FlyingMonkey Posted February 27, 2014 Report Posted February 27, 2014 Previously, my iPad was on a suction cup on the pilot's side window. This is easy and convenient...until you have to open the door, then you have to unplug and remove the iPad from the mount to make sure you don't drop it on the tarmac. A couple of days ago I re-mounted the iPad using the same hardware, but I put a 1" RAM ball on the side of the mushroom. I used a strip of scrap 0.030" aluminum on the back side to provide support and sandwich the mushroom material. It's very solid and stable (more so than the suction mount) and holds the iPad in virtually the identical position. I recommend this spot for a tablet on the CT, it's convenient but not in the way at all and doesn't block any instruments. Pics:
mocfly Posted February 28, 2014 Report Posted February 28, 2014 I like that. One more thing to do. Thanks Andy.
techman Posted February 28, 2014 Report Posted February 28, 2014 Sweet! Looks perfect. I use suction cup mount on window and always hit my head on the pokey things
techman Posted February 28, 2014 Report Posted February 28, 2014 Sweet! Looks perfect. I use suction cup mount on window and always hit my head on the pokey things
FlyingMonkey Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Posted February 28, 2014 Sweet! Looks perfect. I use suction cup mount on window and always hit my head on the pokey things Yeah, I was getting hung up on the mount getting in and out too.
Runtoeat Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 Andy, looks good. It's helpful to know this type of mount provides good stability.
Marco01 Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 Excellent! Use the suction solution and was wondering if a Ram ball would work on this very thin dashboard material: so the answer is now yes when using aluminum plate... Thanks
FlyingMonkey Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Posted March 1, 2014 Excellent! Use the suction solution and was wondering if a Ram ball would work on this very thin dashboard material: so the answer is now yes when using aluminum plate... Thanks You could probably get by with just some large diameter washers, but the larger the area, the more you spread out the force you will apply to the dashboard/mushroom wall.
Doug G. Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 Looks like an excellent solution, but it raises that eternal question - Is it legal to drill holes in an S-LSA without an LOA?
FastEddieB Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 I really thought the guideline was "permanence". IOW, clamping something on or attaching it with Velcro or a suction cup was fine. But drilling and bolting and screwing things in did consist of a modification and had to be blessed by a Form 337, STC, or mechanic's field approval (if that's the right term). Planes have been brought down by screws and bolts of the wrong length interfering with flight controls and linkages or shorting out electrical parts or the like. I'm Experimental, so it no longer applies to me. But I'd be very careful making permanent attachments or modifications to a plane without some sort of blessing as articulated above. But if someone has a source saying certain modifications like this can be made by an owner, I'd be happy to stand corrected.
Anticept Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 This is correct eddie. Field approvals are done by FSDOs though (it's an approval of an alteration without an STC), an IA signature attests the alteration was performed correctly.
Doug G. Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 FSDO's have nothing to do with approving modifications on S-LSAs.
Doug G. Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 Also, there are no STCs in S-LSA, are there?
Anticept Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 You are correct, there isn't. Field approvals are not done on S-LSAs either, and IAs are not needed for inspections. I simply stated a correction about what a field approval is.
FastEddieB Posted March 2, 2014 Report Posted March 2, 2014 Sigh... I think you know the one word answer to all that ails you!
FastEddieB Posted March 2, 2014 Report Posted March 2, 2014 Well, I was thinking "Experimental". Andy seems a hands-on, tinkerin' sort of guy, and that's great. But when modifying an S-LSA or Standard Category plane in any way, one must be careful. The other option is the 120 hr LSR-M course. That would make all the maintenance Andy would like to do perfectly legal. But modifications would still have to be considered carefully. I don't like to harp, but new members here should always be presented with the information to keep them legal and safe. BTW, my Sky Arrow is down for its annual, which expired 2/28. Carbs are going to Roger for rebuild/inspection, but due to scheduling it will be a couple weeks before I have them back and ready to install. If anyone wants to stop by Copperhill, I'd love to get to fly in something else right now, as safety pilot or ballast or whatever. Let me know!
mocfly Posted March 2, 2014 Report Posted March 2, 2014 Eddie, I am in Ohio doing some consulting and may stop by if the weather allows next weekend. I will shoot you an email and let you know my schedule. Chris
Gmoore7 Posted March 3, 2014 Report Posted March 3, 2014 Andy, I fly in South Texas where it is always windy and choppy. I now use the suction mount on the window and do well with it. When it falls I just put it back on. I like what you have done. Did you reinforce it somehow ?
FlyingMonkey Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 Gary, I used a strip of scrap 0.030" thick aluminum exactly as Roger described. There is a "lip" that the instrument panel face attaches to, I think you want to be just behind that lip for best positioning. Mines a little too far away from it, I was too conservative to make sure I cleared the lip.
Al Downs Posted March 3, 2014 Report Posted March 3, 2014 Is that a full size Ipad or the Mini? The ball mount on the Ipad holder seems to be near the side of the Ipad and not the center. Those sort of things mean we need to have the correct type of holder and the right length of the arm. Can you provide the part numbers so we don't make purchase mistakes while trying to reinvent the wheel? Thanks Andy
FlyingMonkey Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 Is that a full size Ipad or the Mini? The ball mount on the Ipad holder seems to be near the side of the Ipad and not the center. Those sort of things mean we need to have the correct type of holder and the right length of the arm. Can you provide the part numbers so we don't make purchase mistakes while trying to reinvent the wheel? Thanks Andy I have a full-size iPad, and used this ball to attach to the panel: http://www.marvgolden.com/ram-diamond-base-with-1-ball.html This cradle (make sure to get the one with the ball mount included): http://www.marvgolden.com/ram-ez-roll-r-cradle-for-ipad-round-base-ball-mount.html and this extension arm between the two balls: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/ram36.php That is the 3" extension arm, and fits well. If I had it to do again, I might get a longer arm to give myself a little more adjustment room to get it angled toward the pilot a little more. 6" might be a little too much, 4-5" is probably perfect; more adjustability is also good to keep the sun glare off the screen. The iPad cradle has two mounting points for the ball, one centered and one offset. The offset ball works better if you want the iPad to overlap the edge of the panel as mine does so it's right next to the EFIS or other instruments. If you'd prefer the iPad more to the left side, you can use the centered mount point. Just be aware is you do that the that centered mount is lower, so you might need to mount your ball to the panel higher or lower that I did to get it to sit right, depending on how you orient the cradle (mine is with the power cord at the bottom, but you can flip it so the power cord is at the top).
FlyingMonkey Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 You might also want to make sure you can rotate to landscape. You can, but you get tight on space between the window and the panel. You'd probably have a tough time getting to the window vents. I think portrait works much better in this location, but YMMV.
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