACM, I’d like to mitigate it as much as possible. I’ll continue to use my Stratus which, in my admittedly limited experience, has been very good at providing accurate info. Would I do steep turns and depend on it, likely not. But then again, I don’t really think steep turns in IMC are a great idea. If I’m in IMC, Skyview fails, I get into an unusual attitude, my D10A fails, and my iPad gives me bad information, it’s probably just my day to die. OBTW, the iPad mounts will have cooling fans.

Next is switches. You have convinced me to pass on the rockers. Good arguments there. Also, I will move the pitot heat down by the Boost Pump and Landing Light. The rationale on switches for me is they will be color coded by system but grouped by phase of flight. Note on the Pitot Heat though. My technique is when I am in or anticipating IMC, the Pitot Heat is on. Being surprised by pitot ice is also a very bad idea.

175 vs 355… If money were not a factor I would agree. Actually, I’d get an IFD 440. I am one of those guys, maybe because I worked too many military programs, that believes GPS is very vulnerable. Even though land based NAVAIDS are going away, I’d like to have access while I can. G5 vs D10A, I already own the D10A as my current EFIS…

The clock, I agree no need. But the Skyview transponder is a “build it and they will come” item. The cutout for the clock will host my Becker transponder until then.

Jim, great idea on the O2. I don’t fly that high but some day might so I think I’ll try and incorporate that.

Last thought, if you guys aren’t doing blindfold cockpit checks, you should be. That’s why I group switches by function. When I’m in smoke or dark I want to able to find my phase of flight switches quickly and only have a couple to choose between. One last thing, Flaps on the stick? Seems odd to me. If you have a Tosten grip, where do you put the Flaps switch and how does it work?

Gosh that is a lot of words, very sorry. You beat up my panel pretty good, thank you. Now you know my logic, can you take a shot at that as well? I’d appreciate it. Thanks again guys!
 
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Your proposed panel is a bit of a mish mosh, which will probably need upgrade down the road. Why not Dual 10" Skyviews or AFS 5600T's. Remote Xpdr, Comm, Audio Panel, dual ADAHARS, 5ah TCW back up battery. Integrate your desired Garmin Navigator 175/355/375. The AFS ACM is a great starting point, plug everything into the Skyview Network and you can control everything from the EFIS screens. Spend the extra bucks, do it right and be done with it.
https://postimg.cc/XrKG44ZZ
 
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Panel

First. Here is an alternative mounting for the ipad and saves panel space, more shaded, and a great place to store your headset when tucked away.
Second. I would put the AP power near the flap. Quick control with your index finger with hand on the throttle.
 

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Switch guards

If you are going to use rocker switches, I can't recommend these highly enough.

https://periheliondesign.com/product/organic-handpicked-coffee/

PDM-005-800.jpg

I have one on every switch on the panel, and when it's bumpy, and I want to turn on the fuel pump to switch tanks, they really help make sure I don't accidentally turn off any other switches, like the all-important chemtrails.

Also, I agree with other comments on the ipad - don't take up panel space, just use a good mounting system, then you can find the right place for it. Models/sizes change over time, and you don't want to be locked in.
 
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One last thing, Flaps on the stick? Seems odd to me. If you have a Tosten grip, where do you put the Flaps switch and how does it work?

I do have a flap switch on my Tosten military style grips (pilot side only). I also left the panel flap switch in place. All my other grip switch functions are “ground to activate” except for the flap switch. That switch, because it reverses polarity when activated, requires three wires instead of two.

When I initially ordered my grips from Tosten I didn’t know this so the momentary switch he put on the grip didn’t work and I had to return the pilot’s grip for a three wire momentary switch which he kindly replaced w/o charge.

I ran the wiring to the area of the panel switch and wired it so that either switch activates the flaps however I do have to keep the panel switch in the neutral (off) position for the stick switch to work. Frankly, I use the stick switch 90% of the time because it’s a thumb movement away. Great in IMC conditions and keeps the eyes outside in the pattern.

Here’s another thought about panel upgrade costs. I’m almost 75 and have owned my RV since 2015. My panel upgrade efforts have been incremental, primarily due to costs and also figuring out over time what changes made sense to me. What I’ve discovered is that planned upgrade options have come and gone due to equipment inventory changes. Avionics keep getting more and more expensive (like everything else).

