Next, I'll do all of the wiring that I can while its on the bench and then mount it in the cockpit for final wiring. Check back later for that.
Here is the panel installed in the fuselage:
After all the wiring was complete, it was time to power it all up for the
first time:
Once the boot cowl was finished and windshield installed, The final bit of business is to put some sort of protective edge on the glare-shield that extends over the instrument panel. ON the prototypes, the boot cowl top is simply trimmed to be flush with the panel, which eliminates having to deal with a sharp, head splitting edge in the event of an accident.
To finish mine off, I went down to the local boat parts dealer and bought
some split cable sleeve. This stuff is made from very hard plastic
or nylon and can just be slid onto the panel edge as shown here because it
is slit down the full
length:
In addition to the cable sleeve, I will also put a black cover. Actually,
I went to an auto parts store and bought some black rubber hose with no printing
on the outside. Using a razor knife, I slit it full length and then
slipped it over the cable sleeve as shown
here:
Some weatherstrip adhesive will be spread inside this to hold it in place
permanently.
Here is the finished
panel:
Instrument Panel
Completed: 02/08/08
Total Time: 40 hours (does not include planning time)
Click here to go to the Final Assembly page
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