Can I legally fabricate my own panel in a certified plane

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

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The plastic that houses my instruments is showing it's age.
I would love to fabricate something and replace it. Carbon fiber would be cool.

Is that something I could legally do myself?
 
yup....I'd think so. Minor repair....it doesn't affect anything....so long as what you do is "fire resistant". If that part can be removed and replaced under preventive maintenance....you can do everything. If the "repaired" part has less than a 1lbs change....no update to the W&B is needed and no A&P sign-off is required.
 
If it's not cracked just aged looking maybe you could have it wrapped?
 
Is it just the plastic, non-structural overlay? If so, I'd argue it's nothing more than preventive maintenance:

"Refinishing decorative coating of fuselage, balloon baskets, wing tail group surfaces (excluding balanced control surfaces), fairings, cowlings, landing gear, cabin, or cockpit interior when removal or disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is not required."

or

"Repairing upholstery and decorative furnishings of the cabin, cockpit, or balloon basket interior when the repairing does not require disassembly of any primary structure or operating system or interfere with an operating system or affect the primary structure of the aircraft."
 
Are you just doing the overlay or the complete panel? I bought a panel for mine, which came powder coated and silk screened, but took several attempts to fit properly. In hindsight I wish I had measured and had something fabricated something for myself.

If an overlay, I agree. Carbon Fiber would look really cool!
 
CMongoose said:
Are you just doing the overlay or the complete panel? I bought a panel for mine, which came powder coated and silk screened, but took several attempts to fit properly. In hindsight I wish I had measured and had something fabricated something for myself.

If an overlay, I agree. Carbon Fiber would look really cool!
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Its just the overlay.
 
If you need to disconnect ANYTHING to get it done, you're probably not owner maintenance. But you know a guy that could "supervise" and sign off that it is all ready or 'return to service' Give me an A... give me a W.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
yup....I'd think so. Minor repair....it doesn't affect anything....so long as what you do is "fire resistant". If that part can be removed and replaced under preventive maintenance....you can do everything. If the "repaired" part has less than a 1lbs change....no update to the W&B is needed and no A&P sign-off is required.
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Minor repair or minor alteration?

Also, it should be clarified that someone needs to document and sign this off in the logs. It is possible that the owner can simply log the work performed and return it to service without a certified mechanic's oversight. Owners and preventive maintenance activities are not exempt from the rules requiring documentation.
 
Ravioli said:
If you need to disconnect ANYTHING to get it done, you're probably not owner maintenance. But you know a guy that could "supervise" and sign off that it is all ready or 'return to service' Give me an A... give me a W.
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That's not what the reg says. It says you can't disassemble any "primary structure" or "operating system." Disconnecting knobs from a heading indicator or unhooking lights doesn't fit in those categories, IMHO.
 
bradg33 said:
That's not what the reg says. It says you can't disassemble any "primary structure" or "operating system." Disconnecting knobs from a heading indicator or unhooking lights doesn't fit in those categories, IMHO.
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I'm assuming he'll want to remove the instrument heads completely to do the cosmetic work and then reinstall them. That is not a knob or light.

But my other reference is to someone he knows on field that can check it out and sprinkle some holy water on it when he's done.
 
Ravioli said:
I'm assuming he'll want to remove the instrument heads completely to do the cosmetic work and then reinstall them. That is not a knob or light.

But my other reference is to someone he knows on field that can check it out and sprinkle some holy water on it when he's done.
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Isn't it just a a plastic overlay that comes off?
 
bradg33 said:
Isn't it just a a plastic overlay that comes off?
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You're assuming everything is flush mount from behind and just the screws from the front. I've seen instruments and radio bezels and other stuffs that must be disconnected, which is where the cautionary note comes from.
 
What I read recently - you can fabricate anything - battery box was an example - as long as it's substantially identical to the original (I assume in materials, dimensions, etc.). You can't start a cottage industry, and sell parts to others. If you aren't handy, you can have someone else make it with your drawings. You do need an A&P who knows the rules, and is willing to use the part, and/or is willing to supervise you doing the work.
 