A true panel upgrade can easily exceed $40k. The good news there are financing options available that will allow you to spread the cost out over a reasonable period of time (say five years). I purchased my RV spreading the cost over five years and it worked great for me but because I didn’t want anymore debt, upgrades had to be done incrementally.

Bottom line: think about doing your entire panel upgrade at one time and get the equipment you truly want. You won’t regret it. In the long run it will cost less. Next year I’ll probably sell my RV because it’ll be the prudent thing to do. I just wish I’d been able to do a total upgrade at one time and enjoy the aircraft more. However part of the RV grin is figuring out what you want and working towards it.
 
Ipad ahrs source

I have used an Ipad mini on the right side of my panel for two years in a fan cooled mount with zero issues overheating, almost all of that time in CAVU. It gives the wife something to look at using Foreflight (although the airspeed and altitude info are ads-b data and not actual a/c) and it also serves as a third independent ahrs source in my panel using a Garmin GDL-50R remote mount ads-b in. The GDL-50R also provides the ads-b information to my G3x display and a handheld ipad that I use for clearances and misc. Something to consider in place of the Stratus...

Bruce
RV-7A tip up (purchased)
ATP A&P
 
. . .The elephant in the room is obviously the iPads. The Skyview screen to me is a little small. I fly 787 for a living so I do have to keep that in context. My intent is, once I am in the terminal area IFR, to fly with the Skyview in 80/20 screen with PFD and Engine. The iPad just to the left will be my charts/moving map. The display is much larger than the Skyview split screen. Having the Skyview offset to the right a bit also puts the PFD directly in front of me. Two reasons I placed the Skyview low with the panels on top. First is that the airlines have the Mode Control Panel (MCP) across the top of the panel so it’s continuity for me. More importantly though, my bi-focals work perfectly with me looking outside then shifting my eyes in to the lower panel. Getting old is not for the timid… The second iPad is a bit of a place holder. Admittedly my wife will like the iPad better but my intent will be to replace the right iPad with a 7” Skyview. A side note here though, I think flying plates on the right iPad is a bad idea. Moving your eyes in IMC is a great idea, moving your head, is not. My other thought on the left iPad is that, even though I’m OK with the single point of failure risk with the ACM, I’d like to mitigate it as much as possible.

Next is switches. You have convinced me to pass on the rockers. Good arguments there. Also, I will move the pitot heat down by the Boost Pump and Landing Light. The rationale on switches for me is they will be color coded by system but grouped by phase of flight. Note on the Pitot Heat though. My technique is when I am in or anticipating IMC, the Pitot Heat is on. Being surprised by pitot ice is also a very bad idea.

Last thought, if you guys aren’t doing blindfold cockpit checks, you should be. That’s why I group switches by function. When I’m in smoke or dark I want to able to find my phase of flight switches quickly and only have a couple to choose between. One last thing, Flaps on the stick? Seems odd to me. If you have a Tosten grip, where do you put the Flaps switch and how does it work?

Gosh that is a lot of words, very sorry. You beat up my panel pretty good, thank you. Now you know my logic, can you take a shot at that as well? I’d appreciate it. Thanks again guys!
I agree that splitting the Skyview screen is not good. I would not like that either. That is the main reason others have mentioned dual screens. If you placed a 7” Skyview where the left mini resides you do not have to split screens any longer. I know you mentioned costs and budget but a second skyview display would solve a lot of your issues you have discussed at a marginal increase in cost. The cost/benefit analysis leans in favor of benefit in my book. Of course my book has ME spending YOUR money! 😂

As for switches on the stick, I highly recommend doing so on the pilot stick. In my case I have the Infinity stick grip. Tosten has been mentioned also. There are other manufacturers. My stick has PTT (trigger, index finger), elevator trim (cooly hat, thumb), top right of the cooly, flaps (mom-off-mom toggle, thumb), half way down on right of stick, autopilot disconnect (push button on-off, thumb), bottom right, radio flip flop (push button on-off, pinky). While flying this allows 90%+ of most activity without taking your hand off the stick. It is especially beneficial while deploying flaps/trim when in the pattern. You don’t reach for anything while keeping your eyes out the window.

