With the current heat, I should have definitely started earlier. However, I was tired from the paying job and was working late to help with fixing a problem on the mountain where the telescope is located. So, I felt I needed my sleep and didn't get to work on the plane before 9am.
Last night I had tried to touch up the part of the center panel that looked a little funky after the previous paint application. I should know better never to touch-up flat paint as it just won't work. And it got confirmed again. The area that looks funky has now been increased in size but the initial problem has not really been improved.
Because of the location I decided against respraying the whole center panel. Instead I went ahead to use it and install.
I also know that this paint improves its sheen after two days of curing, so it might be less visible after that and in the end, I just really don't care that much about looks.
As you can see I decided to install the GPS mount before certification. Reasoning is that 42D explicitly gave me the option to cut out a section on the center panel to install my Garmin x96 GPS. Mine is a Garmin Aera 500 that has the very same interfacing that the x96 had. I will however, just put the mount on and not attach a GPS to the mount. Wiring of the mount can also be done exactly following the instructions in 42D, so I don't feel I am modifying anything here, just following the instructions and applying them to the case at hand.
For now I didn't connect the mount yet, as I will need some time to study the diagram and see where the best hook-up point is. I believe it is in the GPS plug but I want to make sure.
I went on to install the radio, or better, the tray for the radio. The tray is prewired with the Communication harness and only needs the antenna plug connected to it. However, this turned out to be more complicated than it read. The problem was that the routing of the antenna cable is very distinctive and after installing the tray there is hardly any room around the tray anymore. This thing really fills up the avionics compartment!
So, to pull out enough antenna cable to route it without bends, I had to cut a lot of the wire ties in the tunnel and make a medium mess down there.
Then I was able to locate the tray in its approximate position on the tray support angles.
Look how tight the wiring routes around the tray. This was taken before I collected some of the stray wires and tied them down to avoid chafing.
The screws went in ok, easier than I thought, actually - but be careful, read the instructions carefully and notice that the washers for the #6 screws at the center panel brackets got BETWEEN the tray and the bracket.
Sliding the radio in was easy and everything fit. However, it took me a while to understand how the locking cam mechanism works. Initially I had it tightened all the way and was wondering why turning the cam wouldn't lock the radio in the tray but bend the tray out a bit. You have to turn the cam counter-clockwise as you would unscrew a screw a bit before attempting to lock the radio in place. Then it will catch on the locking notch correctly and you can carefully tighten it a bit. Remember though, it doesn't take much to get 4 ft./lbs.!
When I wanted to install the left panel piece, I ran into some legacy problems. I must have accidentally picked the wrong nutplates when installing them in the left and right canopy ribs. I think the ones I installed where for AN3 bolts and it clearly says I needed K1000-06. Both nutplates are in one tray in my magazine, so I must have been tired when pulling them out of there. However, I drilled them out and installed the correct nutplates within a few minutes.
No big deal, everything was accessible.
And then, like magic, that left panel went in without any problems. It's amazing how easy things are when you just do it right...
I slid the SkyView in and added some blue tape to hold down the screen protective plastic and cover the buttons a bit from dust getting inside too easily. I used the deeper Fastenal screws that were mentioned on VAF a few days ago so to not round out the provided flimsy looking screws.
BTW: I should mentioned here, as you can see the front of the fuse panel, that I replaced the 2A starter fuse with a 3A because Bill H. had measured that the current for that relay is too close to the fuse value and it might burn it during normal operation.
I used the lower of the two SkyView Network plugs as the upper one is easier to get at for later extension if that would ever be needed or desired.
FlightCom 403, ELT remote control and the APDC button were installed, to complete the left panel installation. I ran the ground wire of the ELT to a corner screw of the Ignition module and installed the screw holding it down with Loctite blue. I appeared to be easier to do that running the short wire all across the other harnesses.
Looks really nice from the pilot seat too.
On to the right panel and the installation of the map box. I have the recommended 3" yoke for my squeezer and I had the desire to get a 4" one before but could resist it then. Now, I gave up. Despite my extra cutouts in the panel, I cannot reach 6 of the rivet holes and I HATE those CCR264 rivets. I do not want these being visible on my panel, so I ordered a 4" yoke now to squeeze all of the rivets.
I got enough rivets set to continue with the match-drilling steps for the two screws that connect the deep end of the map box with the panel base.
There were two holes already punched in the panel base that looked like #30. These are the ones you are supposed to open with a #19 bit in this match-drilling task. I used a wooden block to avoid drilling into my hand again and to safely hold down the map box during the drill process.
I deburred the holes and sat the right panel aside as I won't install it before finishing riveting the map box on.
This task concluded an 8.5 hour day working on the plane and the avionics are all installed. I need to hook up the two antennas on the belly to make it official but I can't do that before putting the plane on the gear legs.
I have yet to install the fuel pump switch and hook it up to the EMS plug, I also have to connect the power supply for the GPS mount and have to find a way how to temporarily provide current to the system so I can power it up and see if I basically get the correct responses. The servos and the ADAHRS should get detected, so does the GPS antenna. The radio could get tested with a temporary antenna connection and even the power supply for the backup GPS could get verified. The plug to connect the fuses to the battery seems to be part of the Powerplant kit because I haven't seen anything like that yet standing out.
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