Wiring teardown (or how I destroyed my plane in a weekend)

[akarmy]

Let the games begin.

This weekend I pulled most everything apart. I started one by one removing each wire from the back of the panel and electrical bus. By selectively either cutting and removing, or taping and labeling each wire that I needed to keep. Once everything was traced out and clearly understood, I removed the remaining connections and parts from the instrument panel. Then Removing the panel was a small matter of a few bolts at the bottom that held it in place.

It’s funny that as you go deeper and deeper into the project it starts looking like you’ve almost totally dismantled the entire plane. At one point I had to fold the right wing slightly to get the OAT sensor out of the wing root. At least I know that the pin will come out and you can fold the wing back. (better make sure and put that pin back in when I’m done!)

I made sure to keep every part that I was removing, including all the wire and parts in a box so I can weigh all of the stuff that’s not going back in and see what I removed. Mostly for curiosity sake really. When the rebuild is done I will weigh the plane and get a new weight and balance done for the record books.

Here are more pictures of the progress to date. From this point things should start going back in as the project progresses. Now no crying for those of you that have seen this plane, or flown in it. I promise it will be neat and tidy when it's finished!

http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100118-P1000821.jpg
http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100118-P1000823.jpg
http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100118-P1000824.jpg
http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100118-P1000825.jpg

[SkyPirate]

wow ..glad that's you not me .,, I'd be pulling my hair out trying to figure what was what,.
I loathe wiring ..,.I can do it ,..just don't like it,..gives me nightmares ha ha

good luck Andy


what kinds of goodies are you not re installing?


Chase

[Mark]

Wow, Andy, brave move. I, too, just finished a complete panel gutout and rebuild. It's a chore but worth the effort in the end. What's the new panel going to have in it?
Good luck,

[Slyfox]

WOW! you must be bored over there. Are you putting in a Dynon?

[akarmy]

This project has been dubbed "Project Liposuction" as the primary driver was to reduce weight and complexity where they were not needed. So what does that mean? Well this plane had dual alternators, dual batteries, dual buses (non interconnected), acres of breakers, etc.

So for the most part I'm keeping most of what I had with a few upgrades. It had a GRT EFIS, which I'm keeping. I removed the IK2000 engine monitor to be replaced with a GRT EIS (which will tie into the EFIS), removing a dedicated fuel flow monitor (new will be embedded into EIS), removed the external alternator (high dollar Rotax part will be up for sale soon), I had already replaced my Com radio with a new Icom & GPS so those go back in. Had already replaced the ELT with a new 406 so that goes back in. Rewiring with a fuse panel instead of the breakers and a new much simpler wire plan (more fitting of my intended use for a Kitfox).

In the end, the goal is a very clean panel with as little in it as possible! Much like Mark's really.

Then the fuel system needs re-plumbed and who knows what else will come up along the way! As I progress I'll post a list of removed items to see if they are something someone needs for their project.

[cap01]

should be a nice clean panel when your done . i used the fuses instead of c/bs . i did install two fuse panels , one switched radio bus and and a main bus . nice to be able to switch off radio and stuff before i shut it down . i also wired the power supply for the anr headset to the radio bus . been working great and happy with the way it turned out .
it did look like the fuel system needed some of the switchbacks removed . looks like they ran all the gas thru the electric pump . i thought the pump might restrict flow when it isnt pumping ? must not . i plumbed mine in parallel with a check valve .
with all the crappie weather , yesterday i started pulling off a wing to replace a gas tank . now kicking myself with the beautiful morning . could have gotten in a couple of more hours before if took it apart.

[Slyfox]

way cool, you will like it and if you get these babies light, you will have a bunch of fun flying as well.

[sdemeyer]

s
with all the crappie weather , yesterday i started pulling off a wing to replace a gas tank . now kicking myself with the beautiful morning . could have gotten in a couple of more hours before if took it apart.


Hey Chuck, are you going from 6 gal to 13? I'll have to swing over there one of these days. I only live a few miles from you.

Scott

[cap01]

scott , yes , im replaceing a 6 gal tank with a 13 gal tank . just changing the right tank to start with maybe the left tank later . as i recall , you had to replace a tank .
will have to get together sometime . since the wing is off the kitfox , ive been spending more time at the flying b working on the tank . i missed a chance to get a little time in this morning , looked real nice

[akarmy]

Here's the latest progress. Now I have no idea why it takes the better part of a week to simply cut up a panel blank, but there is a bunch of work to do it right. Cutting, shaping, grinding, drilling, riveting, planning, layout, engineering, fitting, re-drilling, re-riviting, scratching your head, finally cleaning, priming, painting...

http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100127-P1010019.jpg

Now it's on to assembly!

[SkyPirate]

looking good~!

