I wanted to get started cutting the panel tonight. First up though, I needed to fill two of the holes that are normally used to attach the panel to the ribs. Since I’m moving the ribs inboard, these will no longer be used. The top holes on each side (and the one in the middle that is normally used for the canopy ejection handle) all fall within avionics cutouts, but the bottom holes on each side will be visible beneath the SkyView screens. I countersunk the holes and installed AN426AD5-4 rivets in them. When I prep the panel for paint, I’ll sand/fill this so that it will be invisible.
I then cut out the hole for the avionics stack. The hole is really tight vertically now (and just right horizontally). I’ll extend the bottom edge of the hole down 1/16″ or so to make a little more room.
Along the side, you can see that the avionics are completely flush with the panel. Once I move the stack down a tiny bit, I’ll line up and cut the holes for the SkyView panels.
