From: RWolf99@aol.com
Message-ID: <2bbe3e9a.24b43a94@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1999 01:07:32 EDT
Subject: Passenger knee clearance for 320/360
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

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I'm thinking of mounting my battery and hydraulic pump on an equipment shelf 
to be located between the instrument panel and the header tank (320/360).  
The recent postings have suggested that the panel be mounted 12 inches aft of 
the aft face of the header tank.  My idea might work if using the EPI-800 
gauges, which are rather short and would leave about 10 inches between the 
panel and the header tank.  

My question is -- how much vertical room do I have to leave for the 
passengers knees?  This presupposes a horizontal shelf between the tank and 
the panel.  What level should this shelf not go below?  The most helpful 
answers would be expressed as inches below/above the base of the header tank, 
or for those of you not installing header tanks, the distance below the top 
of the longeron.

Feel free to comment on the wisdom of this idea.  I know many battery and/or 
hydraulic pumps have been installed in the passenger footwell area, but my 
understanding is that these installations omitted either rudder pedals or the 
header tank.

- Rob Wolf


[I just uploaded a couple photos to the LML homepage, one of which shows
my hydraulic pump location on the back of the firewall above the pax 
footwell, the other is an in-process picture of the mod that I performed on
my header tank to allow room for the pump and batteries.  You'll see that
the bottom of the hydraulic tank extends slightly below the level of the
lower firewall stiffener, and in order to maintain that amount of
clearance to the floor I cored out a small area at the front of the deck
to clear the top of the pump.  The batteries will consume much less room,
as it is possible to find suitable units which only measure about 6-7"
tall.  I have a feeling, however, that the difficulty in your proposed 
installation won't come from the pax side behind the panel, rather finding
adequate clearance for the battery as well may be a bit difficult.  I
chose the back of the firewall so I could mount the master and starter
relays there as well, between the batteries and pump.  You won't have a
lot of clearance between the panel and header on the pilot's side or
behind the radio stack, which suggests that both batteries and pump
would need to go on the pax side... probably doable... it'll be interesting
to hear how you make out with it.       <Marv>        ]

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