Installing Instrument Panel

The kit comes with a premade fiberglass panel/shell. This shell is well done and a good place to start as it is a custom fit to the fuselage. While it also includes a fiberglass panel insert for mounting your avionics, I had my panel laser cut from a sheet of aluminum. The aluminum is stiffer, and I think it’s a better choice as some of the edges are quite narrow.

  • Fiberglass panel has been cut for instruments and primed
  • Aluminum insert has also been cut for the instruments, switches, etc.
Trial Fitting the Panel
  • Then installed the radio stack trays
  • And started building a supporting framework for the panel
Supporting the panel
  • The panel is supported by the center console and hard points on the sides
  • Built a lower mounting tray on each side
Adding side trays
  • Building the radio stack
  • Building the supporting framework
  • Building the supporting framework
Had to figure out where each item would reside

Once the panel, it’s supports, and the radio stack were installed, it was time to get serious about wiring the avionics, ELT, heaters, oxygen, gear, central warning system, autopilot, etc.

Continue to: Wiring and Installing the Avionics

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