compass location

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taildrags
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compass location

Post by taildrags »

I remember seeing someone's setup for mounting their compass on the underside of the wing, which looked like a pretty slick setup. I'm thinking of moving mine out of the panel and I don't have my fuel tank up in the centersection and could consider mounting the compass up under there. Any ideas would be welcomed; photos would be especially welcomed, or at least the name of the airplane's owner so I could go look at pictures of it on Westcoastpiet.

Thanks.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power
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KenBickers
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Re: compass location

Post by KenBickers »

Oscar, I used a compass that is sold for marine applications. It handles turbulence well. Here's a pic of it. Lots of changes between that picture and the finished airplane, but the compass and its box have worked well as originally installed. Cheers, Ken
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KenBickers
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Re: compass location

Post by KenBickers »

Oscar, here's another view of the compass and its box (pre-paint).

Note: I removed the center section tank as part of weight savings plan. I've never missed it, as the nose tank has greater duration than my backside does.

Cheers, Ken
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taildrags
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Re: compass location

Post by taildrags »

Ken; thanks for confirming the path I've decided to take... under the wing. I had that same, or very similar, Ritchie compass in my Amazon shopping cart till I found one by Silva that looked like it might provide a slimmer profile and perhaps simpler mounting and more adjustable viewing angle. Undecided on the exact selection, but pretty well decided on moving my compass up top. The only thing I'll need to change up there is the linkage that I have in the aileron crossover cable in the centersection. The linkage between the port and starboard cables is directly above where the compass will be, and it's a pair of steel straps with clevis pins on each end, capturing the ends of the two cables. That linkage features importantly in wing removal, but it slides left and right as the stick is moved, obviously an influence on the compass, so I'll remake the linkage straps in aluminum and just have to deal with whatever swinging remains when the clevis pins and attaching hardware move back and forth up there.

-Oscar
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KenBickers
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Re: compass location

Post by KenBickers »

Oscar,

Agreed. I tried a bunch of places on the panel and never found a spot without significant impacts on the compass. Under the wing, it hasn't been a problem. I did move it forward an inch or three so that it would not be over the aileron cables. It is actually easier to read when set a little bit forward. Too close and at that angle, I need to turn my bifocals upside down :)

Cheers, Ken
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taildrags
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Re: compass location

Post by taildrags »

Ken; thanks for the tips on compass mounting up there. I'll most likely Gorilla Tape the compass in place and fly it a bit before settling on anything. And I know what you mean about bifocals. When I wear my contacts to fly, I can wear any sunglasses I want, any goggles I want, or nothing on my eyes at all, and can see distant just fine but can't make out the altimeter setting in the Kollsman window without leaning way back or pulling out my peepers. If I wear glasses instead of contacts, I have to wear glasses with slim temples so my headset doesn't dig two grooves into the sides of my head and if I want goggles they have to accommodate glasses, but I can read up close just fine.

I have a pair of compact binoculars at the hangar, too- useless for flying, but I've found that if I turn them around and look through the big ends, all my problems appear to be smaller and farther away so I've been using them a lot that way in 2020 ;o)

-Oscar
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taildrags
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Re: compass location

Post by taildrags »

Just looked at the pic again... I see that your compass is mounted just ahead of the rear spar. Got it.

Also noticed that you used my U-bolt trick on the cabane braces for mounting the passenger's shoulder harness to. How's that working out? Mine works great.

-Oscar
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KenBickers
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Re: compass location

Post by KenBickers »

Oscar,

I wondered where I got the idea to use the U-bolt. I owe you appropriate citation!

As it happens, I've never used it. I have removable shoulder and lap harnesses, which I keep in the forward glove box.

I rarely fly when the density altitude is below 6000'. Typically it is much higher than that when I get the urge to go for a rip. Consequently I treat my Piet as a one-place airplane here in Colorado. My one opportunity to take passengers up was in 2019 when I flew to Brodhead and Oshkosh. Most of the time at Brodhead the winds were directly across the runway and strong. I didn't want my first flight with a pax to be under conditions that weren't just right. So I flew solo, hoping for conditions to improve. Alas, they didn't. So I didn't fly with a front-seat pax.

I'm beginning to get the itch to make another long cross-country. Maybe Brodhead; maybe California; maybe Texas. So maybe next summer there will be the opportunity to use the front seat harnesses and U-bolt to take a passenger for a ride in the Piet.

Cheers, Ken
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