iPad mount

[Chris Zavatson]

When I first built my plane, I included provisions in the canopy frame to hang a small clipboard for approach plates – those paper things from the last century. Then came along the iPAd and Foreflight. I used the same mounting provisions on the canopy to hang the iPad. The position is ideal in that the iPad sort of hovers over my left leg. In photos it appears to just float there.

The structure is fiberglass and incorporates a cooling fan. Officially the iPad has a service ceiling of 10,000'. This is likely for cooling - thus the fan. I have run it to a DA of 21,000'.
The back plate is spaced off the rear surface of the iPAd so air is forced to flow along the surface where the CPU is (or at least used to be). A USB charger is included to keep the iPad topped off.

A home-made friction ball-lock allows me to reposition the iPAd as desired.

Four fingers latch over the edges which allows the iPad to be snapped into place. Each ‘finger’ acts like stiff spring such that the catch can be released one at a time.
Each time the iPAd is updated a new frame is needed. The design changes a bit each time. When done, I just then transfer all the working parts to the new frame.

[Brad Simmons]

But it's not carbon! Where's the hi-temp resin?? Integrated cooling fins to dissipate heat? Titanium hardware for weight savings and adjust-ability? Come on, Chris...

[Chris Zavatson]

Brad, be careful what you ask for....
I played around with a version that used a TEC (thermo electric cooler) device to keep the iPad alive in extreme heat and direct sunlight. The TEC is device with rows and rows of P-N junctions that drive thermal energy from one side to the other. If a heat sink is available on one side you can freeze water on the other side. In this case I had a thermal pad up against the iPad, then the TEC, then a massive set of cooling fins with a high powered CPU fan. Thermally it worked well. I could run the iPAd in full sun, laying on concrete on a 110F day without any over-temp brownout. The down side is the 5A power required, the resulting 60 Watts of extra heat in the cabin, and the somewhat bulky cooling pack. Since my simple 4" fan worked adequately, I stuck with that option.

[Brad Simmons]

I would have at least airbrushed it to LOOK like carbon... ;-)