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An RV for an armless pilot

Rightfooted

Member
Hello all,

I decided to drop into the forum here to ask for ideas. Some of you may have heard my story before. I'm the first armless pilot.

I currently fly an Ercoupe. It doesn't have rudder pedals or flaps, so it works perfectly for me. But the position I sit in is difficult to maintain for cross country flights.

My question now is whether or not an RV or another home built experimental could be built and modified for custom controls for someone like me?

A friend here in Tucson suggested I add a pull bar on one rudder pedal (which I've found has been done on an RV before) and relocate the yoke forward on the floor. There would probably need to be an electronic throttle mixed in somewhere, too. Do you have any ideas on if and how this could be done? Do you have some other thoughts about where and how to configure the controls?

I appreciate your input.

It would be awesome to take an airplane across the country to visit kids with limb loss as part of my nonprofit. The Ercoupe make that unlikely but custom controls in an RV might. Thanks!
 

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Wow, I watched your story on AOPA weekly show. What an inspirational story.

I think the RV has control stick instead of the control yoke so it can be shortened lower in the seat to allow you to control the airplane in a more comfortable sitting position for cross country flight. The stick control force is very light so you can use your other foot for other control, such as rudder. I can't answer about the rudder modification but other people can chime in.

The RV has electric flap and it can be easily controlled by a flip of a switch. The switch can also be mounted on the control stick, or other places, depending on your comfort level. Since the RV is an experimental, it can be easily modified to fit your ergonomic needs.

Good luck.
 
Jessica welcome!

Get ready for an slew of mechanical engineers to start thinking about how they can help you get into a cross country capable RV.

Welcome aboard and standing by to help,
 
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Hey there, Jessica. We've seen and done some trial modifications in the past on RVs related to different types of custom control options for pilots who needed something different than standard. In each case it's been custom, of course, but feel free to ping me and I'll be glad to talk with you about it!

Van did some work on hand controls on his RV-12, and the organization Able Flight has done some work I believe. Most of the custom work that's been done in the past has been for hand controls, maybe some ideas would be adaptable to your needs. And of course every situation is somewhat unique. But this thread from a couple years ago might also be useful from a thinking-about-it perspective:

https://vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=159829
 
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Jessica, thinking out loud here. You may not understand all I'll say, because you may not be familiar with the parts...but it might stir ideas with other folks who are. Let the stirring begin ;)

The RV8A ("A" means nose wheel here) would be the easy candidate in terms of foot control, as the stick torque tube extends through the main spar. It means the torque tube and related parts would merely need lengthening to place a slightly shortened control stick relatively far forward. It may even be possible to lower the forward end just a little. Might need to work on stick ratios a bit, as an RV is mostly flown with stick pressure. However, the -8 has a good stick force vs G gradient in pitch, and over-squeezing the trailing edges of the ailerons will make them less sensitive.

Need a rudder bar with a center pivot you can push-pull with your left foot. Easy to do.

Now the hard parts. Nose wheel RVs steer via differential braking. There is no steering connection to the nose wheel. Offhand, the one control concept which might work would be roughly similar to a Yak-52. The Yak is steered on the ground by squeezing a lever to apply pneumatic brakes while pushing the appropriate rudder pedal. In your case we need a system which applies right brake with right stick, left with left, and both with stick centered. Pressure could be sourced from a master cylinder behind a swivel pedal on your push-pull foot.

Fixed pitch prop, no control required. Mixture can be eliminated with an SDS fuel injection. That leaves throttle. Don't know how much grip or digital manipulation you have available. First thought says avoid the issue; perhaps control with a mouth tube...blow to increase, suck to decrease. Small air cylinders are quite common, and the force required is low.

You'll need a two-axis autopilot for practical cross-country. A RV won't always stay upright when you release a primary flight control to operate a switch or device.
 
...and

Also thinking out loud...and out of the box.

