Avionics mounting: 4 hours

• Finished the brackets to mount the EFII engine computers. Also drilled brackets to sub panel ribs.
• Started on the brackets for the VPX electronic circuit breaker and the mode S remote transponder.

Getting ready to drill the engine computer brackets to the ribs:

Panel and GTN-650 tray in place to measure for other brackets:

VPX and transponder brackets:

Canopy and avionics misc: 10 hours

The following items were done over several days:

• Permanently installed canopy tip prop rod holder
• Did more sanding on canopy skirt
• Received instrument panel placards from Front Panel express - they turned out great!
• Permanently installed canopy slide rail
• Planned out where all avionics boxes will mount forward of the instrument panel. In the process of doing this I found I was missing the GAD 29 Arinc interface box for the GTN-650 so I ordered one from Steinair
• I also ordered a fair amount of hardware including steel fittings for the firewall penetrations for fuel, brake lines and brake reservoir. Other hardware included plate nuts and screws, etc. for mounting avionics.
• Ordered one of two lithium iron batteries that will mount on the firewall.
• Did a lot of avionics and firewall related research online.

Sub panel with outlines for placement of avionics:

A lot of boxes to fit in forward of the instrument panel:

Permanently installed canopy slide rail:

Instrument panel placards from Front Panel Express:

  More sanding / prep on canopy skirt:

Installed canopy tip up prop rod holder:

Instrument panel and misc: 8 hours

I was so happy with my N number placard from Front Panel Express that I decided to use them for all of the panel labeling. My alternative was dry transfer labels. The advantage of the placards is that if you need to change something you can just order a new placard. They also look great.

I did a fair amount of the layout while traveling. Even though I had the panel already laid out on the computer it took more time than I anticipated to get the placards right.

I also permanently installed a few canopy related parts in the fuselage.

Final panel placard mock up:

Left vent bracket mockup with 12v and engine alt air control:

Initial mockup after N number placard attached:

Tip up / slider canopy prop rod and right pin bracket:

Right pin bracket  with tip up / slider stop:

Finished up panel and small parts painting plus instrument panel labels: 8 hours

The following items were done over several days:

Unfortunately the  instrument panel ended up with a good bit of dust spots and other defects. I wet sanded it  with 800 grit, prepped and recoated with 3 coats of the matte epoxy. This turned out very well. I also gave the same treatment to the vent brackets and the engine control bracket.

I was on a painting kick so I gathered up all the small miscellaneous parts involving the canopy and interior. These included the control sticks, canopy slide rail, various canopy handles and latches, and more. These parts got prepped and sprayed with primer, satin black, or left bare metal for clear coating. Everything got a final coat of gloss or matte epoxy. I'm happy with the results for all of it.

For labeling the canopy I have decided to have front panel express make placard out of anodized aluminum. I think this will look great and can be changed in the future if necessary. All the panel design was done on there software so I have all the data to lay out the placards. I have spent several hours on the computer laying these out.

Small parts painting:

Interior canopy latch handle and slider rail:

More painting: 2 hours

• Sprayed instrument panel and related parts with 4 coats of Eastwood 2k Matte clear epoxy
• Put another coat of primer on control sticks and miscellaneous parts

Primed instrument panel and other parts: 2 hours

Prepped and primed the instrument panel, engine control bracket, vent brackets, control sticks and some miscellaneous cabin parts. Next step will be multiple coats of matte epoxy.

More stick grips and instrument panel: 7 hours

• Drilled holes for stick grip retaining screws in both sticks
• Test fit G3X touch units in panel
• Mocked up engine controls on bench. I ended up liking 2.5" spacing between controls.
• Cut engine control bracket down to 8" and drilled holes for engine controls.
• Drilled engine bracket for plate nuts and bracket to instrument panel
• Drilled instrument panel for garmin nut plate brackets
• Cut down Garmin nut plate brackets to individual plate nuts
• Riveted Garmin nut plates to panel and riveted 2 more plate nuts that will secure the vent bracket

Back of instrument panel with plate nuts installed:

Garmin nut plate brackets in place to drill for rivets:

Drilling engine control bracket to instrument panel:

Mocking up engine controls to check spacing - 2.5" on center was good for me.

Test fit of G3X Touch units:

Cut down right control stick with grip and retaining screw: