We've gotten a lot done in the last couple of weeks.
Engine installation; test run; aircraft weight; cg analysis.
One of the things I'm most pleased with is our panel.
It's a really cool little panel -- everything you need; a little steam; a little digital. A gizmo dock for a Garmin 496.
I'd really appreciate feedback on the layout. We can move a few things around before our rollout next week; we may cut another panel prior to Oshkosh.
Switches are as follows: magneto on/kill; momentary starter (left side).
The four switches are: avionics power; nav lights; landing light; extra switch.
The demo unit has a MicroAir transceiver and a Becker transponder.
Note the fuel gauge as well! :-)
I think I'll add a voltmeter as well.
This panel was cut from birch plywood and will be stained and finished in the next few days.
7 comments:
I'm kind of a stickler for having either a VSI or a variometer.
I like an AHI and a turn indicator, but I guess the KFL really doesn't need either, and/or they could be simulated off of the garmin if really desired.
I also like for the avionics layout to be more traditional. It makes the plane look more like a full service plane and less like a garage project.
That may be the key though. I don't have any friends who are willing to take on a major garage project, so I'm not typical of the market.
ps. Good job. The plane looks really good.
How do you anticipate the lighter wings will affect flight characteristics of the new KFL?
If you're thinking "landing light" you're not thinking Part 103. I was really excited. Not so much anymore.
So what was the weight???
I am thinking and planning FAR 103 legal. The landing light would only be for people building it as an experimental.
Everything you see here will be part of the FAR 103 legal airplane, except we won't hook up the lights. We do plan on electric start and a battery.
We weigh the plane just about every day. We are well under on our weight budget. We're using that weight to improve with these avionics and a better engine.
I thought about the VSI too. We have physical panel space (and of course weight) limitations so it's still too low on the priority list.
I knew I had to have 3 pieces of avionics: radio, xpdr, GPS. How to fit them?? Another challenge was mounting them in a stack, which is tough because of the lack of structure behind the panel. This problem was solved with a lightweight aluminum 'tray'. It holds the side by side radio/xpdr up.
Thanks for the comments so far! Keep 'em coming!
The only flying effect of the reduced weight (mass) in the wing is that the aileron(flaperon) response should improve slightly. The aerodynamics and airfoil are identical. In other words, it should have a little better roll rate.
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