Dec 02, 2023     Static and other air lines - (5 hours)       Category: Electrical

Ran Pitot and AoA lines from the vicinity of the wing root to the vicinity of the GSU 25. To do this, I had to cut a groove in the support pieces for the wooden floor panel. Once the groove was there, I taped the black ribbed tubing to the floor where the groove in the wood was.
I then ran the Static tubing from the area in the fuselage where it originates to the vicinity of the GSU 25. Had to cut grooves in the support pieces for that wooden floor too.

  Dec 01, 2023     Power Category: Electrical

More connecting of power wires to fuse panel. This time it is going to the light panel and the main fuse panel. There are some things that are planned but not there yet such as Hobbs meters and (maybe) seat heaters. But for the most part, wires are being joined and power will be able to be applied soon.

  Nov 30, 2023     Power - (6 hours)       Category: Electrical

Today was connecting a bunch of power wires. Running wires from the light, pitot heat, and trim enable switches to the fuse panel, from the GEA 24 to the fuse panel, from the fuse panel to the key switch thence to the start button thence to the starter contactor, and from the avionics switch to the fuse panel.
Additionally, I did a continuity check on all of these.

  Nov 26, 2023     Avionics Panel - (3 hours)       Category: Electrical

I finally got ambitious and did the Avionics Fuse panel. Not too hard. I did have to complete some power lines, such as the Defrost/Avionics Fan, and the G5 one that has been sitting there. I removed the panel, installed a relay and then reinstalled the flip-down panel. Then I proceeded to connect the power lines to the fuse panel. Hopefully that is complete but I have a history of having to take apart stuff that I thought was completed.

  Sep 25, 2023     More Miscellaneous Wiring - (4 hours)       Category: Electrical

- Mounted the GTP-59 in the left wing in the first removable access panel. Ran the wiring into the conduit that runs from the wingtip to the wing root. At the wing root, I made a D-Sub connector to match the one coming from the firewall area. When the wing is connected, I will just need to connect the connectors, secure them with some zip ties - done.
- Sent a jacketed two-conductor wire down the conduit to the area between the seats. I will use this to pull the appropriate wires from the control stick switches.
- Next, I had to figure out where to mount the GD-40 CO detector. I decided to mount it below the GAD 29. I bent a piece of aluminum about 30 degrees and I will mount that to the sub-panel below the GAD 29. For the moment, I have removed it so I can prime and paint it.

  Sep 24, 2023     Miscellaneous Wiring - (3 hours)       Category: Electrical

- Corrected the GSA 28 power connections. Had ran them to the Trim Enable switch but they need to be on the Autopilot Enable switch. Made a multiple connector to accommodate the multiple needed connections - Autopilot, GSA 28 Pitch and GSA 28 Roll.
- Ran shielded 3-conductor wire to the left wing root for the GTP-59. Made a D-sub connector for the wire coming from the GTP-59 sensor. I will wire that up and place it in the left wing.
- Ran a 22AWG shielded wire from the firewall to the area behind the baggage compartment for the ARTEX 345 ELT. Not sure where it will mount so I made sure to leave enough extra wire to place it wherever.

  Sep 21, 2023     Wiring the flaps - (5 hours)       Category: Electrical

First thing I did was to do a continuity check on the connections that I had already installed. Checked the GMU 11 connector and it's connections at the firewall and at the GSA 28 Pitch servo. Then checked the GSA 28 Pitch servo and all of it's connections. Then checked the GSA 28 Roll servo and all of its connections. All of the wires checked good.
Next, a pretty simple job. Just run a 3 conductor wire and a twisted two-wire from the firewall to the flap actuator.
Started out easy. I tried using D-sub connectors to join the wires - problem was, the power wires were 18AWG and didn't fit in a D-sub connector. So I tried a different kind of connector for those wires but that didn't work. Decided to solder all of the connections but had problems with the heat shrink and messed the whole thing up. Finally decided to solder the power wires and use D-sub connectors for the signal wires. That worked. Heat shrink was applied and the wires were routed as appropriate. All day on that struggle.