It might be possible to set up an accessory to allow, say, your left foot to rest in a stirup on the floor to control the elevator with forward and aft motion. Might need to reverse it for you so that pushing would actuate UP elevator and pulling back would yield down. Would make sense as you need far more up generally than down and pushing with your leg gives you sufficient leverage.

Ailerons and rudder control might be accomplished by securing a linkage to your knee; thigh muscles left and right...

Throttle could be accomplished with the right foot/ankle, much like the gas pedal in a car. Flex forward for increase throttle, aft for decrease.

Electrical controls might be set up like the pedal switches for an electric guitar.

Secondary controls such as com and nav frequencies, radio transfer, lights, etc could be voice activated much like using the Alexa devices....

Interesting problems, all of which have solutions...

Again, just thinking out loud...
 
RV engineering

Dan,
When I first started reading this thread you came to mind. I was not surprised to see your post so soon. You have some great ideas. I'm sure you and the other engineers on VAF can solve this problem.

Jessica,
When I first learned about you and heard your story, I was blown away. You are such an inspiration. I'm sure the modifications you need can be worked out by the very capable people on VAF. I will follow this thread closely.
 
What if , you controlled all stick inputs electrically. ie the RV8 fly by wire. Very doable with todays electronics. A joy stick with compatable inputs would be your interface. Same for rudder inputs .
Where else but experimental could you do this. There will be someone on this site who is capabile of solving this !!!
 
Jessica,
Carl M. Hay is a paraplegic pilot who built an RV-6 and designed hand controls for the brakes/rudder. Not quite your situation, but if it will help, reply with your email address and I'll copy the article and send it to you. It's in the Sport Aviation magazine May 1996 page 61.
 
What if , you controlled all stick inputs electrically. ie the RV8 fly by wire. Very doable with todays electronics. A joy stick with compatable inputs would be your interface. Same for rudder inputs .
Where else but experimental could you do this. There will be someone on this site who is capabile of solving this !!!

Good points Dennis. If you can control Flight Sim with a keyboard, a joystick should be able to be made to work. Maybe something like a bike shoe in a pedal with forward ankle for down, heal back for up?

On the Ercoupe, aren't the rudders connected to the ailerons? I flew in one about 40 years ago so I may be mistaken.

As much as I like Vans, maybe we should not rule out other planes that may be a better fit. Glastar? Not nearly as fast as RV, but pretty good speed and easier to get inside.

The brainpower on VAF is an incredible asset to make something like this happen.
 
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Jessica

Jess: I’ve followed your story for years. You are a very impressive lady. You’ve come to the right place, the brain trust will do their best to come up with something. My first thought was the 9A might be the best starting point because it’s not as responsive as the 6-7-8 and has decent stability.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
I would think that the modifications could be done with no problem. My question is can you precisely control a faster and more sensitive plane with your legs/feet? Not trying to cast any doubt as to your abilities which are obviously amazing, I just genuinely don't know if you can make the smaller, more precise, and quicker movements that an RV needs landing in gusty conditions. Likely you can write faster and more neatly with your feet than I can with my hands so maybe that is the answer right there. One advantage to something like and RV is that the control forces are light so you can make more use of the finer motion, but less strong foot muscles vs. the stronger, but less precise leg muscles.

I am an engineer and have a machine shop so I could probably help you if needed.

Brian Kraut
www.eamanufacturing.com
[email protected]
 
Jessica, We are excited you came to check out Van's Air Force and see how our community might be able to help you succeed in your mission. We fly an RV-9A and are building an RV-8, so we are quite familiar with the construction of RVs that would likely fit your profile. If an RV airframe is identified as a successful platform for this project, we would love to devote some of our skills and help make it a reality.
 
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Jessica,

Like many others here I've followed your story and find you to be very inspirational. Welcome aboard VAF.

My turn to think out loud, and slightly out of the box. I'm thinking of the way the Wright brothers designed the control mechanism on their early designs- basically a hip cradle to control aileron (wing warping) control, and can't help but think that there is an idea in there somewhere.

