I'd been considering how to mount the panel for some time as the plans give no information on this. Looking through the various Tailwind pictures on the web, some people were clearly using welded supports rather than aluuminium brackets so I decided to adopt this approach. 1/2" * 0.035 tubing was used to fabricate the lower mount which has tabs on 2.5" centres and stands back 5.5" from the door - the one dimension called in the plans. The vertical position of the mount is determined by the requirement for the control column to have clearance under the panel for full forward position. The lower mount will provide both support and stiffening for the bottom of the panel which will ensure that the various switches and in particular the engine controls are secure. Two short sections of the 1/2" * 0.035 tubing were then welded to the inside of the top stub longerons that form the bottom of the side windows. These were terminated with tabs to mount the top outside corners of the panel. The top of the panel will be stifffened and supported by extruded aluminium angle riveted to the panels forming the combing which in turn will be mounted on tabs welded to the same stub longerons and also the firewall top cross member - I think....
