Brodhead Pietenpol Association

I’m sort of in between steps on my project so I decided to waste a little time laying out my instrument panel. I’m a very low time student pilot learning in a champ so I don’t know much about the best arrangement but it kinda made sense in my mind to center the flight instruments, put all the engine stuff on the left, and the navigation stuff on the right. Any suggestions, criticisms, comments, or jokes are welcome.

Looks fine to me. Get that tri-plane!

I like where you have the magnetic compass. Mine is roughly "top dead center" in my panel, where you show your ASI, and it's apparently close enough to the steel control stick that when I move the stick towards or away from the compass- the heading readout changes.

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power

Yes, I like the location of the compass also. I can't see the compass in the Piet I fly.

I read that Wiley Post as well as many Air Mail pilots would rotate their gauges in the panel so that 12 o'clock was normal At a glance they could see all was good. Just a thought.

Hey Ron- Help! I've tried turning my mag compass every which way but can't find 12 o'clock on it! ;o) I've had a couple of vehicles that seemed like they were designed to have the gauge needles more or less centered when the readings were normal, and I know a lot of race cars are set up that way so the driver doesn't have to mentally evaluate the readings (unless they're out of range). It's a great idea. On my airplane, I think 65 MPH would be at the 12 o'clock position on the ASI...

Oscar Zuniga
Medford, OR
Air Camper NX41CC, A75 power

Dan,

I like how you have your panel laid out. I found doing mine that some of the instruments interfered with the aileron cables. I had to do some swapping about for the cables to have clear access.

I put my compass on the underside of the center section, like you have yours. That wasn't my first plan. But I could not find a place in the panel where the compass didn't go crazy due to the other stuff nearby. In the middle of the center section, I haven't noticed anything weird.

On the other hand, I frequently forget to look up at it. Around here that's not a problem. Assuming a clear day, if the mountains are in front, you're headed west. If you can't see the mountains, you are either too low or headed east. On the left or right, you are headed north or south.

Cheers, Ken

Ken, I like your method of navigating! Simple and foolproof. No sir... they'll never call you Ken "Wrong Way" Bickers ;o)

Looks great Dan, solid plan. As you gain hours as a student make mental notes on how you personally scan and what is most comfortable and natural for you and arrange the instruments to conform to you vise you having to conform to the aircraft. I really like your layout... also bold move actually showing a spot for your phone / Ipad... just add Stratus and you're ready to cross the pond!
..I was going to hide mine on a swivel mount that could disappear behind the inst panel so people wouldn't see me "cheating"

Ron,

Wiley Post was not the only pilot that did that. When I flew in the Marine Corps we had all the engine instruments rotated so that "normal" was all in the same place/clock position and each gauge was marked with a dash of red torque seal at that spot. we would scan all the gauges at one time and could immediately see if anything was out of the ordinary.

I had forgotten that we did that until you mentioned it. I think I will continue that practice. Thanks for reminding me.

Very useful information..

You’ll need to pull a little lead pursuit if you’re gonna shoot that Focker down.