Have you ever flown an RV? Standard advice for any pilot transitioning from a more docile airplane is to get some stick time and see if you like it. You probably will, most everyone does. My memory says you're in Tucson and there are a lot of RVers in the area.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Love your story Jessica. I was wondering just the other day if you were still flying and am happy to hear that you are. I'm not an engineer, but would be willing to contribute to a fund to help offset the expense of modifying an RV. John
 
This would be the perfect excuse to develop a fully fly-by-wire conversion for an RV with flight envelope protection and even down to voice-activated controls!

"Alexa, turn heading one eight five..."
 
I had one experience helping a friend modify a Luscombe so he could fly it. He was missing one leg. We basically made the rudder system a "closed loop" where we connected the rudders with a "balance" cable that basically ran around from one pedal to the other which replaced the factory firewall return springs. We put a leather strap on the applicable rudder pedal the strap his foot in place. Then he was able to control the rudders completely by merely pushing or pulling with the same foot depending on whether or not he wanted left or right rudder input. For breaking we installed a brake cylinder similar to the Piper Tripe Acer or early Comanche that was activated with one hand lever. In your case it could be heel brake positioned on the floor similar to the ones found in cubs, Aeroncas, Taylorcrafts and Luscombes.

Dan H brought up a good idea for closing the loop on the rudder controls with a rudder bar. I own a Nanchang CJ6 which has the same differential brake valve on the rudder bar for steering control as the Yak 52 he mentioned. There is a brake lever on the control stick that looks like a motorcycle brake lever. There is zero braking unless that lever is squeezed. When squeezed and the rudder is neutral there is equal brake distribution to both main wheel brakes which equates to conventional stopping in a forward direction. The amount of pressure on the hand lever determines how hard the braking action is. Any rudder bar position past center causes more braking action on the wheel on the side of the rudder bar deflection. The more the bar is deflected the more the differential. Full rudder one way causes all braking on one side.

Another set of projects I saw was a hand control system for a Smith Miniplane and a Stearman that used a tiller bar for rudder control with a twist throttle for the engine (same owner/pilot). I know that's not the same configuration that would work directly for your situation but it shows there workable ideas of many types that might be moved to other more suitable locations in the cockpit.

I have attended one of your talks at OSH and loved it. I also saw you fly your airplane without any boarding issues so I wouldn't worry about the high-wing/low wing decision. An RV should be doable but I bet you have already sat in one if not gone for a flight.

As someone else menioned here, this is all just off-the-cuff brainstorming. But if any group of folks can help it would be fellow VAF'ers and some of the vendors who support us with ingenious modifications.

As an aside whenever my Luscombe friend would show up at a fly-in and I heard folks complaining about a crosswind or narrow runway I would point out to them the guy with one leg just landed a taildragger and wasn't complaining.

Jim
 
What an impressive inspiration, I would also contribute to a fund that would help you find your way into an RV. As others have said, there is a whole lot of knowledge in this group and I sure hope that someone can make this happen for you.
 
What if , you controlled all stick inputs electrically. ie the RV8 fly by wire. Very doable with todays electronics. A joy stick with compatable inputs would be your interface. Same for rudder inputs .
Where else but experimental could you do this. There will be someone on this site who is capabile of solving this !!!

Radio Control type interfaces and controls would be interesting. You would have to think through safety and redundancy, but it would seem very doable with today’s electronics and control systems.

Welcome Jessica. Your commitment to experience the dream and thrill of flight by overcoming adversity is extraordinary and inspiring. Well done.
 
The RV8A ("A" means nose wheel here) would be the easy candidate in terms of foot control, as the stick torque tube extends through the main spar. It means the torque tube and related parts would merely need lengthening to place a slightly shortened control stick relatively far forward.

Dan points out the issue of running the torque tube through the spar. I would think that an RV-7A or -9A’s side-by-side configuration might give her more cockpit room and options.

