Overhead Console

So we're going to build our own overhead console for the cabin cover, and this requires a significant amount of design, planning, and fiberglass work. I've spent hours online looking at the many excellent RV-10 build sites, getting ideas and inspirations on what we can do. While in the end this overhead is going to be our own design with a few unique things we haven't seen elsewhere, there will be a number of ideas and themes "stolen" from other builders. Basically, I'm envisioning the baseline of this console as being a kind of mix between those built by Justin Twilbeck (link here) and with a front switch panel similar to the one built by Ed Kranz (link here).

Some differences in the design I'd like to include are using automotive-style overhead vents, and some homemade DIY red/white eyeball light fixtures for each passenger. I'm also going to be separating the front and rear vents with ducting so that they can be independently controlled (much like the heat selectors). There will be a number of stages involving fiberglass work, and hopefully if everything goes well, we'll have one hell of an overhead console that will be just "perfect" for what we want. That's the hope, anyway. Time to nut up and become a fiberglass expert.

First thing to do was mount the visors. I wanted to see the areas that they would cover, and tailor the design of the overhead around them so it looks like it's all part of the same design. I chose the Blue Sky visors based on a few reviews, the fact that they are half the price of the Rosen units, and finally bit the bullet after reading Brian and Brandi's post here about them.

Mounting them was pretty straightforward, although I did run into one snag. The plans included with the visors say to install the mounting blocks 14.5" from the centerline, however, this isn't far enough away. The front channel hasn't yet "met up" with the door channel at that location, and so drilling through there would require a 1.5" - 2" long screw as opposed to the 3/4" screw included in the kit. I pondered whether to use the specified location and just get a longer screw, or go another inch and a half over and use the included screw. I went with the latter, and I think things will work great in this location. Again, at least for our setup, our mounting blocks are installed at approximately 16" (maybe 16-1/8") from centerline.

I'd like to "close out" these A-pillars as well, which means that these mounting blocks for the visors will be permanently installed. I'm also going to run some conduit up each side, and then cover it all up with fiberglass. So, I mixed up some flox and glued the mounting block and conduit into place:

Blue Sky visor mount and 3/4" conduit running down L side A-pillar (the mount is attached via a screw coming through from the door channel, but it is also now floxed into place)

R side A-pillar with visor mount and conduit

Next, it was time to start on the overhead itself. The first step will be to create the ducting for the front and rear vent systems. The idea here is to have two vent outlets coming from the tailcone. The left vent will provide air to both front passengers, and the right vent will provide air to both rear passengers. A pair of servos will control airflow independently for each system, and flow to some standard automotive-style air vents located in the overhead. Time to get started with fiberglass layups!

Foam cutouts wrapped in packing tape, forming the mold for the front air ducts

A similar duct will be created to take air from the right side of the airplane to the rear vent locations, and will "layer" on top of the vent you see here. That's "phase two" though... for now, we have to lay up some glass here!

First fiberglass layup of the build! Not too bad, all things considered...

It's pretty ugly up close, and I learned a few things about cutting and placing the layups that hopefully will make the next layup go better. But... I think it will work!

Now to let it cure while keeping our fingers crossed! Hey, worst case, we rip it apart and try again. I guess that is the one nice thing about fiberglass...