Aircraft Electrical Installation

A shot of our RAF 2000 instrument panel as it was nearing bench completion.
Yeah, we did it all and you can too!

The electrical and painting of a kit are most likely the top two areas most builders will look for someone else to accomplish the work. I know they can seem intimidating but if you become knowledgable of what to do and how to do it the electrical installation just like the paint job can be some of the most rewarding tasks you will do in your build. All pilots just love to see a neat, efficient and ergonomic instrument panel. It is rewarding when others comment on how you completed your panel. This is an area as I pointed out earlier where you will spend some money. There unfortunately is no way around it. How much you spend is entirely up to you. The more gadgets the greater the wow effect but the penalty is weight and then concern on how much electrical load the system can handle. Keep these points in mind as we work our way to the Avionics section. For now, lets start with the basics needed in any electrical system- wiring.

While searching the web one day for some teaching tools for my A&P airframe and powerplant electrical classes, I ran across this incredible site. It has animated basic electrical circuits and is completely free and the circuits can be customized as the user wishes. This was such a fantastic find that I could not help but to pass it on to you. My great thanks to Paul Falstad for his site and letting us use this really awesome tool.

If you are needing to brush up or are seeking a better understanding of electrical circuits and how electricity behaves then this is the place to go. Within the site it starts with the basics of electrical theorey, such as Ohms Law, and the accompaning text has links to Wikipedia for for explaination of the terms. I hope you find this a helpful and useful tool.

Animated Electrical Circuits

Aircraft Electrical Wiring

Aircraft Electrical Terminal Connectors

Electrical Schematics

Aircraft Lighting

Avionics

Navigation Equipment

Flight Instruments

Panel Decisions

Engine Instruments