Hey Greg Hughes, isn’t there a way to modify the 7/9/14 main spar to run the elevator and aileron torque tubes through from forward of the spar? Doublers, etc? That would allow the stick placement forward of the spar.
 
Flying the RV

Jessica,

We are all amazed at your willingness and success in mastering flight! I think that now is the time to consider new methods of control for you, rather than trying to adapt the existing control strategy in an RV. It is an opportunity for those of us interested in innovation and finding new ways to to accomplish specific tasks to get involved. For example, I recommend that you use an existing 2 seat, side by side RV to test concepts that might work. The concept is called an inflight simulator. They have been in use for a long time, and could view you as the controller, and adapt the inceptors to allow you to control the airplane in ways that suit you the best. Then when you determine what works the best, you modify your own airplane and join the RV fleet. I'll pass this along to those in the industry who may be interested.
 
But in the meantime...

I'm going to go in a different direction here. I think a modified RV is doable, but like everything else, it's going to take time (probably a lot longer than anticipated if my past experience is any indication!). For now though, what about an autopilot for the Ercoupe? You flip it on and relax for the flight until it's time to join the pattern.
 
Garmin autoland

What about an experimental adaptation of the recently certified Garmin autoland system with voice control and some form of backup control for unusual situations and ground handling. Focus on reliable automation of the basic flying tasks and minimize the required simultaneous activities for the basics.
For sure the automation and voice technology is available, the backup mechanical stuff could be the most challenging
Figs
 
Dan points out the issue of running the torque tube through the spar. I would think that an RV-7A or -9A’s side-by-side configuration might give her more cockpit room and options.

Width is important for cockpit maneuvering, ie. knee room (see the photo), but if I understand correctly, a key here is that Jessica's current inflight sitting position is simply uncomfortable. Conceptually, think of the desired result as a hand control system in which everything is moved well forward.

"Everything" means instrument panel items too.

The 8A is actually "wider" than the side by side models, if considering space on the left. There are no gear towers, so that width continues forward. If willing to sacrifice some baggage bin space, it would be trivial to move the instrument panel forward. Jessica would not be forced into a contorted position to manipulate any control or device.

Jessica, We are all amazed at your willingness and success in mastering flight! I think that now is the time to consider new methods of control for you, rather than trying to adapt the existing control strategy in an RV.

Terry, you definitely know the right people!

I'm sure a fly by wire RV is possible. However, Jessica must still seat comfortably, and manipulate the controls, be it conventional stick, or joystick, or avionics knobs. Further, the airplane has to live in the real world, maintained by local A&P's or Jessica herself. Can't take it to France, or even Mobile, when it has a problem.

There are drivers for advanced subsystems. For example, consider teaming mechanical primary flight controls with voice activated throttle and flaps. All our cars are throttle-by-wire, so the actuators are off the shelf at an auto parts store. The development would be largely software. If digital assistants can control everything in your house...
.
 

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If you want something done, tell and engineer "it can't be done"

What a great story. Inspirational and challenging.

My 2 cents. The boring way to go is to add and autopilot to the existing plane and convert audio commands to electronic commands. This will enable you to be in a more confortable position when the autopilot is active.

Doing this in an RV? Yes it can probably be done. Safety is one thing we will need to factor into the equation as the RV speeds are usually much faster and I assume the flight characteristics are "sportier"

I love flying and part of that love is the manipulation of the controls to make the plane do what I want it to, when I want it to, so I suggest manual controls for the love of flight

I also love going places and arriving alert and ready for the land adventure or meeting, so I also suggest an autopilot and electronic controls.

Fore safety, if the electronics fail, we need a manual method as well, just to get back on the ground

For the manual flight controls, other people have mentioned some very good ideas.

I would also like blending the manual flight controls with some automation. in-flight automation is probably the easiest with speech commands converted to electronic commands that may simulate an autopilot controller (Garmin 507 for example) talking to the MFD/PFD. Garmin already makes an audio panel with voice control. Why not an autopilot with voice control.