  Sep 20, 2023     Roll Servo - (6 hours)       Category: Electrical

Did a number of things today.
- I plan to put in two beacons, one on the belly and one in the vertical stabilizer but am not ready to put those in yet. The switch is on the panel and so I ran a 22AWG wire from the switch to the light terminal near the right wing root. Then just to be overly anal, I did a continuity check from the switch to the terminal and got nothing. In the process of checking, I found an apparent break inside of the wire. Then I hooked some 18AWG wire to the 22AWG wire and used the thin wire to pull the thicker wire and replace it. With the thicker wire in place, the continuity check was fine - imagine that!
- Ran wires from the aileron trim servo up to the firewall (3 conductors to the GEA 24 for position sensing) and (2 conductors out to the GSA 28 Roll servo for control). The control wires checked fine - don't know about the sensing wires but they are in a jacket so they should be fine.
- Ran wires from the right wing conduit that goes to the GSA 28 Roll servo. Then, I wired up the GSA 28 connector. I do need to do a continuity check on it.

  Sep 19, 2023     Stick Grips - (5 hours)       Category: Electrical

Today I was able to finish up with the grips and the installation. Mounted the right stick in the assembly. I drilled a hole near the bottom that the wires come out of rather than going to the hole on the bottom like the left stick. That wouldn't work for 2 reasons - 1. I have a AN3 bolt that goes from side to side to mount the removable right stick in a semi-permanent manner, and 2. For the stick to be removable, the wires have to have a disconnect and any connector couldn't go through the hole in the bottom of the stick. I had to work out where the wires from the hole would go so they wouldn't interfere with the hole in the floor. Once that was done, I cut the wires for a D-Sub connector. It is held in place with wire ties - anytime I want to remove the right stick, it will be an endeavor. Once the connector was in place, I replaced the blue Infinity wire cover onto the wire and lace corded it in place. I then routed the wire under the F-665 Pushrod and wire tied it in place. It comes out in the same location as the left stick wires do.
After getting the wires done, I worked on the aileron trim. After a number of iterations on the way the springs via safety wire connect the sticks and the aileron trim servo, I finally got it so the sticks are in a neutral position with the aileron trim servo in a neutral position. Both sides are connected and the sticks are in the neutral location. The major work there is complete.

  Sep 18, 2023     Stick Grips - (6 hours)       Category: Electrical

Today was concentrating on mounting the stick grips to the control sticks. I determined how much to cut off of the left side control stick and how much clocking to do. After cutting it and drilling the holes for the mounting bosses inside, I mounted the stick grip and put the stick back in the cockpit. Only to realize that I didn't make it short enough and I gave it way too much clocking (angling the the grip away from straight ahead so it is more comfortable to hold). To fix that, I had to cut the stick a little more (about 1.2" more) and gave it less of an angle - I was happy with that result.
Then I had to make the right stick grip match the left. I cut the stick down (it is about 1/4" different from the left), put the spacer in place and determined the amount of clocking to do on that side. I found that the spacer rotates and that I shouldn't have cut so much off of the stick - I should have drilled the mounting boss holes in the stick and that would have been a very solid mount. Since I didn't do that, I found that the stick grip can rotate - that is unacceptable. I then drilled two holes through the space into the stick, counter sunk them, and threaded them for an 8-32 screw. Once the screws were in place, I ground them down even with the spacer. With that modification, the stick grips don't move at all.

  Sep 17, 2023     Stick Grips - (4 hours) Category: Electrical

Working on the stick grips. The wiring for the left stick grip is complete. I find that it easily goes down the center of the stick and out the bottom between the two rod end bearings of the lateral control pushrods. Once it exits, I have it turn and the wire is zip tied to the F-665 Pushrod (which connects both control sticks laterally). Then the wire goes beneath the floor where it will join with the wires from the right control stick. Some wires don't go forward such as Autopilot Disconnect and the Smoke system relay (not installed but wired for a future system if desired). Two of them are joined - Comm Freq Flip-Flop and the Ident. The others go forward - 4 trim wires per side, a PTT per side, and a ground wire per side.