[akarmy]

Here's the latest update from this weekend. I now have the panel installed and all of the main power & electrical system wiring done. Still to go is headset wiring, engine monitor wiring, complete fuel system rebuild. Good times!
http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100131-P1010022.jpg

Here's the main power distribution center. Fuse panel, crowbar overvoltage module and relay for alternator feed, filter cap, etc.

http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100131-P1010028.jpg

Here's the back of the main panel location, with the switch panel & wiring routing. I used some adel clamps attached to the bottom edge of the panel to create a nice wire chase path. Keep them from being zip tied to the tube structure under the panel.

http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100131-P1010026.jpg

Here's a neat idea for your GPS antenna farm. Since the glareshield is fiberglass, they work just great mounted just underneath the dash cover. Keeps them out of the way and securely mounted.

http://flying.karmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20100131-P1010029.jpg

[Dorsal]

Andy,
Looks great, I also came to the conclusion that the best place for the GPS / XM weather antenna is just under the glareshield. I put mine on top of the glovebox.

[SkyPirate]

I'm thinking I'm gonna send my panel to Andy and let him build it ,..sound lke a plan Andy?

awesome job ~!!

[Dorsal]

Andy,
I like the clean design an the flush rivets, I wanted to be able to disassemble mine down to flat so I used button head screws, I like your approach better. Is that a drop-down panel so you can get to the fuses?

[akarmy]

Well, as a reformed RV builder I had an entire toolbox of stuff screaming for some flush rivets to be set!

I struggled with a solution for the fuse panel access. In the end I didn't do anything for it. The door on the right side is just a glove box. Similar to the factory LSA with a push to open latch. As my new setup is so simple, I only have 7 fuses, so I put the block just under the dash on the tray you can see. I can reach it when standing outside on the passenger side. You just have to feel for which one to pull. My intention was never to make them inflight accessible.

[SkyPirate]

I think I am going to do something like this for the panel

[Av8r3400]

Legally, don't they need to be? You may want to check with FAA/DAR or whoever is going to approve the major change.

[Dorsal]

According to the Aeroelectric Connection, they do not need to be inflight accessible.

[akarmy]

Ya, this has been hashed around for years on the RV-Lists. They are not required to be accessible for experimental.

Since a fuse has a primary job of protecting the wire it's connected to, if it blows, the last thing I want to do is force it back on to see if I can get smoke the second time. I'm day/vfr, I'll land and figure it out.

[Av8r3400]

I was just wondering on your source for this, because during the E-LSA class I took this past weekend it was mentioned that any fuse or circuit breaker needed to be accessible by the PIC in flight...

The guy teaching was not from the FAA, but he is a A&P w/IA. We were talking of the merits of circuit breakers and fuses. His words were you can even use the cheesey inline spade fuses from the auto parts store, as long as you can reach them in flight.

[Slyfox]

I've got some on the RV. They didn't need to be. But, you should go down and get some of those resetable fuses at the auto parts store for the critical stuff. That's what i did.

[akarmy]

I was just wondering on your source for this

Ok, first up, I clearly understand and believe that whoever you are talking to, be it FAA inspector, DAR, or other person of authority has the final say. If you need them to sign off on something you may end up having to meet whatever requirements they put on you. That said, here's some background if you want to research this topic yourself.

I am not trying to convince anyone of anything, just sharing what I have seen.

First up, Why does it always come up that it's required to have accessable fuses & CB's to the pilot? Well that's because of FAR Part 23.1357.D which says


If the ability to reset a circuit breaker or replace a fuse is essential
to safety in flight, that circuit breaker or fuse must be so located and
identified that it can be readily reset or replaced in flight.

Now that seems pretty clear. However there are 2 issues to be considered. First up is a check on applicability of FAR Part 23. In FAR Part 23.1.a it says


This part prescribes airworthiness standards for the issue of type
certificates, and changes to those certificates, for airplanes in the
normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter categories.

Now last I checked that does not apply to Experimental aircraft. Secondly we each need to think about what is required to meet the phrase "essential to safety in flight" and think of proper backups for those items. This comes down to how you equip your plane and what conditions you plan on flying in. There are literally thousands of RV's up to and including 4 place full IFR planes with fuses that are not accessible, so they are getting approved by inspectors all over the country already.

Here's a link to one of the articles by Bob Nuckolls which talks about system design and the fuse vs breaker issue. This is the material that got most of those RV guys thinking about these design issues.

http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/fusvsbkr.html

So, that's what I know on the subject, not trying to argue with anyone. In the end we all have to decide how to equip our own planes to meet the mission profiles we have defined for them.

[cap01]

andy , i just went thru this last summer with the a/w cert . my fuse panels are located on the bottom side of my glove compartment . i had a well known local dar look at the airplane and no mention was made of fuse panel locations . he must have been happy with the location

[Slyfox]

I put many of my fuses on auto fuses inside the panel, only way to get to them was with the canopy open, this is on the RV. Only thing I was told was to mark them for application. This was from the big guy that oversees all the Dars at my FSDO. He was at my inspection looking over the DAr for his inspection. That was last may.