RV-7 3D Panel Design

[rph142]

Heres my first crack at designing my panel. It will be dual Dynon HDX screens with their suite of panels in the center. The large rectangle is a rough model of the Garmin 175 and the three small rectangles below it are the dynon autopilot disconnect, ident, and dimmer modules. The two large circles on either side of the dynons are vents modeled after steins large vent option. Id like the ability to fly this plane from left or right seat, which necessitates the Pmag switches and push to start button located in the center. The small switch to the right of the start button will be flaps. The last two items that I'm struggling to find a home for are the cabin heat and oil cooler door push pull cables. Throttle and mixture will be mounted in a carbon fiber center console that Im fabricating using 3D printed moulds.

[sahrens]

Are you building a tip-up or slider? The supports from the sub-panel to the panel have to be relocated, at least on my tip-up. So it’s an interesting design effort to relocate them.

I’m not familiar with the Stein vents. They are too large to fit next to the skins just under the panel?

[rph142]

I'm building a tip up and figured I'd have to do some surgery on the supports to make everything work. I thought about placing the vents in the typical area as you mentioned, but I kind of like a more direct breeze. Id really prefer the downward breeze that you get in a high wing, but this will have to do.

For those newish to solidworks, you can find free 3d models for nearly every piece of hardware imaginable on the mcmaster site. I found the toggle switches and locking toggles on there. I was surprised to find garmin doesn't provide 3d models of their equipment.

[bellamy]

Garmin provides STEP files that can be imported into SolidWorks.

Look for the link under G3X Touch manuals.
https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?pr...58&tab=manuals

Look for "G3X 3D Models (.STEP)"
This is the one that will download a set of 34 G3X touch components (G5, GAD 27, GAD 29, GDUxxx, GEA24, GMC507, GNX375, GRT200, GTNs, GAP26, GSU25...)

Regards,
Brad

[sahrens]

If you are interested here is some information on my panel. I installed an AFS 5500, 8.4” screen. I moved the supports inward but left room for the radio stack.

http://www.mykitlog.com/users/catego...&category=9948

[rph142]

Thanks for the tips, Scott! Much appreciated.

[Snowflake]

You can make a standard width radio stack in the middle and run the side walls between the panels as your supports. 30 years later and i'm still surprised this isn't the default configuration on all RV's.

[keitht]

For the center stack the GPS 175 is a shorter unit so putting it at the top of the stack doesnt require a large cutout for the top center of the subpanel behind the instrument panel. Making a mockup cardboard instrument panel will help with getting the subpanel cutouts in the right place and right size and reduce the number of scrapped parts.
KT

[johnbright]

Originally Posted by rph142

... The large rectangle is a rough model of the Garmin 175....

FYI the previously mentioned file labeled "G3X 3D Models (.STEP)" at https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?pr...58&tab=manuals contains the GPS 175.

Originally Posted by rph142

... the three small rectangles below it are the Dynon autopilot disconnect, ident, and dimmer modules....

Those modules are large. You can save space by using your own buttons for for AP disconnect and ident and the dimmer can be a potentiometer of ~5k Ohms. (dynonsupport said on the Dynon Forum "You can use a 1K Ohm or greater potentiometer to create this voltage." and one customer on the forum seems to have used a 10k pot.)

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Draker posted the Van's push pull knob (A-740) and throttle, prop, and mixture knobs as well as some other items. https://vansairforce.net/community/s...7&postcount=58
.

[Zero4Zulu]

My panel is similar to yours. I’d move the vents from the main panel. Save the space for other things but also routing the vent tubes up to them on panel might be a pain. Also, if you are building a tip up, you can reach in from the side of the panel to work on things, standing on the ground in front of the wing.