Tosten grips are good and price is budget friendly. Infinity is slightly more expensive but touch and feel is much more in line with military grips. Both are customizable to whatever you wish. Well worth it in my opinion.
 
The following assumes that one does not believe the ipad is a valid backup when flying IMC.

Depends on what you mean. I'd consider an iPad a reasonable back-up for charts, a marginal back-up for enroute navigation and unusable for anything else in the air. My iPad has overheated once in the 11 years I've been using them, that after being left in a sunny cockpit in 90 degree weather. Overheating while in IMC seems unlikely.

With two panel mounted screens you can pull up approach plates on the second screen vs looking down at the (unreliable) ipad. Big head movements are a bad idea when IMC. On the second screen you can also send comm frequencies to the Dynon radio from the flight plan, pull up the weather enroute etc while leaving the PFD and chart on screen #1.

If one screen fails you have a second screen to fly on. (I have had one fail with a rainbow screen of death on it).

With a G5 in a Garmin panel, my understanding is I'd have almost the same thing. No plates of course, or synthetic vision, HSI, flight director etc., but I'd have a mini EFIS with CDIs.

I've experienced the issues you mention with looking down at charts, since that was the only option for a long time. I learned flipping through a thick book of plates on my lap or on a clipboard. I'm not sure a plate on a screen on the right side of panel is that much better though. It is an interesting thought though about where to have back-up plates. I currently have a 696 on a RAM mount forward of the canopy latch, and an iPad mini there instead for plate access might work. Easy access and limited head movement.

The G5 with its own battery is a last resort backup for a complete electrical failure as it only provides airspeed/altitude/and attitude info. It shares only a power wire with the ship in my install.

I'm leaning towards mostly/all Garmin. Unless I'm missing something, the G5 provides enough back-up to a G3X. More than just what you note. It can even fly coupled approached with the right set-up.

A complete electrical failure in IMC with a glass panel will make for a bad day no matter what you have done, no? At that point I'm no longer navigating to anywhere other than the nearest VMC.

The redundancy of the second screen is a benefit but the real value is the functionality and ease of flow while flying with it. Comes back to your mission: do alot of cross country IFR and it makes it much easier.

Maybe 2% of my flying has been in actual IMC. I could probably count the number of approaches to ceilings below 1000 on hands and toes, all done before we had the PFM of touch screen EFIS, GPS, geo-referenced plates and 2/3 axis autopilots.

I believe a new G3X + G5 panel will be 5x-10x as capable as what I have now. Seems like the 2nd large display would add another 1x or so. I must still be missing something.
 
New Panel with Upgrade Space

Everyone has fantastic ideas but I like this design. It is efficient and leaves lots of space for upgrading to an additional display. It is not my design but I really liked it (thanks to MotoDave).
When I upgrade it will be something very similar.
 

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Not sure why you need a digital clock. I've got a time on the G3X that I've used only once in five years for timing an approach. The panel clock I use for logging flight time but really don't need it.

And if you're going to use that clock in IFR, it's way far away from everything else.

I'm a big fan of having everything you need on the panel so that you don't encounter vertical head motion in IMC.

On an IPC, I successfully improvised approaches with a Garmin G5 and aera 660, simulating a total electrical failure. If that ever happens for real, I know I can find an airport and land at it, and I won't be worrying about TERPS, etc. I would not want to get attitude information from anything that wasn't hard mounted on the panel.
 
Sounds to me like I need to go up and ring out an iPad. Let's see what it actually does. I have one velcro'd to my panel now and have flown vmc RNAV like approaches with it, no problem. If weather holds for next couple of days, I'll go out and report back the results.
 
I always liked the idea of having all your radios and switches/controls that are operated normally in flight to be on the left in a stick flown with the right hand. You can always maintain aircraft control and have a free hand for all that stuff.

Ancillary switches and controls can be on a right sub-panel or wherever, as they are operated at the beginning of the flight or on a seldom basis.

Anyway, that just makes sense to me. Even easier with our modern PFD and EMS/ND displays.
 

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