The International Cessna 170 Association

Kyle wrote:Good Morning Joe,

You can do some nice upgrades and keep the price down. I have been working on an updated panel for my 52B model and am just about ready to start the install with the annual next month. I don't have the ability to post pictures on the forum but if you send me a PM, I can get an e-mail address for you and send the pics - or I can e-mail them to one of the readers and they can post.

Here's what I did...

My original panel is the stock unit from the 52 airframe - 7 holes straight across all 3 - 1/8" holes.
Instruments left to right are - airspeed, art. horizon, altimeter, DG (the old sperry 400 lb. type), VSI, turn coordinator and then the tach.

I purchased (from one of our members in NJ) an 8 hole panel and overlay, with the middle two instruments stacked on top of each other, and the two outer most instruments 2 -1/4" holes. I used this as a pattern to make the new sub-panel from .090 aluminum plate and matched the overlay he had to the new holes. The panel was painted with an etching primer and a very durable semi-gloss black finish coating. The panel overlay will be flat black on the inside and gloss black on the exterior face.

The updated instruments are as follows, again left to right

Airspeed, art. horizon, Century NSD-360A HSI - it's a non-slaved, vacume driven (simpler less exspensive install in my plane with current radio's), then in the two center positions on top is the altimeter and bottom is the turn coordinator (very short in depth allowing good clearance for our T style yoke bars), next is the VSI, then a clock (Waltham Watch Co. unit from my uncles F6F Hellcat - story in another thread on these forums) and finally the tach.

The best part of the overlay is that all the openings will have trim rings, yes that means I have to make the one for the HSI by hand, but no worries its a few hours on the break and it will be fine (each one I make is better than the last - eventually it will be perfect ) Not sure if I will paint the trim rings gloss black like we currently have or a dark blue metalic that would match the rest of the cabin interior metal parts (door posts etc.).

For lighting I used the Nulites, and had to shave material off the two center units as they are very close, as well as the one for my VSI and clock. We screwed them all onto a piece of wood facing out as if you were looking from behind the panel into the cockpit and pre -wired them all together for a single 2 wire tail that drops down the co-pilots side. Then I used a green highlighter to change the color from clear to a soft green and it worked slick. These will prevent the glare on the windshield I now get with the stock lighting system even with the little green booties on the bulbs...

You can imagine flying IFR with this current panel...

NAV CDI is on the radio (KX-125), then up to the panel and the DG display is not vertical but horizontal so when you turn left for example - your viewing the compass headings turning to the right , then switch display on the radio to get VOR radial, back to up to the panel... It's just all over the place So the new panel will really be neat.

Like I said - its pretty cool and I can show you the pictures. If you really want to look at a nice setup, search out Richard Pulleys panel on the forum - it's REALLLLLLY nice.

This is just one solution that I felt like doing no better or worse than others, but for me it was within my capabilities and budget. Oh yes... I found out that a buddy had the cut-outs for the holes AFTER the panel was drilled with lots of dremel hours and filing to the wee hours were spent finishing it off.

Good Luck,

Kyle T.

j3pup wrote:Kyle any leads on where to find a longer altimeter knob?

blueldr wrote:Steve G.
That is the best looking "Original" type custom panel I've ever seen. Very, very nice.