  Sep 13, 2023     Wiring wingtips - (6 hours)       Category: Electrical

Ended up pulling the wires that had been put in the wing conduit out. With both sets of wires available, I hooked up all of the wires, including the Wig-Wag and Strobe synchros. Then I tested all of the functions. All of the lights worked and the wig-wag worked too - I thought the wig-wag cycled the landing lights but it actually just wig-wags the taxi lights. Once I finished testing all of the Zip Tip lights, I decided to make the connectors that come out of the wings and into the fuselage. My initial plan was to wait until I joined the wings to the fuselage and cut wires and attach connectors at that point; I changed my mind and decided to cut the wires to length, label them, and put the appropriate connectors on the wires.
I ran the wires in for both wings and made all of the appropriate connectors - now when I mate the wings to the fuselage, that will be one step less that I have to accomplish.

  Sep 12, 2023     Wingtip Wiring Junction - (4 hours)       Category: Electrical

Tested the left wingtip connector. Had to move the wings to the front of the fuselage where the battery was and then connect the battery to the wires one at a time. Tested both left and right ZipTips - they both worked fine.
Wired up the connector for the right wingtip Zip Tips light unit. It is ready to put in the conduit in the right wing. Actually, I do need to do a continuity check before I put it in the wing conduit.

  Sep 11, 2023     Wing Lights - (4 hours)       Category: Electrical

With the ZipTips, I have to run wires from the tip to the wing root. I did one of the connections and have finished the left wing as far as lights are concerned. I have the wires that come out at the wing root and go to the connectors that I have already installed.
I will be putting in another connector on the other wing root similar to the one on the right side of the fuselage. It will be for Pitot tube heat, Light grounds, and wig-wag and strobe synchros.

  Sep 06, 2023     Control Stick Grips - (3 hours)       Category: Electrical

Consolidated all of the grounds from the control grip into one by soldering a new ground wire to the existing ground wires. Then heat shrink wrapped the piece that will go through the gap at the bottom of the control stick. The sticks are ready to be cut down and grips installed.
The more I look at how to make a disconnect for the passenger stick, the more I realize that I can't do it the way I was hoping. I am going to have to drill a hole on the front of the stick, weld a doubler on it, and have the wires come out there to go to a disconnect.

  Sep 04, 2023     Wiring at last - (6 hours)       Category: Electrical

Had my daughter home and we started the actual wiring. Since my soldering iron came in, I was able to finish the connector for the GSA 28 Pitch servo. With that done, we were able to put the connector on the GSA 28 and then thread the wires from it to the tail and out to the right wing to the GSA 28 Roll servo (not actually out to the wing but down the conduit that goes the correct distance to the servo) and also from the GSA 28 Pitch servo forward to the firewall for connecting to the other Garmin black boxes, power and grounds.
We made the connector for the GMU 11 so it is ready to be connected.
Ready to build the connector for the GSA 28 Roll servo. I already have the CAN BUS wire out there and one other. Once that connector is complete, I will curl up that conduit and store it in the fuselage.

  Aug 29, 2023     Wiring - (6 hours)       Category: Electrical

Repeatedly snaking wires through conduits to verify lengths. Put conduits in the wings for the lights and for the servo, two separate ones. Worked out what is needed for the light wires through the wings - I'll have to order more wires.
Made most of the connector for the GSA 28 Pitch Servo. I have to solder some of the connections (CAN BUS splices and the splice for the AP Disconnect that goes between the two GSA 28s and the control stick).

  Aug 24, 2023     Getting ready to wire - (5 hours)       Category: Electrical

Spending time pulling wires through to verify lengths needed. I have worked out the lengths and setup needed for the first connector - the GSA 28 Pitch servo.

