Instrument Panel + Propeller Installation

Been working quite a bit during the last month but didn't take time to update the blog!

I reinstalled the instrument panel in place, just with a few screws to hold it in place until the reinstallation of the side panels. That wasn't too long since most of the instruments were already in place:

On the top right corner of the above picture, you will see a hole aligned with the Tygon tube holder for fuel level indication. This is where the tube used to pass through. The problem with this setup is that I couldn't read the fuel level until the first ~3 gallons were burned from a full tank. I therefore relocated the hole on the panel to a higher location (above the tach).

When I was routing all the wires + hoses through the firewall, I found the tach cable to be very cumbersome. The minimum radius was large and there is always a risk of having an oil leak where the seal is located at the engine attchment point (which recently happened to my friend Chuck!). I therefore decided to switch for a T-30 electronic Tach. It removed the need for a mechanical cable, it's lighter and monitors both mags via the P-leads,

I blocked the tach port on the engine side using the Andair tachometer cap. It seemed to be easy to install at first but access was difficult so I had to remove the SD-8 alternator to screw the cap in place and lockwire it.

Another great visible progress is the installation of my freshly overhauled Prince P-Tip propeller!

Nice view on the S-2C I'm sharing the hangar with:

It was overhauled at the Prince factory a few months before I discovered about the fueselage crack last year. Been sitting on a shelf since then. Thanks to Lonnie Prince for the great support and to my friend François for the help to reinstall it! After taking these pictures, I lockedwired the prop bolts and installed the spinner.

Another visible progress: the installation of the canopy! Felt great to see it back on the airplane after a good clean up.

Finally, I took the time to build a small bracket for my radio. It used to be held with 27 turns of electric tape around the tube. It did hold in place but... I prefer my new bracket! Big thanks to my friend Scott for letting me use his band saw and his brake.

I'm waiting for an order full of wires and connectors to finish my electrical system installation which is next!