GFC500 and possible G3X install

[gsxrpilot]

5 hours ago, dominikos said:

Paul, what did you pay for a new panel? I’m being quoted $6K here in TX. Don’t know if that’s reasonable or not.

You might check with these guys. I've seen a couple of their panels and they are really nice. I think you'd be around $1000 for the panel.

https://www.eapanels.com/pilots-and-owners

 

[MIm20c]

Panels are definitely more expensive than I thought. A lot of behind he scenes work to make everything perfect. If you want a generic panel or just an overlay it could easily be done for 1k. However, a really nice replacement panel, non standard, will push $3k really fast. 

[Rmag]

My Mooney Panels were done by:  https://www.nimbusaviation.com  They do good work and reasonable pricing. 

[carusoam]

Copying an existing good design... is the lowest cost way to go...

The moment we start to move things around in the panel with new instruments...

The puzzle becomes more of a 3D, in motion, challenge...

A real new complex layout... often gets a plexiglas panel made for visualization of how well everything fits.... and how well the yoke moves through it all...

There are lots of expensive hours mounting things temporarily before the final panel...

 

PP thoughts only, stuff I read around here...

Best regards,

-a-

[dominikos]

I know I’m deviating slightly off topic here, a quick question tho. How labor intense is to rewire breakers? I wonder if that’s where most of the cost in putting a new panel would be tied in. And in M20J they are mounted at the angle, ideally could be replaced with a flat panel.

[gsxrpilot]

14 minutes ago, dominikos said:

I know I’m deviating slightly off topic here, a quick question tho. How labor intense is to rewire breakers? I wonder if that’s where most of the cost would in putting a new panel would be tied in. And in M20J they are mounted at the angle, ideally could be replaced with a flat panel.

With enough time and effort, you can cut the new panel yourself. 

@"Chocks" and I did mine. It was a combination of some $5 Lexan pieces from HomeDepot for practice templates, a free EAA copy of SolidWorks and some time spent learning to use it, laying out the panel in SolidWorks, take the file to a metal shop, they cut the panel out of aluminum and put the radius curve on the bottom. It was painted at home and then to a "trophy" shop to get laser engraved. Total cost, about $300 and a case of beer.

[Chocks]

Worked like a champ! Those waterjet panels came out kickass.

So start with a piece of carboard, for a rough shape and use pieces of paper with your gauge dimensions on them, and start laying out. A couple of things to take into consideration. 1) There are vertical "support" structures behind your panel, that you have to work around. So first is finding where you can't put gauges. 2) If you can get your hands on an existing cad file of a generic panel layout for your plane, this will save you a step, maybe several.

IF you can get your hands on that CAD file, then find a local laser engraver. Give them the CAD file and have them cut your file out of clear 1/8-1/4" or so acrylic. Just the base panel, no cutouts (yet) Now get your old panel out of your plane, and put your acrylic cutouts in place, and start marking with a black marker. You can see right through the pieces of acrylic, so you can mark where any support pieces are, ducting, or anything else that is a barrier for gauge placement. (Some of your gauges are much deeper than you think). Now the fun part! If you have to make your own CAD file, then get your ruler, get the free Solidworks, and start mapping out. 

Now before the next step, you'll still need that Solidworks download and go through the process of learning how to make shapes, size them, etc. But you will be working with a flat (2D) file, so no need to learn extrusions, etc. But the learning curve is quite mild if you're technically savvvy. Otherwise, either pay someone else, or just buy the one from your avionics shop.

Now you've got your clear acrylic panels, the black markings where you have to work around, and now it's time to layout. So take your paper gauges and start placing. Get them pretty close to where you want them and tape them down. Once you're happy, then it's either into Solidworks, or back to the engraver. You're gonna pay for hours of labor if he has to import your paper layout into that cad drawing, so what's your time worth? Get you a new clear acrylic panel, with ALL your gauges cutout. I would get at least 2 cut out for drafts. Take it to the plane and start mocking it up for real. Drill holes, make notes, and redo these steps as many times as it takes to get it right. Once you've got a finalized panel, made out of clear acrylic, it's time to see the metal maker! 

Do as much of the cad yourself as you're comfortable, but the metal shop will probably have someone on the payroll for sketchups. Give them everything you've got, and let them make your acrylic panel into a metal one. Waterjet, laser, press-cuts, etc. They'll all be the same, just make sure they use .090" 6061 aluminum. 

There are some great resources and links on the experimental building websites, but this is a wonderful resource for the DIY https://www.kitplanes.com/all-about-avionics-cutting-the-metal/#:~:text=The two most common thicknesses,are going to be installed.

 

I hope that helps with the panel portion, and good luck!

[Jim Peace]

On 4/2/2021 at 8:27 PM, PJClark said:

NOT.  My panel was $2810 including the blank on copilot side, my choice of powdercoat color and texture

I would have ditched the 430 for a nice monoxide detector....

[PJClark]

Brilliant. Post a pic of your G3X panel and sensor when you've got it done!

[MIm20c]

Jim went with a second com only with his overhaul. I don’t agree and like the 430 as a second unit.