The Murphy Builders Site

From: Rickhm at home <Rickhm@mindspring.com>
Reply-To: <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com>
To: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com
Subject: RE: Moose Panel
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 20:31:56 -0700

Don,
I have no experience with install of my panel yet and am at about the same
place I think you are. My dad destroyed (by choice, not an accident) his
lancair 320 last year. A long story filled with emotion and fear of
lawyers. He gave me his panel. When I was taking it apart I was surprised
at how flexible the panel was. So we might be OK with just cutting the
holes and going from there.

HOWEVER, my nature is to build things to last longer than I will and to
make it easy for future maintenance. My plan is to cut a large (!) square
hole out of the left center area. Along the edge (top, bottom, left and
right) reinforce it with 1/8" thick angle aluminum. The top and bottom
will be tied into the airframe along the left and right sides. Into the
angle aluminum I will cut holes for screws and nutplates on the back. The
instruments I plan on mounting to 1/8" thick aluminum plate with matching
mounting holes to those in the angle aluminum.

This has several advantages. The obvious one is the strength that comes
from the thicker panel material. It allows for easy access to instruments
down the road as well. Having rebuilt a plane before, I have enjoyed all I
can take of standing on my head under a panel. It really isn't that bad,
but with an extra 2 hours of work it is so much easier. The 3x3 cluster
can be assembled on the bench, faster, and tested there as well. Checkout
wiring, lights, etc.

I plan on a similar approach on the right side for engine instruments.
With all this done, if you remove the left and right panels and provide
long enough vacuum tubing, power leads, static lines, etc., you have easy
access to the radio stack. I must admit the radio portion is not
completely thought through. One potential issue is my radio stack is 14"
deep and the panel is 15-16" deep leaving little room for wiring. I plan
on building a forward shelf for the stack to provide more access. Check
your radio stack depth!

One last comment. I am told (no experience) a mooney panel is standard
1/8" thick aluminum. The cessna panel is similar to the above approach I
described, but it is mounted on rubber standoff's for shock mounting.

Rick Muller SR70


-----Original Message-----
From: Don Boardman [SMTP:dboardm3@twcny.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 7:22 PM
To: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com
Subject: Moose Panel

Hi Guys,

Randy and I are in the final stages of panel layout/organization and want
to
start cutting and constructing ASAP.

A couple of questions:

1) Is the thickness of the panel material as supplied adequate?
I assume it is. It just seems once all those holes are drilled there is not
much metal left to support the weight of the
instruments etc.

2) I would like to space a cluster of nine 3-1/8 instruments with 3/8in
separation between each 3-1/8in hole. The instruments cases will
accommodate
this separation. Structurally will this spacing work? I am assuming that
once bolted into position the instrument case itself becomes part of the
"structure".

3) Does anyone have any web sources for help in constructing a panel/radio
stack etc.?
The panel I put into my CH701 was less complex than the Moose and I was
working with panel material significantly thicker, more information is
always better than less.

Regards,
Don Boardman
& Partner, Randy Bowers
Super Moose #130 M-14PF 400HP, MT-prop, Aerocet 3500 amphibs, Rome, NY




*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
To unsubscribe go to http://www.dcsol.com:81/public/listserv.htm
Archives located at http://rebel:builder@www.dcsol.com:81/default.htm
To contact the list admin, e-mail mike.davis@dcsol.com
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*


*** File "WINMAIL.DAT" has been uudecoded and attached to this message.


*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
To unsubscribe go to http://www.dcsol.com:81/public/listserv.htm
Archives located at http://rebel:builder@www.dcsol.com:81/default.htm
To contact the list admin, e-mail mike.davis@dcsol.com
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

for panel construction you might want to check out epanelbuilder.com

From: Rickhm at home <Rickhm@mindspring.com>
Reply-To: <murphy-rebel@dcsol.com>
To: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com
Subject: RE: Moose Panel
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 20:31:56 -0700

Don,
I have no experience with install of my panel yet and am at about the

place I think you are. My dad destroyed (by choice, not an accident) his
lancair 320 last year. A long story filled with emotion and fear of
lawyers. He gave me his panel. When I was taking it apart I was

at how flexible the panel was. So we might be OK with just cutting the
holes and going from there.

HOWEVER, my nature is to build things to last longer than I will and to
make it easy for future maintenance. My plan is to cut a large (!)

hole out of the left center area. Along the edge (top, bottom, left and
right) reinforce it with 1/8" thick angle aluminum. The top and bottom
will be tied into the airframe along the left and right sides. Into the
angle aluminum I will cut holes for screws and nutplates on the back.

instruments I plan on mounting to 1/8" thick aluminum plate with matching
mounting holes to those in the angle aluminum.

This has several advantages. The obvious one is the strength that comes
from the thicker panel material. It allows for easy access to

down the road as well. Having rebuilt a plane before, I have enjoyed all

can take of standing on my head under a panel. It really isn't that bad,
but with an extra 2 hours of work it is so much easier. The 3x3 cluster
can be assembled on the bench, faster, and tested there as well.

wiring, lights, etc.

I plan on a similar approach on the right side for engine instruments.
With all this done, if you remove the left and right panels and provide
long enough vacuum tubing, power leads, static lines, etc., you have easy
access to the radio stack. I must admit the radio portion is not
completely thought through. One potential issue is my radio stack is 14"
deep and the panel is 15-16" deep leaving little room for wiring. I plan
on building a forward shelf for the stack to provide more access. Check
your radio stack depth!

One last comment. I am told (no experience) a mooney panel is standard
1/8" thick aluminum. The cessna panel is similar to the above approach I
described, but it is mounted on rubber standoff's for shock mounting.

Rick Muller SR70


-----Original Message-----
From: Don Boardman [SMTP:dboardm3@twcny.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 7:22 PM
To: murphy-rebel@dcsol.com
Subject: Moose Panel

Hi Guys,

Randy and I are in the final stages of panel layout/organization and want
to
start cutting and constructing ASAP.

A couple of questions:

1) Is the thickness of the panel material as supplied adequate?
I assume it is. It just seems once all those holes are drilled there is

much metal left to support the weight of the
instruments etc.

2) I would like to space a cluster of nine 3-1/8 instruments with 3/8in
separation between each 3-1/8in hole. The instruments cases will
accommodate
this separation. Structurally will this spacing work? I am assuming that
once bolted into position the instrument case itself becomes part of the
"structure".

3) Does anyone have any web sources for help in constructing a

stack etc.?
The panel I put into my CH701 was less complex than the Moose and I was
working with panel material significantly thicker, more information is
always better than less.

Regards,
Don Boardman
& Partner, Randy Bowers
Super Moose #130 M-14PF 400HP, MT-prop, Aerocet 3500 amphibs, Rome, NY

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

To unsubscribe go to http://www.dcsol.com:81/public/listserv.htm
Archives located at http://rebel:builder@www.dcsol.com:81/default.htm
To contact the list admin, e-mail mike.davis@dcsol.com

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

*** File "WINMAIL.DAT" has been uudecoded and attached to this message.

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

To unsubscribe go to http://www.dcsol.com:81/public/listserv.htm
Archives located at http://rebel:builder@www.dcsol.com:81/default.htm
To contact the list admin, e-mail mike.davis@dcsol.com

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*


_________________________________________________________________
Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

To unsubscribe go to http://www.dcsol.com:81/public/listserv.htm
Archives located at http://rebel:builder@www.dcsol.com:81/default.htm
To contact the list admin, e-mail mike.davis@dcsol.com