Principles and myths of instrument panel design

Exploding myths and issuing fair warnings was the task of a panel of experts when the topic was panels.

It's not easy to confuse an RV with a Boeing 757. But maybe as he patrols the RV area at Oshkosh next month, Doug Weiler of Hudson, Wisc., will have to remind himself that he's not sitting in the cockpit of the 757 he flies for a living for Northwest Airlines. Glass cockpit fever has gripped the homebuilt market.

Doug heads the Minnesota Wing of Van's Air Force, and this morning (Saturday June 17, 2006) he presided over the group's quarterly meeting at the headquarters of Stein Air in Farmington, Minn. He was one of three experts in RV building to present a program on instrument panels.

When he flies airplanes for fun, he sits in an RV-4, an airplane he built three years ago that's "already an antique," he says, referring to his instrument panel. When he built his RV, he says instrument panels in RVs were still "very haphazard. There were no human factors considered and stuff was spread out all over the panel. It didn't make any sense." (Read the entire article)

Investigating accidents
Last week's notation that a Superior Air Parts RV -- N36XP -- had made a forced landing , set a few of the bulletin boards to chatting. Normally, I don't like to spend too much time speculating since, well, we really don't know what happened and -- especially in this case -- someone's business is at stake. However, the discussion in this case -- particularly on the Southern California RV List -- was particularly insightful, because the discussion turned relatively quickly to how the NTSB investigates accidents. I've taken the liberty of cutting-and-pasting some of the better postings since not everyone is a member of the list. (More)

When a dream turns to a nightmare
Roger Mulcahy is building an F-1 Rocket at his West Side Aircraft Components workshop and hanger, located on his private property in Charles City. Recent developments, however, are threatening his business and property, not to mention the lifestyle he and his wife have created over three decades. (Charles City Press)

Moving Out
At some point, your RV is going to outgrow its nest and need to go to the airport. I browsed a couple of spots this week that had some information on it. I got the idea first, from EAA 902's (Oregon) newsletter which noted RV-9A builder Tom Sampson just moved his plane (PDF, page 4). Meanwhile, on VAF, a thread broke out last March on the subject. And the SoCal list had a thread going this week on what equipment to use. For the best experience on what it's like to reach this stage, a video on Walter Tondu's site will have you back out work on the project quickly.

Changes at YahooGroups makes mailing lists more functional
Yahoo has made some upgrades in its e-groups interfact. Using the advanced search function,you can now actually find stuff. Also e-mail recipients receive a link and list for all messages in the thread. The Web interface also allows messages to be displayed by thread, rather than just by time of post. And those receiving the daily digest now have a linked index to make it quicker to get right to the message you're interested in. SoCal RVers, RV Builders Group, and Ohio Valley RVers are among those using the Yahoogroup interface. (More)

Thinning SuperFil
Fiberglass pro Darwin Barrie answers the question:
"Two things you can do, 1) place the containers in the sun to soften the contents some. You should get the nice peanut butter consistency that way. 2) thin with denatured alcohol. This should only take a few drops. The alcohol won't cause any problems with anything." (VAF)

Attaching the ball stud mount on tip-ups
What I did to make this a two minute job (after my 5 minute fabrication) is to simply get a strip of aluminum and attach two nutplates to it. Slide the strip up and behind the holes and waaaalaaa, you can easily insert and tighten both screws without worrying about getting a wrench on the nuts. (Scott Will on VAF)


Static line routing follow-up
There was some discussion not long ago about routing the static line through the F-705 bulkhead, based largely on a Builder's Tip that was in the 2006, First Issue edition of the RVator. I decided to go with their plan, but I had to make some modification. First, what they didn't tell you in the article, is I think it's probably best to locate and drill this hole during the F-705 assembly. (Message on Yahoogroup | Photos on Yahoogroup)

OTHER NEWS

Probable cause #8: Night over water
Night flight brings with it a number of threatening elements. From invisible weather to pilot fatigue to visual illusions, night brings with it challenges that don't seem daunting until you are alone in the darkness. (AvWeb)

How do I use this portable GPS?
AOPA has created an online module for learning the things you can do with your GPS in VFR flight. And it qualifies under the WINGS program. (AOPA)

Carb icing chart
Found this in the EAA chapter 526 newsletter for June. A carb icing chart passed along by anRV-6A builder, Paul Petersen. You'll find it on page 6 of the newsletter (pdf)

Capturing the wild blue yonder
When Eric Serani took to the podium to deliver his valedictorian speech a few weeks ago, he probably got a wink from his late grandfather, Ronald Cothern. During the Broomfield High School graduation ceremony, friends and fellow pilots of Cothern's flew over the stadium in a grand gesture of congratulations. Eric, while earning valedictorian honors, also was building an RV-10. (Broomfield Enterprise)

What to do with that unbuilt kit?
Build A Plane stands in the middle as a coordination point to enable groups of young adults to come together with mentors and project aircraft. Individuals or organizations interested in starting a project make requests to Build A Plane. (Build A Plane)

Chain of events
June 24, 1967. It was a CAVU morning and the delight of any pilot planning a cross-country trip. Mine was to be from Moline, Illinois, to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where I would meet my mother to help her move to Tucson, Arizona. A quick check of current and forecast weather across Missouri and into northeast Oklahoma showed generally clear conditions with the possibility of afternoon scattered thunderstorms across central Missouri. (AOPA)

Oshkosh RV BBQ update
Looks like we're going to have a good turnout at the Wednesday night get-together. Don't forget to bring chairs. And a salad or dessert would be helpful.

New file for inventory of 7A finishing kit
I've created an .xls file (Excel) basd on the packing list for the 7A with a tip-up canopy. All bags and individual hardware is included, as well as a spot to indicate where you put the part as you stored it. By sorting it alphabetically, it makes it a snap to check off the parts and -- over the next few months -- quickly find them from your inventory. It's in the "files" section of the RV Builders Group on Yahoo.