Menu
What's new
By:
Advanced search…

Ideas for instrument panel

S

skelly

Cross Country Pilot
#1
#1
Hi,
Soon I will be making a new instrument panel for my kitfox Mk2 but I'm completely lost on what king of layout to use.
I was wondering if any of you could offer some inspiration ?
I would like to keep it really simple but to maybe one day have a moving map ipad skydemon type thing.
It will have a handheld radio on a bracket and just the basic instruments.
Any pointers or ideas ?

Cheers,
Skelly.
 
Dave Morton

Dave Morton

Student Pilot
#2
#2
Draw the layout on card first, move instruments around so they "flow" keeping engine instruments together for easy scanning plus using ram mounts for a tablet or an ipad allow decent positioning.
When I built a jabiru I covered the panel top with blue leatherette and the panel fascia with a cream leatherette which looked great and a little different from spraying and its easy to manipulate over curves etc
 
F

Frank Dimmock

Student Pilot
#3
#3
I've been thinking about this for when I build a Skyranger hopefully later this year.
My thoughts are the instrument order should "flow" from left to right, so for flight instrument cluster: ASI on the left, VSI in the middle and Alt on the right. For engine instruments from left to right: Fuel contents, Fuel Pressure, RPM, Oil pressure, CHT and/or Water Temp, EGT.
Depending on space on the panel and bearing in mind Flight instruments are usually 3&1/8" and Engine instruments are 2&1/2" diameter, put them in 2 rows with Flight instruments on the top row and Engine instruments on the bottom row.
For the Moving Map, maybe in the top middle of the panel on a Ram-mount with switches or circuit-breakers below. Where to put the radio depends on space remaining but it needs to be easily viewed because of the small display, also easily within reach.
Maybe remember Aviate, Navigate, Communicate would help decide what goes where but as Dave says cut out life-size cardboard pictures and move them around until your happy with the layout - Measure twice and cut once!
 
Martin Watson

Martin Watson

Student Pilot
#4
#4
This may help a bit
https://www.eaa.org/eaa/aircraft-bu...s-and-avionics/planning-your-instrument-panel

Personally I'd think copying a typical 'six pack' layout of flight instruments would be ideal, and grouping the engine instruments on the right hand side works best. Copy what commercial and older military aircraft have because their designers and engineers used a lot of research knowledge and experience to come up with the best solutions.

I see you can even get software to help you!
 
A

Allan

Cross Country Pilot
#8
#8
skelly said:
Hi,
Soon I will be making a new instrument panel for my kitfox Mk2 but I'm completely lost on what king of layout to use.
I was wondering if any of you could offer some inspiration ?
I would like to keep it really simple but to maybe one day have a moving map ipad skydemon type thing.
It will have a handheld radio on a bracket and just the basic instruments.
Any pointers or ideas ?

Cheers,
Skelly.
Click to expand...
When what seems a lifetime ago I built my Skyranger I made mock up panels out of thin mdf. I didn’t like the first one so dumped it. Thin mdf is cheap. Because it is only a mock up your measurements etc don’t need to spot on so making one is easy. When I made one that satisfied me I invited my build inspector to comment. I could then tackle the real job with some confidence.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top