Shotgun Panels

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Mtns2Skies

Final Approach
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Mtns2Skies
Looking at some older (mid 50's & early 60's) Cessna's that are IFR certified with a shotgun panel. How reasonable/rough is it to get your IR in a plane that is minimally equipped for IFR and has a scattered 6 pack? What are the costs to rearrange poorly placed instruments?
 
What do you need a shotgun for while flying in the clouds? Gonna shoot some mountain goats out of your way? :D

How hard it is is a function of the panel. Do you have to hunt for any of the standard instruments? Do you have to move your head, especially during a turn?

It's a PITA (but possible) to fly IFR with one nav/comm and CDI with glideslope and nothing else. It's a lot easier with a second nav/com and/or DME or basic IFR GPS.
 
What you train on is what you will get used to and proficient with regardless of the exact lay out.

It's just like a QWERTY vs DVORAK keyboard.
 
Just depends on whether you fly the same airplane all the time, or if you switch between airplanes. I own mine, so it is the only one I fly (can't afford to fly another when I own one). I don't care what the panel looks like, I'm used to it. Now if I was renting an switching between aircraft it would be a much bigger issue.
 
Costs to re-arrange will vary wildly depending on the airplane. A lot of it depends on how much extra "plumbing" there is for the air-powered instruments and how much extra wiring there is for the electrical ones (or ones with electrical connections for autopilot, etc.).
 
EdFred said:
What you train on is what you will get used to and proficient with regardless of the exact lay out.

It's just like a QWERTY vs DVORAK keyboard.
Click to expand...

Yep, you just get used to it. I did half of my instrument training in an airplane with a non-standard panel and unique radios. How well you know the airplane and its equipment is more important than where the equipment is placed in the panel.
 
Normally a conversation that includes six packs and shotguns cause me some concern. :D
 
That's not what they mean when they say "shoot" approaches.

are you looking at the era of the Venturi equipped or newer?
 
It's not difficult to make the transfer. You just have to make some small adjustments with your scan but if you can fly a profile, you'll be fine.

If you have no experience in that type, it makes things more challenging.
 
Some cannot be corrected because of instrument depth vs control Y or T size behind the panel.
Well, you might get around that by purchasing newer, smaller instruments... assuming you can find legal ones but typically it costs some dough.
The other way to ameliorate some planes is to swap out the old T yoke for a newer Y yoke but in the one I have heard this done, it was a huge job.
 
The cost depends on a lot of things. Talk to an avionics shop. They do this sort of thing all the time. Avionics are becoming more and more EXPENSIVE.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Even steam gauges?

All I want in a plane is a Garmin 430/530 plus the 6pack and VOR/Glideslope. I don't need to go crazy.
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Steam gauges can be surprisingly expensive, especially if you've got an autopilot. An attitude indicator or DG with autopilot outputs can easily cost more than $1k each.
 
Used Garmin 430, steam gauges AND new metal panel with all wiring? That's probably 25k or so... Just a guess. But I was quoted 25k for one and I was keeping the exising 6 pack and panel. But they were using the newer Garmin IFR GPS and were putting in ADS-B. YMMV. Only someone that actually does it can give you a quote.
 
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