I thought that my experience in resolving a heavy right wing after my build might be helpful to someone else. First, all during phase one, I was experiencing a slightly heavy right wing. After studying all of the posts on the subject, and reviewing Van?s suggestions on the subject, I decided to order the rudder trim tab, and install it first, because, the suggestions were to get the ball centered first, and mine was running a little right of center. Sure enough, after installing the trim tab, the ball was dead center, and with no adjustments to the factory bend, I might add. But, I still had a heavy right wing.
Next, it was ?pinch the trailing edge of the light wing?. I did this and it helped, but I still had a heavy right wing. The next suggestion was to take a hammer and a block of wood to the trailing edge of the heavy wing. Wow! That seemed a bit brutal, and I decided to make that a last resort effort in fixing the problem.
Next, I read where one of the builders fixed his heavy wing by taking a turn on the flapperon rod ends. I had carefully measured mine, and had put them in with Loctite, and I wasn't excited about disturbing them. I again took vary precise measurements and found my rod ends were positioning both flapperons in precise duplicate locations on each wing. Now what??
While making all of these measurements of the flapperons, I did notice a slight variation in the trailing edge of the top wing skins, where it trails past the rear spar, and approaches the flapperons. The top skin on the left wing was perfectly flat, whereas the right wing skin was drooping all along the span, just slightly; from a 1/32? to as much as an 1/16? in some areas. This was determined by extending a straight edge, chord wise on the wing skin, and seeing a slight bit of daylight under that last half inch of the top wing skin. So, I carefully reshaped the trailing edge of the right wing top skin to also make it perfectly flat, just like the left wing. The following test flight rewarded me with a beautifully flying, hands off, airplane.
Hopefully, this long post will help another builder who has been working on a heavy wing like I was.
Tom
Next, it was ?pinch the trailing edge of the light wing?. I did this and it helped, but I still had a heavy right wing. The next suggestion was to take a hammer and a block of wood to the trailing edge of the heavy wing. Wow! That seemed a bit brutal, and I decided to make that a last resort effort in fixing the problem.
Next, I read where one of the builders fixed his heavy wing by taking a turn on the flapperon rod ends. I had carefully measured mine, and had put them in with Loctite, and I wasn't excited about disturbing them. I again took vary precise measurements and found my rod ends were positioning both flapperons in precise duplicate locations on each wing. Now what??
While making all of these measurements of the flapperons, I did notice a slight variation in the trailing edge of the top wing skins, where it trails past the rear spar, and approaches the flapperons. The top skin on the left wing was perfectly flat, whereas the right wing skin was drooping all along the span, just slightly; from a 1/32? to as much as an 1/16? in some areas. This was determined by extending a straight edge, chord wise on the wing skin, and seeing a slight bit of daylight under that last half inch of the top wing skin. So, I carefully reshaped the trailing edge of the right wing top skin to also make it perfectly flat, just like the left wing. The following test flight rewarded me with a beautifully flying, hands off, airplane.
Hopefully, this long post will help another builder who has been working on a heavy wing like I was.
Tom