Posted for rwolf99@aol.com:
Stan
- Your control panel looks beautiful! I have just a few comments on minor
details: 1) The picture of the airplane above the wheel lights looks like it is pointed at you, therefore the
landing gear light on the right side of the picture looks like the landing gear under the left wing. I think it would be better if
the left light in the cockpit represented the left wheel. Maybe your picture should be of the *back* end of the airplane, or a top
view. 2) Studies have shown that a long row of similar switches makes it more difficult to identify the proper
switch. One must absolutely read the labels rather than, say, activating the second switch in from the end. Regardless,
the message is that long rows of identical switches is correlated with flipping the wrong switch. These studies recommend having no
more than 5 identical switches in a row. Perhaps you could introduce a gap so that your ten white switches on the lower left are in
two groups of five. 3) FAR Part 23 recommends having the flap handle and the gear handle located as far as possible
from each other. Yours are one on top of the other. Sure, they are shaped differently, and I'm sure you have a "lift lock"
gear switch (must pull it out a little to raise or lower it) but you might consider moving the gear switch to the other side of the left glass
panel -- it looks like there is room. Besides, the front center of the panel is prime real estate, and since you only actuate the
gear switch twice per flight, you can probably afford to put it over on the left edge. One thing I like is your use of engraved
switches to minimize the number of placards. I have done the same. You can get engraved master switches as
well. As far as radio locations, my preference is for the audio panel to be at the top of the stack, but that's only because it is
what I'm used to. The panel is probably the place where we are most free to express our individuality. It's fun to
see what each person comes up with. Mine is probably too "retro" for the 21st century, but it represents the era in which I stared
building. All steam gauges and wood grain, with engraved brass placards. If I started it today I'd probably go for the
glass. I don't do much IFR -- I punch through the California marine layer but not much else -- so the improved situational
awareness of highway-in-the-sky, synthetic vision, and the other cool modern stuff won't be missed. - Rob
Wolf
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