I have always wanted to add FADEC. This would be a great time to do that. Using linear actuators or stepper motors to manipulate throttle, mixture and prop, again with some type of slip clutch for an override.

All the switches could be digital switches or controlled by a digital relay taking a voice command or some type of mouth or head movement command.

How can we make this conversation turn into a well run project?. I am an engineer but we will need PMs to keep us on track. I am confident many people on this forum will contribute with their skills when asked. There are so many amazing people on this forum.
 
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For now though, what about an autopilot for the Ercoupe? You flip it on and relax for the flight until it's time to join the pattern.
I think the biggest barrier here is that the Ercoupe is a certified aircraft, so you'd need more regulatory oversight to add the servos, etc. necessary to implement this.
 
Yes it can be done.

Jessica,

The short answer is "yes" it can be done. I installed hand controls in our RV-12 for my son Jake who also got his light sport license from Ableflight. He has over 250hrs in the aircraft and is going strong. With the autopilot cross countries are no problem, however the legs on our 12 are limited to about 300mi.

What you need is someone close who can fly with you to determine how you do things and adapt from there. Jake and I worked about 3 months designing and redesigning the hand controls until they worked. We tried to keep the controls as simple as possible while having the restraint of keeping the 12 flyable by both Jake and myself from the left seat. Additionally the controls are installed so they can be removed easily if we ever decide to sell the aircraft.

I will attach pic's however they may not make much sense. The brakes are on the left and you pull to brake. Could be moved forward and set up to push for brakes. The rudders are in between the seats and are pull push. I think this set up could be moved further forward and positioned so they could be used with feet. The older model RV-12's make it easier to adapt because the center section is fairly empty. Please, do not hesitate to contact me for ideas. 2 five one- 980-one two three four.

Van also worked with Ableflight and may be able to invent a better method. Good luck and I know it can be done.
 

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RV for Armless Pilot

Jessica, an RV 12 specially modified for your needs, could be your answer if reasonable speed, cost, comfort, ease of flying. safety, durability, etc is part of your mission. As a stroke limited pilot, I am limited to use of my left hand to fly my RV 12, not what limitations you have, but very doable. It allows time for decisions and reactions yet gives you XC flight capability! And it flies just like any other RV with Great control input and response. I Highly Recommend it.

Doug Robison, Lt Col. USAF Ret./Capt. UAL Ret.
 
Go for it.

Another long time fan here.
I am involved in Wheelies with Wings (the Aussie version of AbleFlight and Aerobility UK and we use a modified rudder control version of the Foxbat for disabled pilot flying. Rudder lever is also the throttle lever.
So very excited about this discussion.
Good ideas above. If possible KISS!
I see from your you tube vids you have been looking at other airplanes and ideas and would have put in much thought on the “how”

The “lever” that controls rudder Left Right could also control thrust. FWD back.
So two feet, one for pitch and roll, one for yaw and throttle. Plus pulling back past a certain point on that throttle activates both brakes perhaps even with a left right variation of pressure.
Have to put some more thought into the how to rig that all up in an RV7 mod.
 
Inspiration

Wow! I've followed your story and told many. What an inspiration.

What we need from out community is inspiration as well.
Stop thinking about how our planes are built and controlled. Maybe Jessica can tell us how she wants it set up and the experts figure out how to make it happen.
Maybe the Aileron tubes are tied to a bellcrank somehow so foot controls the roll and yaw at the same time using stirrups to pull. I don't know. I'm just saying, throw out what we use and build what she uses. Outside the box!
 
Just throwing out ideas

How about rudder control with knee movement from one leg. That same leg would have foot control for brakes, mixed via the rudder control.

The other leg would provide stick control with the throttle via foot control.

Things like the PTT and Flaps could be placed in easy reach.

