Ed Haywood
En-Route
Making some tweaks to the panel on my new-to-me Super Decathlon got me thinking about required primary gauges and optimal layout for aerobatics. Experimental gauge patterns tend to be a hodgepodge. However, production aircraft are typically set up with a standard 6-pack panel blank. That lends itself to building an "Aerobatic 6-pack" with a gauge pattern optimized for an acro scan. What do folks here think about necessary gauges and their optimal location?
Most of the time, your head needs to be up and looking out, orienting yourself to the horizon, the box, and your linear terrain feature. However, some gauge checks are necessary. Have to verify entry speed and altitude before each maneuver, and monitor airspeed buildup during maneuvers. Refining your pull technique may require checking the G meter VSI can be useful to verify straight and level flight.
Having the gauges laid out cleanly and logically may facilitate this. I also suspect that having gauges aligned as close as possible to line of sight could also assist with delaying airsickness.
My Decathlon came from the factory in 1979 as below, with one exception. The Tach was on the far left, with MP was in the 2 1/4" hole next to it. In 1980, the original owner moved the tach to the current position, and installed a 3 1/8" MP in the far left hole.
There are a few things I really like about this layout. First, the ball is aligned with the centerline. Slip skid indicators off to one side make it more difficult to fly precisely, IMO. Second, the airspeed and altitude are in prominent positions, easy to locate and identify under stress. Third, the G-meter is also in the center, so you don't have to turn your head when glancing down during a pullout.
If this were a fixed pitch prop, I'd say this layout is close to perfect. However, with the CS prop, monitoring the Tach is not necessary. Set and forget. So, if I wanted an extra space someday to install a DG, I might consider downsizing that Tach to a 2 1/4" and moving it to the left, directly above the prop control, which would be quite logical. Might also consider swapping the VSI and G-meter positions, so the VSI is in the traditional location under the altitude.
Finally, I've seen pictures of some old CAP aircraft with a very large slip/skid ball mounted directly on top of the glare shield in front of the compass. I really like that, but can't find any for sale.
Most of the time, your head needs to be up and looking out, orienting yourself to the horizon, the box, and your linear terrain feature. However, some gauge checks are necessary. Have to verify entry speed and altitude before each maneuver, and monitor airspeed buildup during maneuvers. Refining your pull technique may require checking the G meter VSI can be useful to verify straight and level flight.
Having the gauges laid out cleanly and logically may facilitate this. I also suspect that having gauges aligned as close as possible to line of sight could also assist with delaying airsickness.
My Decathlon came from the factory in 1979 as below, with one exception. The Tach was on the far left, with MP was in the 2 1/4" hole next to it. In 1980, the original owner moved the tach to the current position, and installed a 3 1/8" MP in the far left hole.
There are a few things I really like about this layout. First, the ball is aligned with the centerline. Slip skid indicators off to one side make it more difficult to fly precisely, IMO. Second, the airspeed and altitude are in prominent positions, easy to locate and identify under stress. Third, the G-meter is also in the center, so you don't have to turn your head when glancing down during a pullout.
If this were a fixed pitch prop, I'd say this layout is close to perfect. However, with the CS prop, monitoring the Tach is not necessary. Set and forget. So, if I wanted an extra space someday to install a DG, I might consider downsizing that Tach to a 2 1/4" and moving it to the left, directly above the prop control, which would be quite logical. Might also consider swapping the VSI and G-meter positions, so the VSI is in the traditional location under the altitude.
Finally, I've seen pictures of some old CAP aircraft with a very large slip/skid ball mounted directly on top of the glare shield in front of the compass. I really like that, but can't find any for sale.
