The Murphy Builders Site

Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:48:27 -0500
From: klehman@albedo.net
To: rebel-builders@dcsol.com
Subject: Re: [rebel-builders] Rebel Instrument Panel - Dynon D180

Hi Gary
The glareshield where you seem to have the hinged door is structural in
that it resists the firewall moving side to side. Those two 5/8" square
tubes going forward from the instrument panel are also part of that side
to side strength. Proof would seem to be that some guys have cracks
develop in the glareshield radiating forward from the two bends in the
instrument panel. I believe Wayne recommends a doubler on the
glareshield at those corners. I also put such doublers on the bottom of
the instrument panel at the two bends. Some guys on floats even put
steel tubes from the wing roots to the top of the firewall to add more
strength there. So yes I'd be cautious of a large hole in the
glareshield without adding equivalent strength some other way.
Ken

Gary Gustafson wrote:

I realize that the panel is structural, but I have a question.
The previous builders of Rebel 242 have cut the sheet metal
on the cowling just above the panel and installed a section that
hinges up to get into the back side of the panel from the top. It
had supporting angle brackets on the part that hinges up and
doublers underneath to screw down and secure the hinge flap allowing
access to the back side of the panel from the top. It has been handy
but my concern is and has been what was done to the structural
integrity of the panel itself. The panel is all in one piece and
will be riveted in place when final installation is complete.

I have installed the 'Ontario Mod' on the front side of the firewall.
My question is "Has the structural integrity of the entire front
console been compromised?" Along the bottom I have added a piece
of L channel for the switches and controls which is screwed to the
panel. I have uploaded a picture to "207 - R-Instrument Panels' of
the initial test fit. The cut out piece spans the crease on the left
hand side of the panel (just to the left of the ASI and ALT) to the
crease on the right hand side of the panel. If you zoom in on the
picture you can just see the front edge of the hinge opening which
extends back about 12 inches.

What loads and stresses are experienced in that portion of the panel
during normal flight or should I beef it up some more. BYTW I expect
the hinged opening to be very useful in the future. I will try and
get a better angled picture on Monday and post it.

Gary Gustafson - 242R

-----------------------------------------------------------------
List archives located at: https://mail.dcsol.com/login
username "rebel" password "builder"
Unsubscribe: rebel-builders-unsubscribe@dcsol.com
List administrator: mike.davis@dcsol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------