I think it could be done with a reasonable amount of work. Pitch/Roll controls would be harder on the side-by-side models, but not impossible.

I am in Texas, but will gladly provide any machined parts you need. Feel free to contact me when the time comes. I am also happy to help any other way I can.
 
After more thought, the fly-by-wire ide would be the way to go. The hardware already exists and is available.

A set of the larger autopilot servos could do the job. Just need an interface. I bet Dynon or GRT could be talked into a simple interface. If not, I'm sure someone else is capable of creating that serial interface. A modified stick could be retained to allow manual reversion as well. That leaves the brakes and engine controls. A servo drive would work fine there as well.
 
Hi Jessica,

I work at Apple and have worked closely with the Accessibility team. We always start with a clear understanding of the user's abilities before designing a system to accommodate them. Given that, I'd like to understand what motions or manipulations you would be prefer to use for aircraft control and your relative strength and precision for each motion.

1. Pushing and pulling your feet
2. Moving your knees from side to side.
3. Rocking your feet forward (like pushing a gas pedal) or backward.
4. Twisting your feet left and right (around an axis through your lower leg).
5. Gripping or manipulating controls with your toes.
6. Mouth controls (blow/suck tube)
7. Any upper torso motion?
8. Anything I'm missing?

Once we know which motions you'd like to use for each aircraft control, I have no doubt that this group has the brain power to come up with the modifications necessary to give you that control.

I'd be happy to help in any way I can; I'm close enough to fly down if necessary.
 
How about a boot to fit your feat in. Twist for rudder, for and aft for elevators, right and left for ailerons. That would leave the Other foot/leg for throttle, flaps, and brakes. Changing radios etc by voice command. That way she would have a more comfortable seating position. Also I think the 8a would be the ezest to modify. Entry/egress I think you already have a handle on. Wish I had more resources to offer, but if there’s anyway I can help feel free to ask. Good luck on this project I’m shure someone with your tenacity will get it don.
 
Jessica,

My company would be happy to sponsor you with an SDS electronic fuel injection system to avoid the mixture control if you decide to modify an RV for your new ride.

I'd hope some other vendors here on VAF and elsewhere would step up to help you out as well. You are amazing and do some very worthwhile work helping and inspiring others. Who wouldn't want to be part of that? :)

BTW, RVs land really nicely without flaps unless the runway is short. I've done hundreds of flapless landings.
 
RV Thinking And Assistance

RV Colleagues, This is a terrific discussion, and an example of how we can brainstorm by ourselves and through industry contacts to innovate and make the RV both accessible and useful for Jessica.
 
How about a boot to fit your feat in. Twist for rudder, for and aft for elevators, right and left for ailerons. That would leave the Other foot/leg for throttle, flaps, and brakes. Changing radios etc by voice command. That way she would have a more comfortable seating position. Also I think the 8a would be the ezest to modify. Entry/egress I think you already have a handle on. Wish I had more resources to offer, but if there’s anyway I can help feel free to ask. Good luck on this project I’m shure someone with your tenacity will get it don.

I really like the idea of a boot that would allow you to use what is essentially a three-axis joy stick. We use that type of roll/pitch/yaw hand controller in spacecraft, and it is very natural - assuming you can get the mechanical leverage you need.

What a great brainstorming session!

Paul
 
How about a boot to fit your feat in. Twist for rudder, for and aft for elevators, right and left for ailerons. That would leave the Other foot/leg for throttle, flaps, and brakes. Changing radios etc by voice command. That way she would have a more comfortable seating position. Also I think the 8a would be the ezest to modify. Entry/egress I think you already have a handle on. Wish I had more resources to offer, but if there’s anyway I can help feel free to ask. Good luck on this project I’m shure someone with your tenacity will get it don.

I mentioned earlier a bike shoe on a pedal attached to the stick, but a boot is probably even better. My tractor has a pedal for it that you rock forward or back to go forward or back. A similar action attached to a bike pedal on a bike shoe or boot attached to the stick would give one leg - foot control of 2 axis.

