Fixed rudder trim

[AV8ER]

This is what is on our RV-10. It works perfect for cruise flight and saves the aesthetics of extra stuff on the sides of the rudder. Of course in climb additional rudder input is required (and a steep descent to keep the ball centered for that matter). The trim piece is aluminum sheet cut to the shape of the strobe/light housing with a small tab on on side. It is sandwiched between the light housing and the fairing. Not my idea but its friggin sweet!

[TShort]

Mine required just a tiny bit of R rudder in cruise.
I cut a piece of sheet Al about 8" long x 3" wide, to parallel the angle of the rear of the rudder. Gently bent it in the middle, and attached with 3M double sided tape. It is bent very slightly to the left.

It has been in place for over 2 years with no issues.

I've got pics somewhere I'll see if I can dig them up....

[paul330]

Originally Posted by Machsandy

Hello Paul

Yes that is the system we have had, with a wedge made of semicircular plastic faired with tape.

As I mentioned on the first post, as the wedge is on the left side of the rudder trailing edge, I wondered if coanda affect would cause that to apply left rudder correction?

Is your wedge on the left side and is it wedge shaped rather than curved?

Thanks

Sandy

Yes. I used a piece of trailing edge section fixed on with double-sided carpet tape. Left side (giving right rudder) about 8" long

[rvdave]

[quote=AV8ER;1394977]This is what is on our RV-10. It works perfect for cruise flight and saves the aesthetics of extra stuff on the sides of the rudder. Of course in climb additional rudder input is required (and a steep descent to keep the ball centered for that matter). The trim piece is aluminum sheet cut to the shape of the strobe/light housing with a small tab on on side. It is sandwiched between the light housing and the fairing. Not my idea but its friggin sweet!


Didn’t see a photo come thru, can you send a picture?

[Lars]

This is a simple option if you don't mind the price:

http://www.cleavelandtool.com/RUDDER.../#.Xg1FeRdKjOQ

[AV8ER]

Would be happy to email a picture. Message me your email.

[quote=rvdave;1396785]

Originally Posted by AV8ER

This is what is on our RV-10. It works perfect for cruise flight and saves the aesthetics of extra stuff on the sides of the rudder. Of course in climb additional rudder input is required (and a steep descent to keep the ball centered for that matter). The trim piece is aluminum sheet cut to the shape of the strobe/light housing with a small tab on on side. It is sandwiched between the light housing and the fairing. Not my idea but its friggin sweet!


Didn?t see a photo come thru, can you send a picture?

[Taltruda]

There are some cool videos on YouTube of the Candola effect.. guys throwing a basketball off a really tall dam.. but it's been my experience that a wedge on the left side of the rudder causes the surface to move to the right, as if right rudder is being held. I wonder if now after your fairings and spats (wheel pants here in 'merica maybe you need a bigger or more deflected tab? Perhaps the wheel pants are causing the out of trim condition? Were the flaps re-rigged in the aileron work?

[Machsandy]

Hello Tom

We didn?t knowingly change the flaps as part of the aileron work but we did remove them to gain access then replaced them.

We also worked on the spatpants. We had the compressed spacer issue where the stock aluminium spacers that hold the pant bracket had compressed making the pants loose. They had been loose since we bought the aeroplane 6 years ago, as they are now firm, this may be the cause of the change in aerodynamics?

We are going to replace the tape on the wedge and report back.

The other replies imply that the wedge, even although ours is curved, actually works as a conventional wedge rather than a coanda lifting surface?

[rag]

After reading about the Dan Gurney Flap (wickerbill), I tried it on my RV4 rudder. Very powerful - you don't need much to make a big change.