  Aug 20, 2023     Snaking Wires - (2 hours) Category: Electrical

Spent a little time snaking some wires down conduit in order to get some accurate lengths. Was able to get the length of the wires going to the flap actuator and the aileron trim.
Since I needed some distances from the GSA 28 in the right wing, I tried moving the wing cradle and it broke. So I spent a bit of time rebuilding that thing - it's pretty solid now.

  Aug 19, 2023     Main Power and Running Wires - (8 hours)       Category: Electrical

Redid the hardware on the circuit breaker bus bar. Replaced the connectors with AN3 bolts - much more secure, which is a good thing for the main power connection on an electronics heavy aircraft.
Started running wires starting at the tail. Ran the GMU 11 power wire up to the instrument panel, determined the length required and then made appropriate length GMU 11 Power 2 and GMU 11 Ground wires. Almost ready to make the GMU 11 connector but I have to do the GSA 28 Pitch connector first.

  Aug 18, 2023     Lights - (2 hours)       Category: Electrical

Took the light wires that I had run already and connected them to the switches on the instrument panel. Also hooked up the Pitot Heat ground and the Fuel Pump Ground.

  Jul 28, 2023     Wiring - (5 hours)       Category: Electrical

Began the wiring process. Wired the light junction in the fuselage (wires come from both wingtips). Ran a single wire forward for the landing lights, taxi lights, nav lights, strobes, beacon, and wig-wag.
Connected and ran the wires forward for the fuel pump.
Also ran the wires forward for the pitot heat.

  Feb 18, 2023     Electrical System - (4 hours)       Category: Electrical

With engine mount in place, noted interference with the lower ANL fuse and the motor mount tubing. Had to move the lower ANL up next to the upper ANL. Even so, had to cut off the corner of the plastic cover. Tech counselors said that the DAR would probably not want any plastic in the engine compartment so I will probably have to ditch the covers anyway. Moving the ANL up meant relocating the nut plates also.

  Feb 17, 2023     Electrical System - (2.5 hours)       Category: Electrical

Saw a setup of ANL fuses and shunts on VansAirForce and decided to do something similar. I built a mount to hold both ANL fuses and both shunts. Mounted them with nut plates in case removal was necessary. Panel will be riveted to the firewall below the battery connector and the starter relay. Will need to mount the engine mount to verify no interference with it.

  Feb 13, 2023     Fuse Blocks - (4 hours)       Category: Electrical

Took the new fuse blocks and set up a method to hold them in the up position. Used powerful natural earth magnets. I put one on each fold down panel and then set up a piece of aluminum angle with magnets mounted to them.

  Feb 12, 2023     Fuse Blocks - (4 hours)       Category: Electrical

With the new electrical system, finalized without any Essential or Endurance bus, I had to reconfigure the fuse blocks. Moved them so the Avionics Bus is in front of the pilot, and the Main Distribution and Lighting Busses are in front of the co-pilot. Set up holes for the wiring to go through and set up a main power line on the co-pilot's side.
Ordered an Epson Printer that can print on wire heatshrink. Found it can print the fuse labels too.

  Jan 24, 2023     Wiring Diagram - (3 hours)       Category: Electrical

Now that the avionics wiring diagram is complete, I decided to complete the wiring diagram for the electrical system. With a primary alternator, a secondary alternator, a battery, and a G5 possessing it's own 3 hour battery, I decided it is not necessary to have an Essential Bus or an Endurance Bus. With that in mind, I drew up a basic electrical system with a Main Distribution Bus, a switched Avionics Bus, and a Lighting Bus (tied to the Main Distribution Bus). This drawing was on 4 sheets of paper taped together and adhered to foam board when completed.

  Nov 10, 2022     Battery Box - (5 hours)       Category: Electrical

Installed the battery box on the firewall.
Made doublers for the battery and starter relays. Mounted both of those to the firewall.

  Nov 08, 2022     Battery Box - (4 hours)       Category: Electrical

Fabricated the battery box. Had to drill lightening holes.
Painted the battery box black with a red battery hold-down.