Panel Graphics

This blog covers the creation of the panel graphics to be printed and installed in the aircraft.

Overview
Over the years many methods have been tried from early Dynamo labels to Letraset all had their advantages and disadvantages. With the advent of high-resolution colour printers, a new world is here and all you need are some files, this leads to the question of how. 

HOW - a dirty three-letter word. This method works and is within my skill set and time but may not be for the person to building the next grand champion, in this builder case just building will suffice.

There are a number of products around from Corel Draw to Inkscape that can produce vector-based graphics but take time to master. I have mastered the use of Auto-Cad so it seems a natural place to design and layout all those panels for cutting and the labels.

Method
This will be outlined in a series of screen captures and notes below.

The two packages used here are:

Draft Sight - [ACAD clone]
PC Paint - [Shareware, make a donation]

STEP 1

Drawn in Autocad within a know border size of 200 x 125 mm
This is printed as a PNG file using a window to select the print area.
The highest possible resolution of 1600  x 1200 pixels was used
Font - Arial Black, gave the cleanest result

STEP 2

Using PC Paint crop to the known border of 200 x 125 mm, this is important to be 
able to set final graphic resolution and size

 STEP 3

After trimming to the 200 x 125 border the colours are inverted using PC Paint

The inverting changes the graphic into a black and white image ready for formating.

Graphic colours are installed using the paint bucket

STEP 4

The graphic now needs to be resized
A - Change the resolution to 300 pixels per cm sq or to suit printer specification
B - Resize width and height to original 20 x 12.5 cm
C - Save the file

Comment
For the sharped eyed there is an error in all but the last graphic and by the time it was installed it all changed but that's the advantage of being able to produce graphics on the fly.

If you have a custom colour create a separate layer then import a photo swatch onto that layer. Finally, use the colour picker in the program to capture the RGB and then colour the panel.

At this point, the builder is looking at having the graphic printed using supumulation printing onto 0.020'' white-faced aluminium plate and then backed by 0.030'' 2024-T3 aluminium for stiffness but laser printing onto white self-adhesive label paper should work also.

If this does work I will add additional notes to the blog and check Facebook - Gary Spencer Salt for any notes.

Wiring Washup

This blog is a wash up on the electrics and what when right and wrong for this builder.

It's a lot of wire regardless of what choices made
with component selection with tandem aircraft 
having just half the space to place that stuff in

Overview
Wiring, according to "Kitplanes" wiring has finished many a builder off. Having reached that stage of this project, this builder has come close many times. This blog will cover some of the good, most of the stupid that the builder created to reach the point where connections to the Circuit Breaker Panel could be manufactured.

Comments
Estimated runs determined and installed, this was covered in very early blogs and at this end, I would do the same. It went wrong with the final mix of wires, this was a function of the "guesstimate" of the requirements for the central cores but did not allow for the inter-connections.  This was due to a complete lack of any detailed design of the wiring, especially areas like the flap drive, controller, radios and stick. 

The factory used a Flybox controller, and all those connections are completed at the RS232 port located at the rear of the instrument. 

My choice of a separate module was a function of the panel being space poor and/or just the builder stuffing in stuff, and that has ramifications most that do not appear to later.

One choice that did work was the use of coloured wire. Still, it did create an issue in that many time the correct gauge was not on the shelf and supply was weeks away, white wire is readily available, and if doing it again, I would examine the use of 18/20 gauge white and a felt tip Sharpie pen to add a coloured stripe. 

This was used when exchanging 16 gauge for two 18 gauge for the flap power,  white as active and a black stripe was added to indicate earth by running the wire thru the tip of the pen. Black, black/white would be used for earth solely with red used for all actives.

The builder would try to use 18 gauge [10 amps] and 20 gauge [5 amps]  and forget wire smaller than 22 gauge except for specialized installations, and larger sizes would use red/black and red/white striped to indicate an active and earth.

A series of terminal strips were used to allowing wire from various equipment to be connected to their relevant power supply being either a circuit breaker of gang strip for active/earth. This enables the looms to behind the panel to be linked with the looms from the airframe at any point of assembly. 

The T shaped mount that the factory developed is a good idea as it allows a reasonable amount of area to mount the necessary hardware. On this install, the terminal strips were mounted vertically on 12 od x 20 mm high nylon spacers. These spacers are really good at creating more space by freeing up the deck of the main spine.

The negative is weight as the builder is sure that there are a few kilos of unneeded wire, terminals, brackets, and crimps. The cleanest method is to directly go-between the hardware and instruments, but diagnostics can be more challenging to undertake. 

One of the few good ideas was looming the cables in the PPS sleeve, while a little time consuming it created a series of defined cables to connect to the various points on the aircraft and for 95% of the time they just drop in.


