REFLECTOR:Fiberglass Instrument Panel Backing

Rene Dugas reflector@tvbf.org
Tue, 2 Dec 2003 17:30:19 -0600


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Aerotronics did exactly that to mine because with the large cut outs it
was quite flexible and vibration  was a concern.  There was also so
little glass left around the edges that I agreed that strength was an
issue.  I braced mine to the keel at the base of the radios and moved
the radios to the middle and the Vision engine panel to the canted part
of the panel.  I can reach the radios much better here but disconnecting
the elevator push -pull is more difficult.  The bonding shows no sign of
separation and the panel shows no sign of cracks.  The Quality of
Aerotronics, Inc.'s work was first rate and the two small errors were
admitted and fixed with phone support with Jason or Gary.  Mine was
shipped near the promised date and was plug and play.

Rene'

 

-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Al Gietzen
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 10:10 AM
To: reflector@tvbf.org
Subject: RE: REFLECTOR:Fiberglass Instrument Panel Backing

 

 

 

I heard from one of the avionics vendors that there are problems with
using

fiberglass instrument panels like we use in the Velocity because some of
the

bigger, heavier instruments widen out the fiberglass holes over time
with

airframe vibration, hard landings, etc.

 

Have people flying had this problem?  Are you using metal insert panels,

metal backing plates, carbon fiber backing, or other similar methods to

prevent the problem?

 

Aerotronics bonds aluminum sheet (I think .035) to the back of Velocity
panels on the custom panels; to add strength and to make them flat for
good alignment of the instruments.  I block sanded the back of my panel
to get it flat and applied 3 ply of fine BID which gave a nice flat
surface and should have more strength (particularly fatigue resistance)
than aluminum.

 

Al


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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Aerotronics did exactly that to =
mine
because with the large cut outs it was quite flexible and =
vibration&nbsp; was a
concern.&nbsp; There was also so little glass left around the edges that =
I
agreed that strength was an issue.&nbsp; I braced mine to the keel at =
the base
of the radios and moved the radios to the middle and the Vision engine =
panel to
the canted part of the panel. &nbsp;I can reach the radios much better =
here but
disconnecting the elevator push &#8211;pull is more difficult.&nbsp; The
bonding shows no sign of separation and the panel shows no sign of
cracks.&nbsp; The Quality of Aerotronics, Inc.&#8217;s work was first =
rate and
the two small errors were admitted and fixed with phone support with =
Jason or
Gary.&nbsp; Mine was shipped near the promised date and was plug and =
play.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Rene&#8217;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DTahoma><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original =
Message-----<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> =
reflector-admin@tvbf.org
[mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org] <b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>On =
Behalf
Of </span></b>Al Gietzen<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, December =
02, 2003
10:10 AM<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> =
reflector@tvbf.org<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: =
REFLECTOR:Fiberglass
Instrument Panel Backing</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>I heard from one of the avionics vendors that =
there
are problems with using</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>fiberglass instrument panels like we use in =
the
Velocity because some of the</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>bigger, heavier instruments widen out the =
fiberglass
holes over time with</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>airframe vibration, hard landings, =
etc.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>Have people flying had this problem?&nbsp; =
Are you
using metal insert panels,</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>metal backing plates, carbon fiber backing, =
or other
similar methods to</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>prevent the problem?</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DNimrod><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DVerdana><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Aerotronics bonds =
aluminum sheet
(I think .035) to the back of Velocity panels on the custom panels; to =
add
strength and to make them flat for good alignment of the =
instruments.&nbsp; I
block sanded the back of my panel to get it flat and applied 3 ply of =
fine BID
which gave a nice flat surface and should have more strength =
(particularly
fatigue resistance) than aluminum.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>&nbsp;</span><=
/font></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Al</span></fon=
t></p>

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