I cant imagine it is comfortable for Jessica to sit like the picture so making it work under the panel will take some engineering skills!
 
Hmm, clipless pedals, I have about 30yrs with them... As we think about mechanically coupling the foot with a control system that might be more or less sensitive, being able to quickly and naturally decouple the foot becomes just as important. That could be super fatiguing to be fully coupled all the time. Imagine turbulence where you just need to lighten your inputs for a bit.

With a little practice, I think I could fly a whole flight of aileron inputs with my knees.
 
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Jessica,

My company would be happy to sponsor you with an SDS electronic fuel injection system to avoid the mixture control if you decide to modify an RV for your new ride.

I'd hope some other vendors here on VAF and elsewhere would step up to help you out as well. You are amazing and do some very worthwhile work helping and inspiring others. Who wouldn't want to be part of that? :)

BTW, RVs land really nicely without flaps unless the runway is short. I've done hundreds of flapless landings.

Ross, I was kind of thinking the same thing. Jessica, our company makes seats and interior items for RVs. I know this is still in the conceptual stage at this point, but as things progress, we would be happy to help out with this project if we can be of assistance.

I've seen your story in various places over the years, and it always amazed me. It would be great to see you flying an RV.
 
Just an observation...

If you see a video of Jessica you’ll soon realize that she has more dexterity in her toes than some of us have in our fingers! So all this talk about a boot or pedal may not be necessary.

We may be limiting what she can do by expecting her to use a pedal or boot as we would.

Unlike most people without arms due to injury or surgery, Jessica came into this world without arms so her feet and toes quickly became her hands and fingers.

Again, she has more dexterity in her toes than some of us have in our fingers!

She is amazing and is an inspiration!

But keep the ideas coming! I’m looking forward to seeing how we can help her.
 
WOW!

Thank you all for the suggestions so far and the messages of support! It's much more than I could have hoped for!

I'll work my way through the response and share my thoughts.
 
Since the RV is an experimental, it can be easily modified to fit your ergonomic needs.

Yes! The first thought was to modify an Ercoupe, but the restrictions make that a mess. There's more freedom customizing an "amateur-built" experimental.
 
Most of the custom work that's been done in the past has been for hand controls, maybe some ideas would be adaptable to your needs.

Absolutely! A podiatrist researcher at the University of Arizona pointed out the "atavistic" characteristics of my feet saying they were more like hands than any he had seen.

Thanks for sharing those controls. Someone else asked about the capabilities of my feet, so I'll post the details about what types of motions (like twisting) all in one place there.

If anyone finds hand controls that haven't been posted, I encourage you to share them. They may inspire ideas for modifying other controls in new ways.
 
The RV8A ("A" means nose wheel here) would be the easy candidate in terms of foot control, as the stick torque tube extends through the main spar. It means the torque tube and related parts would merely need lengthening to place a slightly shortened control stick relatively far forward. It may even be possible to lower the forward end just a little. Might need to work on stick ratios a bit, as an RV is mostly flown with stick pressure. However, the -8 has a good stick force vs G gradient in pitch, and over-squeezing the trailing edges of the ailerons will make them less sensitive.

Thank you for thinking out loud! I initially didn't consider the -8 because I need the knee space to reach things on the panel and that space is usually to my side. I could push the panel further away but I worry about reading the instruments. Long story short, I'm going to have to find an -8 to sit in before I rule it out.

Now the hard parts. Nose wheel RVs steer via differential braking. There is no steering connection to the nose wheel. Offhand, the one control concept which might work would be roughly similar to a Yak-52. The Yak is steered on the ground by squeezing a lever to apply pneumatic brakes while pushing the appropriate rudder pedal. In your case we need a system which applies right brake with right stick, left with left, and both with stick centered. Pressure could be sourced from a master cylinder behind a swivel pedal on your push-pull foot.

