If you are looking for someone to bring your ideas of a new panel to life, I have just the guy for you.
I built my 7A back in 2004 with steam gauges, and did a panel upgrade from the original steam gauges to a Dynon Skyview touch suite about 9 years ago. I did my own layout and then cut it by hand. If you've ever cut out a panel, you know how time consuming it can be -- especially if you want precision and a nice result. So fast forward to now -- I'm updating from a single Dynon D1000T Skyview and Advanced Flight AF-2500 -- to a current generation dual screen 10" HDX with a Garmin 175 navigator. So I spent time getting a pretty good layout on a sheet of cardboard with cutouts, but then I decided that I didn't want to cut this complex one by hand.
I found Bill at UpNorth Aviation up in Vermont. He is a GREAT guy to work with. Bill is an A&P/IA too. I just finished my panel with him and I can't say enough good things about him.
We started with me emailing him a couple of photos of my proposed layout, along with some key dimensions. I gave him the height and width of my existing panel, as I had dropped the panel down on the bottom by a conservative 3/8" -- as to add more real estate, but not so much as to seriously affect knee room. My panel also incorporates small sheet metal plate assemblies on each lower side of the main panel, as to hold Steinair vents and headphone jacks for each side. Bill then created an initial CAD design on his system. I was pleasantly surprised that he could start with sketches, photos, or even other CAD drawings. He confirms every specific item you are going to install, so as he can use exact dimensions - for both the actual cutout and the overhang (think bezels etc). Bill then sends you a pdf (or an actual CAD file) to review.
After about 8 iterations of design tweaks (some big, some only fractions of an inch), we arrived at EXACTLY what I wanted -- incorporating all the details. Bill usually got back to me the following day (or sooner) which made for a good working pace. When you think you have finalized the design, but before cutting metal, Bill sends a "FULL SIZE" pdf file -- which I got printed out at FULL SIZE at Staples for $12 (UPS Stores supposedly can do that too). He wants to make very sure you are 100% happy with the design before cutting metal. We even put in the tiny .030"x .060" anti-rotation tabs in the holes for the switches and the big one for the ACS ignition switch. He is very methodical and disciplined.
The whole process starts with a $175 deposit to him (I used Zelle), and you ordering a blank panel from Van's and having it dropped shipped to him. Vans has a large master blank panel available for order (oversized and with NO holes) for my 7 "tilt-up" which cost me about $125 total at the Vans on-line store. (Talk to Bill for details.) The final payment was under $300 --which included the cost of shipping the panel to me. I will do the match drilling of mounting holes, and the nut plates / mounting bracket installs, then final paint. I have found a source for rub on transfers, which will be generated from a pdf file supplied by me.
To contact Bill, go to his website upnorthaviation.com or email him at [email protected]
I built my 7A back in 2004 with steam gauges, and did a panel upgrade from the original steam gauges to a Dynon Skyview touch suite about 9 years ago. I did my own layout and then cut it by hand. If you've ever cut out a panel, you know how time consuming it can be -- especially if you want precision and a nice result. So fast forward to now -- I'm updating from a single Dynon D1000T Skyview and Advanced Flight AF-2500 -- to a current generation dual screen 10" HDX with a Garmin 175 navigator. So I spent time getting a pretty good layout on a sheet of cardboard with cutouts, but then I decided that I didn't want to cut this complex one by hand.
I found Bill at UpNorth Aviation up in Vermont. He is a GREAT guy to work with. Bill is an A&P/IA too. I just finished my panel with him and I can't say enough good things about him.
We started with me emailing him a couple of photos of my proposed layout, along with some key dimensions. I gave him the height and width of my existing panel, as I had dropped the panel down on the bottom by a conservative 3/8" -- as to add more real estate, but not so much as to seriously affect knee room. My panel also incorporates small sheet metal plate assemblies on each lower side of the main panel, as to hold Steinair vents and headphone jacks for each side. Bill then created an initial CAD design on his system. I was pleasantly surprised that he could start with sketches, photos, or even other CAD drawings. He confirms every specific item you are going to install, so as he can use exact dimensions - for both the actual cutout and the overhang (think bezels etc). Bill then sends you a pdf (or an actual CAD file) to review.
After about 8 iterations of design tweaks (some big, some only fractions of an inch), we arrived at EXACTLY what I wanted -- incorporating all the details. Bill usually got back to me the following day (or sooner) which made for a good working pace. When you think you have finalized the design, but before cutting metal, Bill sends a "FULL SIZE" pdf file -- which I got printed out at FULL SIZE at Staples for $12 (UPS Stores supposedly can do that too). He wants to make very sure you are 100% happy with the design before cutting metal. We even put in the tiny .030"x .060" anti-rotation tabs in the holes for the switches and the big one for the ACS ignition switch. He is very methodical and disciplined.
The whole process starts with a $175 deposit to him (I used Zelle), and you ordering a blank panel from Van's and having it dropped shipped to him. Vans has a large master blank panel available for order (oversized and with NO holes) for my 7 "tilt-up" which cost me about $125 total at the Vans on-line store. (Talk to Bill for details.) The final payment was under $300 --which included the cost of shipping the panel to me. I will do the match drilling of mounting holes, and the nut plates / mounting bracket installs, then final paint. I have found a source for rub on transfers, which will be generated from a pdf file supplied by me.
To contact Bill, go to his website upnorthaviation.com or email him at [email protected]