Finally, they just look right and to burn this much effort, aka time, there must be something at the end as a justification.

Even though the panel is analog, all the instruments use a DB port of 9 or 15 pins allowing ease of connection and facilitating panel removal. 

Flying Legend has created as much maintenance access at the rear of the panel that would be practical and being able to put a panel of the bench in under 15 minutes just makes it all better. 

To do this, every connection has to be a plug and preferably a  DB - Why? - I have the tools. All the interconnections are then installed into the terminals strips creating ease of reorganization when required.

Another error was to use solder DB in the junction they made the work in the stick junction box a neverending nightmare. The use of the crimp pin type was considered but rejected initially because of the cost of the crimping tool, no change out of $US400. 

In the end, desperate people will try anything, and the pin crimper appears to work well for 20/22 guage in the crimps, but everyone has to be checked as about 10% fail. The real benefit is being able to swap pins to fix those stupid errors, this was covered in a Facebook post. 

Can a builder justify the cost of the correct crimper that a choice but so far so good?

All wires entering screw terminal block were fitted with pin sleeve that is crimped onto the end of the wire. The purpose is to protect the wire from the cutting action of the screw crimp.

This crimper is used with the sleeve crimps but has
seen duty with the DB pin crimps shown above

Adding the wiring to a DB15, four systems meet at this plug - this interaction has been the single biggest issue for the builder.

Initially, I used solder plugs because they were available BUT wasted a bucket of time in just trying to sort out the interconnections. In the end, the junction box for all the switches on the stock was removed then a terminal strip added. The plugs used on the external connections changed to the pin type, again for ease of attachment and correction.

Checking the junction box for all the control sticks
The addition of controls to the rear seat created more
work than the simple "yes" agreeing do it took.

Interconnections in the junction box

Would I use a junction box again, not if I could come up with a better idea, but at the time it seemed like a good idea? 


The terminal strips were mounted vertically to increase the available space, initially, these were fitted directly to the central member, but it was found that mounting these on 20 mm long nylon spacers allows the wires to be installed freely at the base. 

This frees the top enabling installation of the jumpers, which in turn allowed the looms to be tied to them with cable ties. The excess wire could be tucked under or run between rows freely.

A number of connectors were used in the assembly to allow various areas to be connected/ typically the wings to the fuselage, and circuit breaker panel to the main panel. For the smaller connections, Molex 2/3/4 pin were selected for their size and availability.

Most connections internally in the aircraft were AMP connectors to connect the circuit breaker panel and the wings with the Seal-All connectors. 

These were used in external areas like the wheel wells and for the rudder tail light.








Comments
Where was the most significant error and loss of time - well, several places stand out?

1 - Continuity, this is the biggest issue for this builder, while basic schematics existed; they were necessary, and to create the physical world, it was at best "stick and cane design." Simply put, it means you know where you have to go, but as you are half-blind, you are going to trip up on every logistical on the way, with the lost time not worth talking about.

"The more paper, the better - a wiring diagram would be a lifesaver."

2 - Wire tracing, while the coloured wire was used it in places, became disjointed, defeating the purpose and in an area like the joystick/junction box created a total black hole for time with red to green, etc. Another area was the interface between the intercom, radio, and mike switches, just too many wire colours on the same circuit, creating a complex matrix even to record on the schematics.

"Keep the colour consistent as possible even if you have to ditch the wire supplied with the switches to colours at your disposal."

3- Labeling, here, the numbering system works well but was not used from the start, and when used, it may have been a little thin. Doing it again, I would be more verbose mainly were a lot of circuits mix. In the case of the stick, an "ELEV UP" at the plugs would have saved a lot of time. This does not replace the id numbers but should be at the start and end of every wire as far as practical.

"Start with a labeler from day one - these can be changed later, but anything that removes the guesswork with saving 10 x the time taken to install it."


The wiring exposed every personal fault I possess, and being raw at this type of work, the builder had no tools to stop time evaporating.

Put simply, I stuffed up and paid in time in hundreds of hours and frustration. The only key is to plan and to steal ideas. This was the one reason the wiring diagrams attached to this site will be updated as soon as practical to "As-built" in the hope that one or two may be of value to at least one person.

Define "as-built": Fewer stuff-ups

Trig 21 Transponder

This blog covers the installation of the Trig Model 21 Mode S transponder

Overview

While not mandatory for this aircraft to be fitted with a mode S transponder one became available from an aircraft upgrading at a good price - sold!

While complete it did not include the installation kit, so a Trig installation kit was purchased and placed in the cupboard until needed. 

