When we look at almost all airliners and larger aircraft the autopilot control system is almost always at the top center of the radio stack. I also wanted to do that on this build because I think someone smart thought this through and determined this is a proper location. I am going with Garmin components and the stack I will install is GMC507 - Autopilot Control Panel, GTN 750 - IFR Navigator, and as COM/NAV 2 I am installing a GNC 255B - NAV COM radio.
At the front of the panel, there is enough space for the faces of the equipment. But they go deep into the panel and I ran into a conflict with the previous support I built for the Vertical Power system. So the first step was to remove the angles that held the cabin speaker + VPX, see pic 291.1.
After doing that. I tried to fit the equipment trays back in and still conflicts. the actual hole of the sub-panel was not allowing the lowest tray, GNC, to slide in. See pic 291.2.
So I called Vans and asked if I could trim it down to the rivet that holds the center column. They said yes, as long as I left enough material for the rivets. pic 291.3.
Well, still not enough. Finally, I end up trimming away the whole bottom flange of the sub-panel and came up with a plan to reinforce the sub-panel with an angle and use that same angle to support the center column.
After going through all these modifications, I realized that I would also have to modify the small forward flange of the wiring brace on the center radio stack. This was the last step and it allowed me to slide in the whole radio stack the way I wanted:
GMC-507 Garmin GMC507 Autopilot Control Panel
GTN-750xi Garmin GTN-750xi IFR GPS Navigator
GNC-255B GNC-255B, Nav/Com, 8.33 kHz, 16W
See picture 291.19 with the final positioning of the stack. it looks awesome. Now I have to rework the positioning of the VPX system. I am hoping I will leave it in the same place but move it further closer to the firewall.
https://youtu.be/_466cVQ5RV4