I received my GNC300 GPS/COM and the GTX transponder last week and attempted to fit it to cutout by enlarging the hole to accept the trays. Big mistake…the trays do not fit through the preexisting cutout. Only the radio portion does! Anyway, I put a new panel on order and should be getting it any day now. Yesterday I fooled around with the canopy by trimming the front end a bit more to remove a lip so I would have a smoother transition to the tip-up skin. It is a bit gappy, but I think I can fill it with micro balloons before I form the fairing. I riveted the rear roll bar frame to the side rails and attempted to screw on the Plexiglas. All the screws went well until the lower left rear corner where the glass was pulling away from the rear frame. I had to drill out the rivets that held the rear frame to the side rails, screw the Plexiglas to the frame then re-drill the left rear side which enlarged the existing #30 holes in 2 places. I enlarged them further and installed 2 screws instead of the rivets. Today I installed my GPS antenna just forward of the area where the ELT antenna is installed. I used 2 of the existing rivet holes that go inside the overhead support. The holes are very close to the angle and I am going to get some low profile nuts to see if they will fit. If not, I will have to notch out the angle to allow clearance for the nut. I have been lagging on the project for awhile but I suspect that I will start moving faster once the panel is done. Perhaps the engine will go on order the first of the year?