At this point, it was noted that the plugs used push in crimp pins and the crimper was to cost $US100 plus delivered to Australia. My local radio guy advised me to just solder them with a very fine iron, not the first choice but my only one if I did not want to spend the money for 20 crimps plus a 2-week wait.

In a previous blog on wiring tools used on the project, the ferrules with crimper are shown but more importantly, it appeared to have the same action. A piece of 22 guage wire was inserted and a crimp applied, after a check, it was re-crimped providing adequate clamping force.

The other issue was all the builder had was a stock of 20 guage wire at this time - a little heavy but there. While as large as the pins allow, it did provide a solid crimp, while leaving some minor marks on the cable insulation.

Time to loom up.

Installation.
Followed the factory wiring diagram and installed the required cables, theses were labelled and the transponder clipped into its cradle located on the top side of the wheel well toward the panel.

The PPS sleeve is creating cool looking looms
The transponder clips into a lockable cradle

Comment
Get out of jail card played

Firewall Penterations

This blog covers the method used to create penetrations in the firewall. The purpose in the mind of this builder is a firewall has to keep not only heat but the gases produced by the engine compartment in normal and abnormal operations, i.e. a fire! 

Overview
Various options available; however, most were found to be bulky or just plain ugly.

This is expensive and bulky
especially a two dozen off.

An initial reckoning saw about a dozen penetrations required, and it occurred why not use an IP65 gland.

IP65 Enclosure - IP rated as "dust tight" and protected against water projected from a nozzle. To pass testing and achieve an IP65 rating, fixtures must be able to withstand water projected by a 0.25-inch nozzle.

It was decided to install these with the base facing to the firewall, then with the seal on the inside of the cockpit to provide the greatest degree of protection to the more vulnerable seals. The reasoning is by the time a fire begins to degrade the gland, that would be the least of your problems.

Too ugly for words

With the rear open located at the firewall side high-temperature, 3M 2000 silicon will be injected to fill the void, providing a fireproof ring.

As the gland body is manufactured from brass, nickel-plated, again by the time this fails, refer to comment in the paragraph above.

Not being flippant, but a light aircraft would be lucky to survive 5 minutes of a real fire because of a lack of fire suppression,  keeping the gases out should aid survival.

Installation
Simple, drill a 12 mm OD hole, disassemble gland, install on cable and then reassemble with the external nut treated with a low strength thread lock at assembly.

Nut, clamp/seal, mounting collar

Gland cluster starboard side - the opening around the cable
will be sealed with 3M 2000 silicon one all checks are completed

Comment
The weight is now my biggest issue, this is a function of the number of penetrations and assigning one cable to each to achieve the highest level of sealing.

Will it work, only fire would tell but compare it to other sports aircraft it will not be any worse.

Regulator

This blog covers the installation of the Silent Hektik Regulator.

Overview
The reason not to install a Rotax Regulator are covered in detail in a previous blog, and this will be just the nuts and bolts of the exercise.

Installation
The regulator had been fitted earlier, this is covered in a blog, but it was time to hardwire it into the aircraft.

Note: Heat conductive paste was applied before fixing to the S/S firewall, an air blast will be taken from the intercooler air inlet when fitted.

A problem was struck in while the manufacturer's instructions are precise, the wire sizes are not, except a vague mention of the use of 2.5 mm [14 guage] wire. The main reason would appear to be that the text was converted using a translator and some of the results make interesting reading. At this point, an email was sent to John at Dog Aviation, who kindly clarified what he had used in his RV12.

To summerize the wire used:

C  = 20 guage [Sence line]

L = 22 guage [Indicator light]

B - 12 guage [Battery]

R= 14 guage [Positive capiciator]

G = 10 guage [Feed from alternator]

All earths used are Black 14 / 12 guage, as required.

The diagram supplied by the manufacturer was followed precisely. Joe the L2 who is part of the team that will approve this aircraft pointed out generally are not fitted but reading the instructions, we interpreted it would be required with an injection system.

Our opinion is the capacitor may assist in removing ripple in the DC produced by the alternator but both of us agreed it would not hurt, and it's available.

The capacitor is 50V 33000 farad.

The final task was to mount the capacitor and it was decided to fabricate one from some scrap aluminium channel.

A piece of 25 x 12 x 1 extruded aluminium channel was drilled to lighten it and a modified work drive clamp to retain the capacitor. 

The assembly was fixed to the firewall with two [2] 3.2 mm pop rivets then the edges lined with 10 mm U channel rubber to protect the capacitor.

Note: doing it again the builder would look at milling a slot in the side of the channel and installing a lighter clamp

Comment
The final result was a tidy install showing the clear intent of the wiring

Time for a Snoopy.

Camouflage Colours

This blogs cover the colour selection for the aircraft.

Overview
The scheme selected was the RAF display scheme for 2010 developed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

However, over time it was decided to change the unit it to represent a fallen Australian pilot. Looking for a suitable ace, I was taken by all the nobody's, by this I mean those who paid the ultimate price but were not aces, just casualties in a brutal campaign.

They seem to share a common theme, trying to live a life in the 64 hours that the situation they were in granted them to live. In the end, I settled on a Flight Sargent  Frank W Cale.

These men achieved a victory that ensured our democracy's lived on, they forever do not need names, they will always be "The Few" -  Lest we forget

Paint Scheme
The first task was to pick the colours, and after a lot of research BS450 Dark Earth, BS241 Dark Green and BS216 Eau de Nil [Duck Egg Green] was the most likely scheme worn in 1940 by Cales Spitfire.  The spinner will be painted Satin Black as will the top of the cowl.

The colours will be matched to a set produced by Vallejo for the model aircraft market.

Frank W Cale Spitfire Mk1 KIA 15th August 1940

It has been decided to reduce the amount of the advanced warning notices and paint as close as practical to a 1940 paint scheme.

Mock up of the final paint scheme

Comment
It good to dream

Stick Grip

This blog covers the details of the installation of the stick grips.

Overview
This aircraft has to have a military-style stick grip, and the only choice was the Infinity grips, luckily a pair was purchased locally new but unused at a reasonable price.

Infinity Grip

It was decided to integrate some of the features by RS warbirds in the USA. One of the details was the ring below the grip - yellow ring in the image and was machined from ABS plastic.

Very tidy upgrade - RS Warbirds

The final location was determined, this involved reducing the length of the shaft at the stick mounting to lower the grip. Once satisfied, the collar was secured in position using a single black 1/8 x 6 mm pop rivet.

The cables were wrapped in a PPS tube, run through the control stick and out using a slot cut in the tube before installation.

Cable staged - yet to be soldered to switches

The cables were now run and secured to the airframe will all control sticks terminating at the junction box located on the starboard side of the pilot's cockpit. Both sticks end in this box with the pilot able to control flaps, boost pump, transponder ident, trims, and mike. The co-pilot lacks the transponder control.

Junction box.

The grip was secured at a slight angle, it was noted that when the grips were tightened, they were loose, so the area above the collar was wrapped in one layer of gaffer tape that was folded into the tube providing a rudimentary anti-chafe for the wires.

Comment
Done.

Undercarriage Panel

This blog covers the fuel pump panel.

Overview
The styling selected for the aircraft meant that the controls are installed in groups, this means that the undercarriage panel the control, power, hydraulic pressure gauge and indicator lights are fitted into one panel.

Installation.
A facia panel was designed to accommodate the schematic and all material used was 2024-T3 aluminium alodined after fabrication. 

The panel has a single AMP four [4] pin terminal featuring gold plated contacts and a robust lock. This fits into an aluminium bracket that is fixed to the facia using automotive trim tape to the facia and has proved remarkably robust. The 1 1/4'' UMA instruments are fitted with 9 pin RS232 plugs allowing disconnection.

The use of plus is critical to allow removal of the panel with all instruments and is one of the design criteria. 

The panel is fitted with hydraulic pressure, control and power to the pump with all lights featuring a press to test facility.

The panel is fitted with a series of plugs to allow removal. A four [4] pin AMP plug allow power and earth to be brought into the panel. The two [4] pin RS 232 plug is a special item rated at 30 plus amps and has gold plated contacts with the UMA instrument featuring a nine [9] pin RS 232 plug. All these plugs allow the removal of the panel as a single unit for servicing.

Comments

Finished as envisaged.

Completed and ready for service with the last task to fit the graphic label to the face of the panel.

Fuel Pump Panel

This blog covers the fuel pump panel.

Overview
The styling selected for the aircraft meant that the controls are installed in groups and means that for the fuel panel the control, power, guages and indicator lights are fitted into one panel.

Installation.
A facia panel was designed to accommodate the schematic and all material used was 2024-T3 aluminium alodined after fabrication. 

The panel has a single AMP four [4] pin terminal featuring gold plated contacts and a robust lock. This fits into an aluminium bracket that is fixed to the facia using automotive trim tape to the facia and has proved remarkably robust. The 1 1/4'' UMA instruments are fitted with 9 pin RS232 plugs allowing disconnection.

The use of plus is critical to allow removal of the panel with all instruments and is one of the design criteria. 

Instruments are secured using #6-32 brass instrument screws.

The inter-wiring reduced the number of power/earth wires

Comments
Finished as envisaged.

Completed and ready for service with the last task to fit the graphic label to the face of the panel.