Instrument Panel Weight

[Mike Switzer]

Does anyone have a ball park number to plug into a preliminary W&B calculation for the weight of equipment in a basic IFR panel (fairly new equipment, no boat anchors)

Thanks

[steveinindy]

For a rational person, I'd say under 20 lbs for the instruments alone. Raymer's book for homebuilders (p. 136) lists the instrument/"avionics" weights for a C172 at about 7 pounds but also includes the caveat that the electrical system weighs about 41.

[Mike Switzer]

I really doubt if the instruments in our 172M weigh as little as 7 lb. I have handled the radios & the DG when they have been out & I would guess they are at least a couple pounds each.

The newer King radios in the 172R are probably just shy of a pound, but that is just the radio, not the rack, etc.

[Mike Switzer]

I suppose I could spend time going thru avionics catalogs, but I'm not planning on picking out avionics equipment until the plane is almost done, anything I pick now will be "old" by then.

[steveinindy]

I really doubt if the instruments in our 172M weigh as little as 7 lb. I have handled the radios & the DG when they have been out & I would guess they are at least a couple pounds each.

Yeah, that's why I listed the electrical weight as well. It seems to make more sense and makes me wonder how Raymer was splitting stuff out. I know the avionics for the Vireo (radios, transponder, glass panel, etc) came out to just under 25 lbs including the mounts.