Time: 6 Hours
I wanted to start the work on the pilot armrest/consoles that will house the throttle quadrant and switches. This is a modification and not the stock plan. Before I started this I had a few items to finish up. I needed to put the side panel in that covers up the battery area. Before I did that I drilled for a 6 place fuse block that will get mounted to this panel. I decided to use fuses for the seat warmers based on the advise of Vertical Power due to the flucuation power needs. I had to remove the rudder pedals to get it in.
I also drilled and screwed down the ELT speaker to the cross member behind the instrument panel.
I mounted the second Dynon hub in the right side floor bay.
So now on to the throttle quadrant and the attachment peices. The plan is to attach the throttle quadrant to the spar cap that runs along the sides vertically. I needed to cut a couple of peices of 1.5″ angle to make a mounting brackets. I figured out the outside edge distance for the throttle and came up 1/4″ space from the cap to the inside of the angle. I used a 1/4″ drill bit as a spacer so I could match drill the angles to the cap.
I then clamped the throttle to the angles. I won’t drill this until I make the top shelf and figure out the exact placement.
Glenn was nice enough to let me use his templates for his consoles to make the cuts much easier.
I made a angle out of sheet to rivet to the side panel of the instrument panel to attach the side console to.
I took me better part of an hour to file down the top for a good fit. Once I was happy I laid out a rivet line for screws to attach it to the side and top and drilled the top. Using the holes I just drilled I match drilled the side angle and top angle supports. I then clecko’ed the top in place and checked the fit.
I didn’t trim up the outside edge yet as I will wait for the side skin for this console so that I can make a nice clean corner. To attach the side I need a angle that I will rivet to the top and have nutplates to screw the side to.
I countersunk the rivet holes in the angles and dimpled the top skin for flush rivets. I figured out the exact placement of the throttle quadrant and clamped it in place. I marked two holes to line up the holes in the center of the attach angles. I then drilled them with a #30 then a #12 for AN-3 bolts. I removed the angles and drilled and countersunk for nutplates. I riveted nutplates to the forward and side angle for #8 screws. I then laid out the side panel on my sheet and cut it out on the band saw. I cleaned up all the edges so I wouldn’t scratch anything in the cockpit as I knew I would be moving it in and out a lot as I fine tuned the size. I can up with a screw hole lay out and marked them for drilling, starting with a #30 bit so I could match drill the angles.
After drilling the holes in the side skin I carefully held it in place along the console and started match drilling and starting from the front and working my way aft. I made a bend to match the top as it gets narrower going aft. I also made a bend at the aft end to match the existing structure. I measured the placement of the friction lock at the bottom of the throttle quadrant and drilled a hole for it.
I’m real happy with how the left side turned out! I’m looking forward to filling up the top section with switches and controls.
