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Pa 18 dash

Oh what a difference a decade makes!
 

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That's like asking what's the best whiskey or who's the prettiest woman.

Biggest rule is DON'T OVER DO IT! Keep it simple and small. And the ONLY panel equipment that absolutely must be installed are the items called out on the TCDS. These are oil pressure, oil temp, tach, altimeter, airspeed, and 'magnetic heading instrument'. These items need to be certified primary instruments, so no experimental stuff for them. All other panel items are your choice.

My recommendations: CGR-30P for engine instruments. This will give you all of your engine instruments in one 3 1/8" hole. Winters altimeter and airspeed indicators as these units (see Wing & Wheels website) have light weight plastic cases, are available in 2 1/4" faces, and are used in certified gliders so meet the TCDS requirements. Winters also has a model with a 510º movement which gives wide spacing at the low speed markings.

A few other things to consider: Use a key switch with 'start' position instead of toggles and/or push buttons, as you can get all functions in a single mounting hole in the panel. Keep your switches and breakers in a single row along the lower edge of the panel. Use switch breakers for items such as lights to combine the switch and breaker functions into a single hole. Use the small faced avionics such as Becker or Trig as they mount like a small instrument into a hole in the panel. Remember that Cub panels were never designed for tray radios. I always recommend a stand alone intercom to go along with the radio.

As for the layout, the best I have used was designed by a HIGH time pilot up here. In your mind, imagine you're maneuvering in a Cub. Your left hand is on the throttle and your right hand is on the stick. If you place the PTT button on the stick, you can talk on the radio without moving your hands. If you slide your left hand off the throttle and straight forward, you should be able to punch the mixture knob to the full rich position. About 8" up the panel, place the carb heat knob. This arrangement allows you to control engine power with a minimum of hand movement. Another trick, from MCS Mike, is to place the key switch just above the primer. This allows you to push the primer while cranking the engine. And if you place the key/primer on the right side of the panel it frees up your left hand to control the mixture and throttle. Helps out on a hard starting engine or on cold days.

And don't forget at least some type of panel lighting. Check out the little LED units made by Whelen that mount on the left or right overhead panels and shine down on the instrument panel. One model has both red and white light in the same unit. Nice to fly with the red light but load/unload with the white light.

Get all of the info that you can and plan out your panel. Then re arrange it until you're happy that it will work well for you. Only then, start to cut metal.

Web
 
I guess I'm more of a traditionalist. The ram mount in the middle keeps me from being tied to any particular magic screen.20200912_132953.jpeg
 

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Exactly what Web said.... IMHO He pointed out the key items. I would only add that I recently saw a Supecub with the airspeed way over on the right and the Altimeter way over on the left. It is just so non-standard that it could make it confusing when you need it to be intuitive. Dont get too creative is all i'm saying....
 
. . . the airspeed way over on the right and the Altimeter way over on the left. It is just so non-standard that it could make it confusing when you need it to be intuitive. Dont get too creative is all i'm saying....

Lol! Seen a couple of those.

With the CGR-30P and the small Altimeter and airspeed, you could leave those instruments in a cluster on the right, put the com, intercom, and even a transponder on the left, and have most of the center panel open. Gives you freedom to mount almost any kind of screen you like to fly with.

Web
 
Could you educate me? The only electronic gauges I have are the EGT CHT and Horizon. You get your AirSpeed from the iPad? I haven't graduated to the cool stuff yet and don't understand most of it[/QUOTE

The original airspeed indicator is there on the left side, CGR-30P for engine info, Trig radio and transponder, Garmin 796 in the middle, original altimeter on the right, and an RC Allen digital attitude indicator.
 
I just saw that LOL for some reason I thought it was the combo oil temp pressure gauge. Obviously I should not be allowed to have the cool stuff LOL
 
7" tablet on left, Dynon D180 top center, Trig txn and radio bottom center. Standard width fuselage.

Panel Assembly Backside Tray v36.png

Final installation came out very close to this model.
 

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The uninitiated could think we were talking about home theaters with all the screens on some of these panels. Less is more IMO.
 
