Dayton Days 4 & 5 Build Center – AVIONICS

Todays’ blog will be photos mostly because I do not want to write 1,000 words. We have been busting butt this week and I think we got a LOT done. I hope you agree. Here we go.

The upgraded reduction drive is finished and installed. We have 2 more backing plates water cut and milled and with bearings pressed in and will install in the next 2 Merlin’s in the build program and get more upgrades fabricated for everyone.

The photo above shows the redrive but more importantly, it shows the completed and installed engine wiring harness. This design is finally refined to perfect, and the harness manufacturer is fabricating enough for everyone. It is really ‘plug & play”.

Here is what the avionics tray looks like before riveting in behind the instrument panel. We waterjet the panel with the mounting holes all located then make a few bends to match the Merlin structure. Then install rivnuts in the remote avionics mounting holes. Simple and quick. Then drop it in to the aircraft. Everything we do is designed to be replicated perfectly. And designed to make installation super-fast and perfect.

Here is what the panel looks like from behind. This is really a money shot. The circuit boards are redesigned to accept 9 and 24 pin connectors.  Dozens of blade connectors are eliminated. The circuit boards attach to the panel and the harness comes ready to plug into the boards and to the remote avionics and antennas.

Any builder can have a panel that looks this good in just a few minutes!

Next step it to attach the panel to the Merlin then plug the panel harness into the components mounted on the avionics tray.

The panel is attached to the aircraft on the bottom with a piano hinge. Easy access.

The first of the 2 Merlins in our Dayton build program is 100% wired. Just a couple more day’s work with the cowl and fuel system.

Merlin #2 needs a day for the panel/avionics and a couple more days on the cowl and other details. I call that a good week What say you?

Cheers,
CIHP