B200 Central MIP Panel

This is the central section of a King Air B200 Main Instrument Panel that we supplied to a customer a year or so ago, complete with six of our dual radios, operational altitude alert, and an RNS530 unit.

Below is a better shot of the backlighting whilst the panel was still in the process of being populated ...

As with most of the parts that we supply, we fitted all of the hardware to the panel prior to sending it. This allows us to verify that everything fits correctly, and it also hopefully means that the installation once delivered will be a little more straight-forward.

The next phase of the RNS530 ...

Based on the Garmin GNS530 unit, we finally have some photos of our RNS530 as supplied with the fitted LCD screen and a PCB with all of the necessary connections for operation, although on this model there is no USB Controller board fitted. The customer for whom the two units photographed below were manufactured is using their own interface system to communicate with it. This model has headers for ribbon cables on the rear to allow users to connect all buttons and encoders to whichever controller they wish.

Running during its initial power-up test, the graphics on the screen aren't quite positioned properly, but it gives a fairly good idea of what it's supposed to look like. It's just possible to make out the backlit buttons too, seen here under normal room lighting. You can see that it's running the Reality XP GNS software, which needs to be purchased separately of course.

And now in the dark.

It's always difficult to photograph illuminated items like this and end up with a result that accurately reflects what you're actually seeing in front of you. This is pretty close as far as the backlit buttons go, although the effect on the screen graphics has been somewhat less than desirable.

Below you can see the first two units side by side - front and back - and it probably looks as though there's not very much room for the panel to fit into a cutout. That's because, well, there's not really. We're looking at perhaps extending the dimensions of the front panel by a millimetre here and there to make things not quite as snug ...

  [ Don't look too hard for the errant thumbprint! ]

And finally, below is a photograph to prove that the first unit 

wasn't simply a one-off and can indeed be replicated!

 

Also, for details regarding the 'Bezel Only' version of these units, more information can be found at a previous post, here.

Our RNS430 and RNS530 Units

... or rather, our take on the Garmin GNS430 and GNS530 respectively.

We've had quite a few requests for these units over the years and after making our version of the Aspen EFD1000 we thought that we'd try to apply the same sort of process to these Garmin units.

There are actually three versions of the RNS430 and RNS530, as we've found that each simulator is being made or (more likely) has already been constructed in a certain way and any additional navigation units need to be able to fit around and/or into these constraints.

The types are basically (a) the Bezel Only, which can be used in front of an already installed MIP LCD screen, (b) the Bezel Only plus a fitted LCD screen - but with no interface board, or (c) the Bezel with a fitted LCD screen and its integrated interface board.

The versions that we're showing below are the Bezel Only units, as they just happen to be the ones that we got the first orders for; although, paradoxically, they're also the most difficult to make.

The dimensions of our units as compared with the official Garmin panels are below:

Ruscool RNS530: 162mm(w) x 120.4mm(h) / 6.38" x 4.74"

Garmin GNS530: 159mm(w) x 117mm(h) / 6.25" x 4.60"

Ruscool RNS430: 162mm(w) x 83mm(h) / 6.38" x 3.27"

Garmin GNS430: 159mm(w) x 67mm(h) / 6.25" x 2.65"

And now, on to the photos ...  the RNS430 first

 The three screws that you can see here are the means by which 

the unit is mounted onto the main instrument panel.

And below, again as the Bezel Only version, is the RNS530