Tonight I worked out how I plan to mount the GEA24 box. This will mount directly onto the sub panel, with a doubler on each side to support the nut plates and provide some additional strength. The box itself is not heavy, but with the cables attached it will be heavier. It also needs to be able to withstand repeated +6/-3 G loads without cracking, so I want the mount to be strong.
Space on the forward side of the sub-panel is tight on one side, and open on the other. I made up to backing plates, the drilled, countersunk, and primed them.
Location of the box on the sub-panel. The doubler on the near side will fit between the map-box doubler (the opening on the right), and the rib flange about 25mm to the leftThe GEA24 showing the wiring harness attach points, and the doublersThe doublers. These will have nut plates attached and will be pop riveted into position behind the sub-panel
Tonight I came up with what I believe will be the right placement for the remote components behind the panel. Initially, it looks like everything will fit in with room to install all the necessary wiring harnesses and d-sub connectors. On the left side, I need to determine the orientation of the boxes. I think setting the vertical power and transponder vertically against the sub-panel, with the standby battery sitting on a tray at the bottom of the space will result in the best clearance. However I’ll keep options open and try both.
Now I need to work out the tray structure I need to build to hold these components. I’ve seen a few ideas, but need to settle on a plan.
Right side mock-up. Com radio, remote audio panel, engine monitor, air data receiver, and satellite data receiver. the white tape indicates the approximate location of the canopy frame when closed.The actual boxes oriented as they will fit in the space. Black box is the satellite receiver, and it has a specific required orientation. It’ll be raised to allow connectors to pass underneath.Option 1 for left side orientation. This gives the most clearance from the bottom edge of the screen recess. another unknown is how much space I need behind the switches which sit below the screen on this side. I may need to install the switches temporarily to check this out.Option 2 for the left side. This would be my preferred orientation, but there might be a clearance issue.
Tonight I installed the panel inserts and mounted the G3X screens. This is a temporary install to measure distances and clearances behind the panel, and to confirm my suspected lack of clearance between the control stick grips and the panel.
It really starts to look like an airplane cockpit with the screens in place! Unfortunately, as I suspected, the stick grips are just touching the screen bezel in their forward most position. I’ll need to shorten the sticks by approximately 2 inches to allow them to clear the bottom of the panel.
Panel and G3X screens temporarily installed. I didn’t install the G5, G750, autopilot, or switch panels, as the main concern is the space behind these G3X screensThe space where the remote mount modules will be installed. This is the passenger side
Over the last few days I’ve been researching different approaches to locating the various remote mount equipment that comes with the G3X system I’m installing in the airplane. The wiring harness and panel itself have been made by an avionics shop. The decisions I need to make are, where to locate the various equipment, and how to mount it on, or around, the sub panel. I decided to make some cardboard mock-ups of the components so I can work out clearances and try different options. I measured each component that needs to be installed, and then used some scrap cardboard to make each of the boxes.
Last night I started by locating the main wiring hardness that connects all of the components together, and connects to the fuselage wiring harness. The hardness itself is extensive, and heavy, and just untangling it and orienting it correctly took a few minutes. Once I had it in about the right place I zip tied it to the bottom of the panel. As I start installing the components, I can start connecting the pieces together.
Right now I’m still missing the actual panel plate and a few components. Still, I should be able to make a decision on where and how everything will be mounted, and then I can start fabricating some trays and/or brackets.
Most of the remote-mount boxes that need to fit behind the panelTrying to organize the main wiring harness. I was able to get this sorted out and temporarily zip tied in approximately the right place
Tonight I painted the canopy fairing and peeled off the tape that forms the aft edge. for the most part it came out ok, but I was a little disappointed in the way the tape broke up on the aft edge as I peeled it away. I’m left with sections of jagged paint where small pieces of the electrical tape are still trapped under the aft edge of the fairing. I will need to carefully go over the edge to remove the pieces of tape.
Tonight I finished sanding the canopy fairing. Over the weekend I had given it one more coat of high build primer and picked up some more 400 and 600 grit sandpaper. I also happened across a curved sanding block with a radius of 4 inches, which is exactly the radius I needed.
The sanding went well and I am pleased with how it has turned out. I taped off the area that needs paint and will paint with a 2k primer (once it arrives in the mail). I opted for a spray can primer because I feel the spray pattern tends to be better than when I use my own spray gun system.
My biggest concern with the fairing right now is whether the tape, which forms the aft edge, will come away cleanly from the very thin layer of resin and fiberglass. will find out next week sometime.
Wrapping up the final sanding of the canopy fairingTaped off area to paint
Today I installed the LED light strip on the glare shield. I bought a cheap red LED light strip from Amazon, so I’m not sure how well the strip will hold up in the long term. To make replacement easy I installed some d-sub pins and left a service loop held down by the Velcro.
Before I installed the light strip I tested the lights to make sure they worked with a 9V battery, then cut the light strip to size.
The glare shield has a great insert for the light strip, and I had this wrapped up in no time.
I struggled to get a neat-enough looking wiring installation. My service loop for the fans adds extra wiring that needs to be held in place. I used a decent amount of spiral wrap to prevent wires from chaffing on the shop heads of the rivets. the result was ok, but not as tidy as I had hoped.
Testing the light strip. The yellow lighting is an artifact of the camera, the light strip is red (note the reflected red light in the plastic case).Led and fans being tested using a power supply after final install
