Yes, I have.
I no longer have an X'air but my memory of the process is that it is simple but a little more complex if you want to remove the panel entirely.? I have written the processes in slightly different sequences, depending on what you decide to do once you see behind the panel so read through before going to the aircraft.
Firstly, as you are going to be looking at a rat's nest of electrical cables, disconnect the battery!
The bottom centre of the panel is secured to the floor.? Remove the nuts, bolts or screws.
Undo the screws around the top edge of the panel.? It will now be free to move.? To get it onto your lap (assuming you are in the seat), requires a bit of thought.? The panel won't come straight down due to the engine support tubes that pass through the windscreen so I used to move the bottom centre towards the rear of the aircraft and at the same time, rotating the panel to clear the engine support tube on one side.? Gently move the panel around until it is laying on your lap or knees.? Take photographs and lots of them!?
Important:? Leave yourself a note where it can easily be seen to carry out pitot-static checks when you re-fit the panel in due course.
To remove the panel entirely, disconnect the rudder control cables at the pedals and withdraw them from the slots in the lower part of the panel.? I have seen some panels cut into from the outside edges and the cables passed through the slots, but it weakens the structure and probably takes longer, so not really a Good Idea!
Once you can see what you work you need to do, assess if the panel needs to be removed from the aircraft.? Disconnect the pitot and static hoses, there should be a large Molex connector to disconnect too.? Iif you have a fuel pressure gauge, disconnect that but have a large mouthed container and plenty of rags with you because there will be fuel in the line.
My aircraft had no Molex connector when I had finished my re-wire because I didn't trust that it would not corrode in our temperate climate over time.? All of my wiring was direct, point to point, no breaks except at the Ducati ignition modules where I spliced the cables together. ? gives you some idea of what they look like.? Get a automotive electrician to advise on the correct one for the size of wire you have.? (Size of the conductor, not the insulation).? The videos here will give you lots of information.? Some terminations have to be soldered so learn how to do it before doing it for real on the aircraft.
When your cable loom is made up on the panel and ready to reifit to the aircraft, lable each of the wires.? I recommend a Brother label printer and pass the label over the wire to fold it in half so that it sticks together forming a flag.? There are other methods but that's quite cheap and reliable.
The wiring diagram is in the Build Manual and varies somewhat, depending on which engine is fitted.? ASSEMBLY MANUAL XAIR 2010, July,05 page 79 onwards is the latest version I still have.
Putting the panel back into the aircraft is simply just the reverse of extraction.?
Connect the cable loom then do electrical continuity checks, ensuring all is correct before connecting the battery.
Once the battery is re-connected, carry out functional checks then go for an engine run once you are assured all is well.
I hope that's useful.
John B