I had forgotten about breaking. Maybe the breaks could be left on both sides and I just let go of the stick on the ground and steer with the pedals with both feet?

Fixed pitch prop, no control required. Mixture can be eliminated with an SDS fuel injection. That leaves throttle. Don't know how much grip or digital manipulation you have available. First thought says avoid the issue; perhaps control with a mouth tube...blow to increase, suck to decrease. Small air cylinders are quite common, and the force required is low.

You'll need a two-axis autopilot for practical cross-country. A RV won't always stay upright when you release a primary flight control to operate a switch or device.

My first thought was a two-button electric throttle system on the stick or rudder that I could push with a toe. I have something similar on my bike for changing gears. Blow tubes are an option, too.

Do all RVs share that characteristic? :eek:
 
Ailerons and rudder control might be accomplished by securing a linkage to your knee; thigh muscles left and right...

You're not the first person to think of a knee cradle. I would need to test it.

Secondary controls such as com and nav frequencies, radio transfer, lights, etc could be voice activated much like using the Alexa devices....

This sounds awesome! Where could I see examples?
 
On the Ercoupe, aren't the rudders connected to the ailerons? I flew in one about 40 years ago so I may be mistaken.

Yes! The Ercoupe had additional design features like the H tail that reduced the left-turning tendency on takeoff. My friend here in Tucson suggested interconnecting the ailerons and rudder with a spring system so the rudder could be overridden when necessary. I believe he said some Bonanzas have something similar.
 
Maybe I've missed it, but Jessica, have you flown an RV? If not, I would bet you could hop in just about any RV near you and fly it just fine, stock. That would at least imprint the appropriate grin to know what you're in for :).

For all but takeoff, it flies just fine without much rudder at all. I wouldn't get too stuck on that detail. It will get figured out.

It would also be trivial, just for testing to clamp a fixture to reposition the stick 10-12" forward on most RVs.
 
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Jess: I’ve followed your story for years. You are a very impressive lady. You’ve come to the right place, the brain trust will do their best to come up with something. My first thought was the 9A might be the best starting point because it’s not as responsive as the 6-7-8 and has decent stability.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer

Thanks for the suggestion! I might open a can of worms asking which model is better, but no one has suggested an RV-10. The range, speed, space, and capacity would let me take more people up on a discovery flight. Is the RV-10 just too complex?

Some Secondary Considerations
Don, please don't think I'm putting your suggestion down, I just thought this was a good point to weigh some of the secondary elements of my mission taking this airplane around.

1) I want to give kids with limb differences an unforgettable experience.
Many of these kids get some special experiences, but unfortunately, their siblings can often be left out in the cold. Being able to take a number of family members along for a flight would be a great bonus. There's also the matter if I let a kid try the controls for a moment and they freeze up, I haven't tackled how I would get them to let go. What if it's a teenager instead of a kid? Having an adult sitting behind them might add an element of safety to that scenario.

2) Heat
There's an issue with double amputees and their body overheating. It also takes a long time to cool down once overheated so a few minutes of exposure lasts longer than people think. I would want to install an AC system (I live in southern Arizona). From what I've seen these systems weigh about 40 lbs? Having some extra useful payload to install that would be great.

3) Luggage
I imagine as soon as I have a plane that can get across the country relatively well that some of my speaking clients (I'm a motivational speaker by day) would have an event in a hangar and want me to bring the plane to that location. Some of those clients probably want me in an outfit more formal than a WASP t-shirt, an AbleFlight hat, and shorts. ;) (I'm planning to have these clients can help me arrange/coordinate/sponsor fly days while I'm there, too!) Add some speaking props and probably my husband who helps me at speaking events and we're looking at a hefty payload.

These, of course, are secondary to the mission and can all be worked around. Please share your thoughts. Before, I was limited to just the Ercoupe. There was simply nothing else. Now, if this can be worked out, there are options and I'm basically a first-time airplane buyer.
 
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