Brief Description: Fitting Control Panel & Center Console
After discussion with Zac and Geoff of Aerosport Products regarding the panel frame installation, determined the bottom angle installed as part of the Van's standard panel install needs to be removed for the Aerosport panel. Decided to leave a short piece of the angle on each side as mounting clips for the bottom sides of the Aerosport panel frame.
Measured and layed out the clips to remain. Cut the Van's panel lower angle using a saber saw to cut the horizontal portions and then the Dremel tool with metal cutting disk to cut the verticle portion since the saber saw wouldn't fit in this area.
Reinstalled the panel frame and marked the locations on the remaining clips that interfere with nut plates installed on the panel frame that help hold the front carbon fiber panel to the frame. Cut slots in the side clips to eliminate the interference. This took several iterative tries with lots of filing as the area being worked is very tight since I didn't want to remove the rivets that attach the clips to the side skins.
Installed the tunnel covers. Then attached the frame to the fuselage with several but not all screws. Then attached the carbon fiber panel to the frame. Attached the lower center panel section (which will hold breakers and AC controls) to the panel. Set the throttle quadrant into the center console and installed the console over the top of the tunnel covers, sliding it forward into position against the lower center panel section.
Shimmed the throttle quadrant up into proper position using 3 layers of cardboard since the quadrant feet haven't been received yet. Once everything was in place, reached into the center console glove box and marked the rear of the quadrant on the tunnel cover with a gold sharpie. This will allow me to properly place the quadrant to measure for the control cable lengths.
Removed the center console and the carbon fiber panels. Determined locations for 2 more screws/nut plates on each clip to more securely hold the panel frame to the clips, and drilled