I just saw that LOL for some reason I thought it was the combo oil temp pressure gauge. Obviously I should not be allowed to have the cool stuff LOL

I am with ya Mark, the cool stuff doesn’t seem to be as resistant to ejecting 3” mag empties bouncing off it. I guess I will never be cool but I hate things that are always needing a software update or give a different reading every startup, all I want is reliable info.
 
pa 18 panel.jpgRecent panel used for fish spotting. 496 runs marine charts and has xm weather and music. Bottom Furuno is used to convert Lat/Lon to TDs. Both come out at the end of the season. The Garmin 175 gps feeds the G5’s. Audio panel supports two VHF marine radios mounted aft and controlled by ram mics mounted over head. Transponder has ADSB out. iPad is connected to the 175 for data and WiFi connected to a stratus ADSB-in portable receiver for traffic.Only regret is that I didn't upgrade the transponder to receive ADSB-in. That would eliminate one the portable Stratus with its charging cable. Thinking of trying iLevel BOM for ADSB-in. That would get rid of the stratus portable. I hate doing things twice. It would have been cheaper to get the more expensive ADSB- in transponder in the first place. CGR-30P is by far the best addition to the panel. Fuel use is accurate to 1/2 gallon on every fill up. Plane hold 68 gallons.
 

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View attachment 51073Recent panel used for fish spotting. 496 runs marine charts and has xm weather and music. Bottom Furuno is used to convert Lat/Lon to TDs. Both come out at the end of the season. The Garmin 175 gps feeds the G5’s. Audio panel supports two VHF marine radios mounted aft and controlled by ram mics mounted over head. Transponder has ADSB out. iPad is connected to the 175 for data and WiFi connected to a stratus ADSB-in portable receiver for traffic.Only regret is that I didn't upgrade the transponder to receive ADSB-in. That would eliminate one the portable Stratus with its charging cable. Thinking of trying iLevel BOM for ADSB-in. That would get rid of the stratus portable. I hate doing things twice. It would have been cheaper to get the more expensive ADSB- in transponder in the first place. CGR-30P is by far the best addition to the panel. Fuel use is accurate to 1/2 gallon on every fill up. Plane hold 68 gallons.

I think it's safe to say that you and I have 'differing philosophies' on panel set ups.

But a couple of ideas for yours. G5's have built in GPS. The only time you need external GPS input is if you use the HSI version to display GPS NAV inormation. If not then they can be stand alone. Also, Becker Avionics has a single control head that can operate multiple coms. With multiple coms and limited panel space, this works well.

Web
 
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The uninitiated could think we were talking about home theaters with all the screens on some of these panels. Less is more IMO.

The only guys who knock it are guys who haven't tried it. The G3X Touch is far superior to round instruments. I'm sure Dynon is the same. Amazing, simple, and intuitive.
 
Off topic, are the garmin G5’s certified for airspeed replacement? Get rid of airspeed and altimeter?


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The only guys who knock it are guys who haven't tried it. The G3X Touch is far superior to round instruments. I'm sure Dynon is the same. Amazing, simple, and intuitive.

I too am a big fan of simple and intuitive

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Transmitted from my FlightPhone on fingers...
 

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"tHaT dAsH lOoKs To0 cOmPliCatEd"

...typed on a laptop via a wireless connection via HTTP across TCP/IP from your couch.

A single tablet and a single simple flat panel display (that replaces 19 different mechanical round gauges) is way less complicated than it looks. You might actually even like it?
 
I love a big GPS screen mounted as high as possible (like the top pic in Farmboy post) This lets you keep an eye on the terrain map and look out with peripheral vision to avoid hard stuff. Low mounted GPS are fine if you know the area well or never scud run.
DENNY
 
I love a big GPS screen mounted as high as possible (like the top pic in Farmboy post)
DENNY

Denny, I enjoyed that panel as well - those pics are both the same panel in my last cub. :)

What people tend to not notice in photos is the side cutouts for better 45deg vis.

Pb


Transmitted from my FlightPhone on fingers...
 
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