Circuit Breaker gap, CBs right side panel (RV-8)

Have you technical information about the distance between the Circuit Breackers in a bus bar ? There is a minimum gap to save CBs performance ?

I would like to put all the CBs in a right side panel (in the style of Paul Dye), before starting to do errors, have you done ? Some suggestion for me ?

Thanks in advance, as a rule )

Luke,
Mine are about 1/4" - 5/16" apart ... 14 klixon breakers across the bottom of the
side panel.

CIRCUIT BREAKER GAP

I HAVE SOME PICTURES ON MY KIT LOG WEB SITE AS I'AM WORKING ON THIS NOW. MINE ARE 1 INCH APART DO NOT KNOW DISTANCE APART VERTICAL. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ROOM FOR SWITCH TERMINALS ON THE TOP ROW MINE CAN OUT CLOSE AND MAKE SURE YOU MOVE THE FORWARD SWITCH BACK FAR ENOUGH TO MISS THE BRACKET MOUNTED TO GEAR BOX FOR THE CONSOLE SCREWS I HAD TO TRIM MY BRACKET SLIGHTLY TO MISS THE SWITCH TERMINAL ON MY LANDING LAMP SWITCH WHEN I OPEN THE BREAKER PANEL. I PUT A HINGE ON THE BOTTOM OF MY BREAKER PANEL TO HAVE ACCESS TO BREAKERS. I USED O63 TO FAB THE BREAKER PANEL. HOPE THIS HELPS I SURE COULD HAVE USED SOME PICTURES WHEN I STARTED MINE HAD TO LEARN BY TRIAL AND ERROR THANKS TO PAUL DYES COCKPIT PICTURES I THINK I'AM CLOSE TO FINISHING THIS PART. YOU CAN DO A SEARCH ON KIT LOG PRO RV8 MIKE WARREN TO LOOK AT MY PICTURES. PS I USED THE KLIXON 7277 BREAKERS FROM STEIN BEST PRICE THANKS STEIN.

Luca, I just did mine in an RV9A (so, larger panel).

Bob Nuckolls says he uses a 0.70'' separation with Klixon. So, I guess 0.70'' will be OK for heating issues.
Klixon are smaller that P&B and since I use P&B I applied the same separation formula and discovered, if I recall, a separation of 0.90''. 0.90'' is 28,8/32''. I ended spacing both W23 and W31 toggle breakers 30/32''. In this way toggles will be easy to reach without conflict with the other toggles on the sides. See my installation on my website as follows (all down on the following page)

http://nuke.rv9.it/Pannello40h/tabid/57/language/it-IT/Default.aspx

Last information I can give, P&B W23 and W31 will touch if installed at 22/32'' hole distance. Anyway, I fear that this will produce some effect on thermal characteristics.

By the way, I would like to ask a question. I mixed W23 & W31 (i.e.: alternator field push/pull breaker just beside alternator switch and starter push/pull breaker immediately after) in my panel installation. I spaced all of them 30/32'', in order to let me change my mind in future and change one for the other. While installing them, I discovered that W23 load side is the opposite of W31 load side (I can't imagine why manufacturer did such a thing), so if I want to align them on the same bus row, I will have to install W23 upside down (thus obliging me to print and apply new #s for amperage; it's ugly to see numbers upside down). I read on this forum and on Bob's FAQs that polarity is the same for breakers. A neighbour of my hangar said me that this is not true, because of the inner winding (?) or somewhat similar. I did not understand well this. Someone of you cught the problem?

Camillo

Edit: after reading Bill post, I would like to add that I also did as Bill, with a separate aluminium bar. I used the one which came with the fuselage QB.

CB's under the panel

Luke - For an another idea, think about placing the CB's under the panel like this:



This works really well because it puts the bus bar in a nice place for access and neat wire runs. The instrument panel can be removed independently of the CB strip, giving us easy access to everything on the bus. Also its easier for the pilot to see the breakers and labeling (vs placing them in the right side sub panel).

One more pic:

For Klixons go with 0.75" horizontal spacing because you can order pre-drilled copper bus bar at this very dimension. For vertical spacing go with a minimum of 1.125" with 1.25" preferred. If you go tighter the ring terminals and/or bus bar are too close and even can touch the adjacent row. I also like to stagger the horizontal position between upper and lower rows. That way it is easier to assemble and work on in the future because the terminal screws are not lined up next to each other. So the screwdriver used on the terminals gets a straight shot to the desired breaker without another breaker terminal on a upper or lower row being in the way.