Auto pilot servos.

[Lyndon]

On a new build. Can these wait, or as I've seen on they seem easier to install while building.
Why I ask is I'm leaving the avionics till last.
Garmin, Dynon, GRT or ???
Thanks Lyndon

[Eric Page]

Once covered, your only access will be with the seat and baggage compartment removed. If you're small and limber enough to fit your upper torso through the baggage opening to do the installation then you can do it after covering.

Most builders cover the fuselage bottom and sides, leaving the top uncovered until all wiring and control rigging is done. There's no reason that you couldn't leave the top of the fuselage open until very late in the build.

[Geek]

On a new build. Can these wait, or as I've seen on they seem easier to install while building.
Why I ask is I'm leaving the avionics till last.
Garmin, Dynon, GRT or ???
Thanks Lyndon

I would put them (physically and wiring) in just prior to covering the sides. The pitch servo (if you put it where Kitfox says to) is back behind the baggage sack area near the bottom of the plane so you would have to lean over and reach straight down to install and wire it. Or you can lay on the baggage area boards and wire that way but it's not real comfortable. The roll servo is a non-event. As in not hard no matter what as it's behind the seat pan. If you put in a Yaw servo, it's all the way in back just before the trim motor and it's way down in a small area. With the top not covered you could do it but it's still a pain. If you try and do it after the fact by reaching in through the access panel it's a royal PIA (ask me how I know that).

Bottom line is that you have plenty of time before you get to that part so you'll have plenty of time to look. Leaving the avionics till last might not be your best bet as their layout behind the panel and all is done before the firewall is attached. You're going to want to have your electrical runs/panel figured out and laid in before you get really serious about covering and the firewall forward. It's nice to have the boxes so you can lay them out and see how they best fit with everything else.

Just my 2 cents.

Gary

[Lyndon]

Any advice on the best set up. I don't want to spend a fortune on avionics but I also want a trouble free auto pilot.
Lyndon

[desertdave]

I put my Garmin pitch servo underneith the left seat, under my right thigh. I heated the under seat box corner with a heat gun and pushed in the corner a small amount so it cleared the servo.
IMG_4828.jpg

[dothedr3w]

On a new build. Can these wait, or as I've seen on they seem easier to install while building.
Why I ask is I'm leaving the avionics till last.
Garmin, Dynon, GRT or ???
Thanks Lyndon

I had a Dynon avionics suite planned for the longest time before I eventually switched to Garmin; one of the reasons being that their servos are apparently lighter, more refined, really just all around better. I haven't begun building yet so I can't speak from experience with either.

Purchasing avionics last is something that's been recommended to me a bunch of times, and I will mostly follow that advice, I did however purchase the 3x servos, pitot, and any other piece that's gonna need attention/installation before covering. Given their small cost relative to what all your avionics will cost, and the fact that a new model being released is very unlikely, I would get your servos now and install before it's a PIA.

[VictorV]

One thing to consider is you can install the mounting plates and wiring for the servos and install the servos later. If you're going with Garmin I believe the servo install kit comes with a bypass connector that you plug onto your wire harness that maintains continuity for the CAN Bus. I can't remember for sure if it comes with the install kit or the
servo itself. You'll have to check. Installing the servo on the mounting plate is fairly easy but it is PITA to get into the back of the fuselage after the covering
has been installed.

I've been building mine for 3 years now and Garmin has not come out with any new, better or cheaper products that I would consider. I am using the G3x which
is incredibly capable. There's always new stuff coming out in the "future" so I would not let that hold you back. One consideration is that the pitch trim signal
from the switch goes through the pitch servo if you want the AP to control trim as well so you might need the pitch servo in order to test your trim system. Also
note that the current to drive the pitch trim motor coming from the servo may not be sufficient, you might need a Safety Trim Booster in your system.

The Garmin and Dynon solutions aren't that different in price. I chose Garmin mainly because of the features and reliability. They're both great products though.

As mentioned by others, you need to know the dimensions of the different avionics boxes to determine their layout. I used foamboard and hotglue to create full-scale
mockups of everything so I could delay buying the actual components. If you decide to go Garmin, I'd be more than happy to help get your system designed. There
are LOTS of details to consider. The wiring itself is not hard, just time-consuming.

Victor