Ravioli said:
You're assuming everything is flush mount from behind and just the screws from the front. I've seen instruments and radio bezels and other stuffs that must be disconnected, which is where the cautionary note comes from.
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Don't know about Sixie's Grumman, but the overlay on my Mooney comes off by removing a handful of tiny screws, and the two knobs on the DG, each help on with its own #4-40 set screw. Good thing, too, since the bottom part down by the EGT and Carb Heat broke off . . .

Working on a replacement now. It's just a cosmetic cover over the instrument mounting screws; the Nulites are behind the panel.
 
The plastic overlay on my panel isn't strong enough to hold anything more than a pen on some velcro, no way anything requiring a sign off would be attached to it. I had no problem removing mine, repairing some cracks and painting it to make it fresh and new looking.
 
I'm trying to imagine a scenario where even the most anal government official would say, gee that panel cover looks way too nice to be original, let me dig through 40 years of logs to find if the replacement was logged correctly.
 
could be that....but, more than likely it will be a future anal IA that will have the heart burn.
 
Yet another example where the FAA's onerous rules on maintenance are idiotic. If it's not used for hire then an owner should be able to do whatever maintenance that they feel comfortable with. I don't need some nanny state bureaucracy to wipe my nose for me or protect me from myself. Canada has had an owner maintenance category for years and it has proved that that part of the fleet is better maintained because things tend to get fixed instead of put off until the is no other option, yet here in "the land of the free" you can't even replace your brakes without an A&P giving their " blessing ". What a joke.
 
jkoper said:
Yet another example where the FAA's onerous rules on maintenance are idiotic. If it's not used for hire then an owner should be able to do whatever maintenance that they feel comfortable with. I don't need some nanny state bureaucracy to wipe my nose for me or protect me from myself. Canada has had an owner maintenance category for years and it has proved that that part of the fleet is better maintained because things tend to get fixed instead of put off until the is no other option, yet here in "the land of the free" you can't even replace your brakes without an A&P giving their " blessing ". What a joke.
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I've never understood why I can remove the brakes to change a tire nyself, but I can't replace the brake pads while they're off. Had no trouble doing so on my cars . . . . And driving, I use the brakes MUCH more than I do in my plane, generally twice per flight: stopping at the hold short line prior to departure for runup, and stopping to park after landing.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
could be that....but, more than likely it will be a future anal IA that will have the heart burn.
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Ok, so he looks at the install and signs it off. What's the issue? Seriously, what could possibly be an issue, unless there truly is a safety issue.
 
You might want to ask the FSDO about that. The answer I got at an FAA owner maintenance seminar is that if your aircraft has disc brakes an A&P has to " supervise " the re-assembly and return it back to service.
 
Salty said:
Ok, so he looks at the install and signs it off. What's the issue? Seriously, what could possibly be an issue, unless there truly is a safety issue.
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No....not that IA....the ones to follow, that may not agree.
 
Hank S said:
I've never understood why I can remove the brakes to change a tire nyself, but I can't replace the brake pads while they're off. Had no trouble doing so on my cars . . . . And driving, I use the brakes MUCH more than I do in my plane, generally twice per flight: stopping at the hold short line prior to departure for runup, and stopping to park after landing.
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How is your riveting?.....the old ones get removed....and the new rivets get set. Agreed, it ain't all that hard, but it's not just a bolt on.
 
Ravioli said:
If you need to disconnect ANYTHING to get it done, you're probably not owner maintenance. But you know a guy that could "supervise" and sign off that it is all ready or 'return to service' Give me an A... give me a W.
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If you disconnect and reconnect the transponder, you must have the supervision of an A&P and possibly an IA. Transponders are microwave devices and the Feds require extra attention to them....

-Skip
 
I wish I could trade my White certificate in, but the FAA did a fine job of burring that whole Primary Non Commercial thing.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
No....not that IA....the ones to follow, that may not agree.
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I understand, but if it's safe and compliant, what difference does it make? He verifies the work and signs off, or sees and issue and fixes it and signs off. It's not like unlogged work makes a plane unairworthy. Either the work is ok or it's not. If it's not ok, it's not going to matter if it's logged or not to that IA. And again, if he's just a jerk, it's not going to matter if it's signed off or not if he decides it's an airworthiness issue.

Not seeing the problem.
 
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