Breaker Panel

This blog covers the construction of the switch and breaker panel.

Overview
The panel is located on the starboard side of the pilot's seat screwed to the bulkhead. Its was decided that the panel was to be removable to allow construction and maintenance to be undertaken on a bench.

To achieve this the panel has to be equipped with a number of plugs to allow the connection of the panel into the airframe wiring.

Installation.
The panel was folded from 0.030'' 2024-T3 sheet and fixed to the fuselage former's using M4 rivet nuts three [3] per side and fixed using M4 aluminium screws. The removable panels were manufactured from the same material and fixed using M3 x 10 cap HD S/S screws and rivet nuts.

With the final layout decided for the switches and breakers the removal panels were primed and drilled using a step drill to suit either the switches / breakers as required.

It was decided to connect the panel to the fuselage wiring using AMP plugs as outlined in the blog on the master circuit. The three [3] circuits were connected via switched circuit breakers using 14 and 16 gauge wire terminated onto the master bus behind the firewall. 

Use of the three separate feeds allowed reduced the wire sizes so they could be handled using the AMP pins.

Switch - Breaker Panel

One of the really big problems converting schematics into the physical without drawing the whole exercise requires a lot of imagination to be used, this saves time but leads to more work and things not happening the way you imagined.

The circuit logic was visualized as shown below with switched breakers providing power to a circuit breaker panel and to fuses behind the main panel but during installation a simpler system evolved making the use of the switched breakers of less importance - Streaker's defence is invoked.

Switched breakers will allow grouped shutdown of the selected electrical load in the event of an alternator failure but adds to the overall complexity. 

Klixon 2TC2 breakers were selected for their light weight and small size especially in depth as the panel as constructed is shallow. The breakers are organized into three [3] buses - Essential/Avionics/General paralleled with terminal strips [bus's] located behind the panel.

Breaker panel

The largest single load is the lighting especially the strobes even with all lights beign lightweight / low current LED types followed by the avionics. The other loads are mostly intermittent high current so battery storage is important as the load analysis shows the alternator lacks the reserve's to power theses.

Current Load Analysis

Comment
The question could be posed - Why all this effort? - Well the builder could try and give lots of reasons but in the end its all about the vibe and a good replica creates a vibe - does it not?

This blog was not intended to give a running description of the day by day work - refer to Facebook Gary Spencer Salt for more frequent general updates.