RV-10 Experimental Home Page

In late 2003, one of my coworkers (Rick) undertook the challenge of building an airplane.  He selected the Vans RV-10 which is a 4 place family cruiser with 200mph speed and fixed landing gear.  More information on the aircraft can be found on the Van's Aircraft RV-10 Webpage.   Rick has worked nearly every evening for almost 2 years straight on the plane.  He completed the empennage (tail) and most of the wing ribs by August 2004.  From time to time, I'd stop by and give him a hand riveting on wing skins, fuel tank skins, and other hard to reach places.  Late in the 2004, I started helping more and more.  It's much more fun than pushing paper at work...

By the end of winter 2004, the wings were complete, the lower fuselage was complete, and the avionics were going in.  I designed the instrument panel for Rick which took nearly a month by itself.  The panel is fairly impressive with a lot of nice features.  There's a glass cockpit with analog backup.  Hookups and a 12" touch screen for a computer or secondary digital display.  The airplane is equipped for IFR complete with dual GPS, autopilot, satellite radio, DVD player/laptop personal computer, all electric trim, as well as a full suite of standard analog instruments (altimeter, compass, airspeed, directional gyro, artificial horizon, CDI, and vertical speed indicator).  Although the panel is laid out and mostly installed, the long and arduous task of checkout and some wiring still must be completed.  Checkouts of the panel will probably continue throughout the next month or so (complete in Feb?). 

Below are some photos I took throughout construction.  With any luck, the RV-10 will be flight worthy by Spring 2006.  The IO-540 engine and prop were received in October.  There is still a lot of work to be done before we can install the engine and roof but we are slowly progressing.

  

Blue Mountain EFIS installed facing Aft

This unit has been modified by BMA to be installed with the connectors oriented aft (different than the standard orientation). The CPU is accessible through panel (removal of LCD screen required). However, removal of CPU requires removal of left side of radio stack supports and 2 of the instruments (VSI, Airspeed). Needed about 1" of clearance more to avoid clearance issue. Maybe on the next one...

RV-10 Panel Test Fit

Center Console Design

Note - Dimensions / Scale Approximations! We used poster board to make actual pattern

Tail Assembly shortly after joining to forward Fuselage

RV-10 Panel Full Power Up First Time

Blue Mountain EFIS up and Running displaying on BMA hi def screen and 600x800 ELO touch screen.

Aft Aux Tray

This is the battery tray, ELT box, and elevator autopilot servo mount which is now attached to the top of the old (modified) battery mount.

Aft Battery Tray

End View of Baggage Light Switch in cross brace

View of neon tube in cross brace of baggage compartment

Another view of the baggage light neon tube

Baggage Area Rear Light (Blue)

Rear Small Baggage Light (Blue)

Another view of the battery tray

Control Stick junction box

This box contains 3 DB-25 connectors used to connect to each control stick and then run up to the instrument panel.

Close up of the control stick junction box

Defrost Splitter from main heat supply in tunnel

Defrost control valve assembly and splitter from rear heat duct

Close up of heater/defrost diverter valve

Pilot Side Exhaust looking up at bottom of panel deck.

External Power Recepticle in rear baggage area bulkhead near door

Power connections and solenoid/diode assembly from external power recepticle

Another view of the external power recepticle

External Power Door Closed

External Power Door Closed

Fuel Tray Modification

False floor in Tunnel

Raising the fuel pump, filter, and fuel lines 2" off the bottom of the tunnel should add some insulation and mitigate heating problems from hot exhaust flowing under aircraft

Sidewall Insulation

Foil / aircraft inslulation

Blue Mountain Magnetometer

No ferrus mounting location in tail - only location in aircraft consistently 24" from any ferrous metal.

Close up of magnetometer mount

Parking Brake

Parking brake Valve on Firewall

Pre-Oiler Control Switch

Switch has locking detent requiing operator to pull out to engage. Switch supplies power to oiler and grounds both mags when energized preventing engine firing.

Blue Mountain Power Board

Power board is mounted on co-pilot side of panel behind LCD display. Power board is mounted to 3/8" aircraft grade birch plywood. Plywood is mounted to 3 aluminum channels avoiding and metal to metal contact between power board hardware and aircraft structure. Blue box visible beneath power board is the 24-12V voltage regulator.

Power Board View looking Up

View of power board looking up showing bottom of panel (breakers, ELO touch screen, co-pilot defrost)

Flap Positioning and Indication System

Bottom Right and Left, you can see the flap position system using a Ray Allen transducer and a arm mounted to the flap torque tube. The Show Planes FPS is installed on the upper left portion of the picture (black box).

Rats nest #1 - Pre-Wire for the forward fuselage.

      

 

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