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Building an Instrument panel

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Posted

OK, I am at the point of reinstalling parts into my Avid, my instrument panel was made out of some type of rigid plastic with the outside skins covered by aluminum. I see that the original panels were made of fiberglass and I have had one person suggest 1/16 inch lexan to build a new one. What have other people used? My panel weighs much more than it has to and since my diet isn't coming along the fastest I figure my plane needs one. What works for building a light weight panel.

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Posted

OK, I am at the point of reinstalling parts into my Avid, my instrument panel was made out of some type of rigid plastic with the outside skins covered by aluminum. I see that the original panels were made of fiberglass and I have had one person suggest 1/16 inch lexan to build a new one. What have other people used? My panel weighs much more than it has to and since my diet isn't coming along the fastest I figure my plane needs one. What works for building a light weight panel.

AKFLYERBOB put a new panel in his out of .060 aluminum.. very light! mine is the same heavy aluminum as yours with the wood veneer crap on it that weighs a ton by itself. I picked up a fiberglass one but have not installed it in my plane yet. It is ALOT lighter than my stock panel

:BC:

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Posted

Mine is just thin aluminum and painted with some stuff similiar to bedliner in a can.

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Posted

The alum, after all the holes are drilled weights very

little but is still rigid. I rivited the panel and dash

together and buffed it with 400 and warmed it a little

and painted it with wrinkle spray can paint.

I messed up a little, the wrinkle paint works well if the paint is put on thick, or wet. as painters call it, I

didn't have it wet enough in spots so it couldn't wrinkle.

But guess where most of the holes went.

It also doesn't blind you in the sun.

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