What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

How About Pitch Servo Pictures?

Ironflight

VAF Moderator / Line Boy
Mentor
I am gettign ready to order an AlTrak for my -8, and want to think through all the installation details in advance. Does anyone ahve any good pictures of their pitch servo installation they can share? Since I have an aft-mounted battery and relays that live in the same general area, I want to make sure I don't end up with any bad surprises with interference. I do have the TruTrak drawings already - just want to see it in real life!

Paul
 
Paul, if you're not in a big hurry, you could wait for GRT's servo(s) and put that in instead of altrak. It should be a lot cheaper (about 1/2 price) and it may even have more functionality!
 
Here ya go, Paul - just ran out and snapped some for you. I did a couple things differently (as seems to be the case for the whole darn aircraft, which is why it ain't flyin' yet!). Note in pics I'm not 100% done.

- I reamed the tapped holes in the servo to 3/16 and installed through-bolts with locknuts - I just feel better having locknuts on there. That necessitated drilling a hole in the right elevator bearing mount big enough to get a bolt head through (fwd servo bolt only).

- I drilled the motor-to-gear socket cap screws so I could safety them (not yet safetied in pics). Again, just a warm fuzzy belt-n-suspenders thing. From the factory, the screws were cranked tight, but there was no other locking mechanism, e.g. loctite, preventing rotation.

- my battery - a PC-680 - is rear-mounted as well, and sits horizontally in a custom mount (you can see the aft edge in pics). I have plenty of clearance (>1") from the battery holder to the elevator bellcrank.



Lemme know if you want any more, I'll go get 'em!
 
Excellent

Great pictures Alan - exactly what I needed! I see I'll have to fabricate new bellcrank mounts, because the stock ones end at the bulkhead, and it looks like they need to go back farther. I guess I can kit those up before taking the airplane apart, using the Tru-Trak drawings.

And yes Radomir, I'm tempted to wait for the GRT functionality, but I think that's a little farther out than I want to wait. My guess is that the way the two companies work together, I'll bet the servo will work for either (just guessing!), and I could switch over later, with little effort...

Thanks guys!

Paul
 
FWIW.

The longer bellcrank mounts for mounting the servo came in my kit from Trutrak. You don't need to make your own. I suspect you could buy just them if that's all you need right now.

John Miller
 
Thanks John!

I'll wait and see if a set comes with the kit....

Back when I made my baffling, I spent hours making all of the little reinforcing pieces from the drawings, and then I got to the bottom of a box, opened an envelope, and all of the pre-made pieces from Van's came tumbling out!!!

BTW, Radomir, I just got off the phone with Todd at GRT, and he told me that they are only developing the Autopilot function for the Sport - not the Horizon 1 (the full-up EFIS). I guess this is to give folks who want an all-in-one box a COMPLETE all-in-one box. I think GRT still likes Tru-Trak for more complex and complete autopilot systems.

Paul
 
ECU Location

Alan, I noticed in your photos that you have the box mounted close to the servo. Was this by choice or can it be mounted up front behind the panel?

Thanks
 
Can be mounted anywhere as long as you pay attention to the correct orientation. I decided to mount mine aft because it's close to the servo and a convenient static line tap; I only had to run power/ground, LED, and switch fwd. Plus if I put any more electrowhizzies up front, they'd self-gravitate and collapse into a black hole, which would affect my attitude indicator.
 
I wrote up a fairly lengthy doc on the install in my RV-8 with pictures

I think you will find it pretty helpful.

find it here: ftp://24.253.154.243/

No user name or password required. Ignore the video files, the word document called TruTrak Installation Notes is the one you want.

bruce
N297NW
 
Thanks Bruce!

That is a great write-up - I can't think of any questions I'd have about the pitch servo that you didn't answer...I guess I've run out of excuses to give Tru-Trak a call and place the order...

Paul
 
One more thought on TruTrak

I love the company - superb customer service. One thing they don't do is put out any info on firmware updates. I found out that my year and a half old Digiflight II was several revs out of date only by calling and asking. They updated it for free but I would never have known there is an update available if I had not called.

Still a **fantastic** company.

Another thing to think about is the wiring harness. I found that Stein Bruch at SteinAir is the most knowlegable, easy to talk to guy about all things related to wiring harnesses. Another really good company to work with.

http://www.steinair.com/

bruce
N297NW
 
Back
Top