Copyright © 1997 by Juan Jiménez
Custom Plane Instrument Panels
The Instrument Panel is one area where the Homebuilder has almost total freedom to design and build their dream panel.
The range is from the most simple of VFR panels containing only the required
instruments to some IFR ready panels containing fully redundant instruments
and communications equipment. There are builders who will not stray
from the traditional layouts using the old reliable mechanical instruments
and there are the builders who are advancing the state of the art with the
most modern Electronic Flight Information Systems (EFIS) which resemble an
entertainment center containing multiple CRT screens for displaying all flight
and navigation information.
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The value of these panels can run from a few thousand dollars
tosomething approaching the national debt. (Slight exageration there!)
We seem to only be limited by our budget and ability to jam more capability
into already cramped quarters.
When I started to design my panel I really didn't know where to start.
What were the required instruments and where should they be located?
What were the best instruments and source for those instruments for
my installation? Could I design and build the panel myself or would
it be better to turn to one of the many companies which will design, build,
and test your panel for you?
I definately had many more
questions than answers. For me the best starting point was to examine
as many panels from other builders as possible and learn from them. Over
the past year I have collected photos of many other builders panels. I
have also collected as much information regarding panel design as I could
locate on the Internet.
This web page contains many photos which I have collected from all over
the internet and have used in helping me to start the design of my own panel.
I am still working on my
panel and will be updating the construction pages with my progress as I get
further along. I am also including links to many of the sources of
both information and the equipment required for your panel.
I hope that you will find these images as helpful as I have and enjoy the building of your own dream panel.
PANEL LINKS (Links to Suppliers and Avionics Data)