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03-25-2012, 07:15 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 1,125
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"Sticky" Ailerons
"Sticky" might be a bit strong a word but I don't know how else to describe it. I'm rigging my controls out at the hangar. In one direction, when the ailerons are brought to the stops, I feel the controls get slightly tight. It's not hard to overcome and my tech counselor says its nothing to worry about especially since the air loads will easily over come it. Plus like I said, they get only slightly tighter. They are easy to over come.
I've spend hours working the bushings to make them work properly and they all do. I've checked to see if the push rods out to the ailerons rub on the spar. One was actually on one side but no more.
I've disconnected each aileron from the bellcrank and it goes away. So that tells me that it's at the bellcranks. Could this just be the mechanical advantage going to a minimum at the extremes? Is this something to worry about and is my DAR going to ding me for it?
Honestly, I don't feel that it's a safety of flight issue. I've felt a few trainers that didn't have smooth controls throughout the range and I bet my controls are 100% smoother than most trainers but it still bugs the heck out of me.
What have you all found out with your planes?
__________________
Kelly Johnson
San Jose, CA
RV-9A
Pink slip issued: 5/7/12
First flight: 5/28/12, Memorial Day.
Phase I Complete: 8/18/12!
2020 donation: complete
Last edited by ArVeeNiner : 03-28-2012 at 10:50 AM.
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03-25-2012, 07:17 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 4,219
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Check to make sure neither of your bellcranks is going over center (or close). That sounds like a possibility. It *could* result in something bad happening.
__________________
Kyle Boatright
Marietta, GA
2001 RV-6 N46KB
2019(?) RV-10
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03-25-2012, 07:50 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 1,505
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Mine were rubbing on the rear spar opening when fully deflected. You might check the clearance around the rod end.
__________________
Jim Wright
RV-9A N9JW 90919 SoldArkansas
http://www.jimsairplanes.com
_______________________
"It's a brutal struggle for the biscuit."
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03-25-2012, 08:00 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kansas
Posts: 384
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When you get to the point where you feel the drag check and see if you can still twist/rotate the push-pull tube freely. If not, You may have the rodends clocked so they bind up towards the end of the travel by rubbing on the bellcrank.
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03-25-2012, 08:08 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Davis, CA
Posts: 1,156
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ArVeeNiner
"Sticky" might be a bit strong a word but I don't know how else to describe it. I'm rigging my controls out at the hangar. In one direction, when the ailerons are brought to the stops, I feel the controls get slightly tight. It's not hard to overcome and my tech counselor says its nothing to worry about especially since the air loads will easily over come it. Plus like I said, they get only slightly tighter. They are easy to over come.
I've spend hours working the bushings to make them work properly and they all do. I've checked to see if the push rods out to the ailerons rub on the spar. One was actually on one side but no more.
I've disconnected each aileron from the bellcrank and it goes away. So that tells me that it's at the bellcranks. Could this just be the mechanical advantage going to a minimum at the extremes? Is this something to worry about and is my DAR going to ding me for it?
Honestly, I don't feel that it's a safety of flight issue. I've felt a few trainers that didn't have smooth controls throughout the range and I bet my controls are 100% smoother than most trainers but it still bugs the heck out of me.
What have you all found out with your planes?
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Ugh. I'm chasing the same thing, Kelly. Going to go through the brass bushings on the various pivots next, with something seriously slippery. No mechanical interference or rubbing or over-center anywhere.
I am right behind you!
__________________
Lars Pedersen
Davis, CA
RV-7 Flying as of June 24, 2012
960+ hours as of June 30, 2020. Where did the time go?
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03-25-2012, 08:29 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,646
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Are your seat cushions in? Or, have you, by any chance, already installed your aileron trim springs? Either of these will make the last inch or so of aileron travel feel a bit stiff.
__________________
Steve M.
Ellensburg WA
RV-9 Flying, 0-320, Catto
Donation reminder: Jan. 2021
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03-25-2012, 08:38 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Dallas/Ft Worth, TX
Posts: 5,687
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Quote:
Originally Posted by curtis
When you get to the point where you feel the drag check and see if you can still twist/rotate the push-pull tube freely. If not, You may have the rodends clocked so they bind up towards the end of the travel by rubbing on the bellcrank.
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Curtis is right on here, with the ailerons fully deflected, make sure you still have some "play" twisting the main aileron torque tubes.
__________________
Walt Aronow, DFW, TX (52F)
EXP Aircraft Services LLC
Specializing in RV Condition Inspections, Maintenance, Avionics Upgrades
Dynamic Prop Balancing, Pitot-Static Altmeter/Transponder Certification
FAA Certified Repair Station, AP/IA/FCC GROL, EAA Technical Counselor
Authorized Garmin G3X Dealer/Installer
RV7A built 2004, 1700+ hrs, New Titan IO-370, Bendix Mags
Website: ExpAircraft.com, Email: walt@expaircraft.com, Cell: 972-746-5154
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03-25-2012, 09:42 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 1,125
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt
Curtis is right on here, with the ailerons fully deflected, make sure you still have some "play" twisting the main aileron torque tubes.
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I'll check that the next time I'm out at the hangar. This is something that I didn't consider or look at.
BTW, there are no seats or springs.
I checked and rechecked clearance between the aileron push rods and the spar, they clear. With the large tubes that run from the sticks to the bellcranks disconnected, the ailerons to bellcrank runs have no stickiness.
I doesnt look like there are over center issues. Im going to take some measurements between some points at full deflection to see if there are any differences between bellcranks.
Thanks for the tips!
__________________
Kelly Johnson
San Jose, CA
RV-9A
Pink slip issued: 5/7/12
First flight: 5/28/12, Memorial Day.
Phase I Complete: 8/18/12!
2020 donation: complete
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03-25-2012, 10:05 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 1,125
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars
Ugh. I'm chasing the same thing, Kelly. Going to go through the brass bushings on the various pivots next, with something seriously slippery. No mechanical interference or rubbing or over-center anywhere.
I am right behind you!
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Hi Lars
Go through each of those bearings. Going into the weekend I thought I was close enough with the bearings. The aileron issue has been kind of a blessing in disguise. It caused me (actually a good friend of mine) to disassemble each bearing assembly. We worked the heck out of them. I was amazed how well we got them working. That is what is so frustrating. After many hours of work, everything works like butta...except for the very last bit of deflection on one side.
__________________
Kelly Johnson
San Jose, CA
RV-9A
Pink slip issued: 5/7/12
First flight: 5/28/12, Memorial Day.
Phase I Complete: 8/18/12!
2020 donation: complete
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03-25-2012, 10:42 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Hubbard Oregon
Posts: 9,035
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt
Curtis is right on here, with the ailerons fully deflected, make sure you still have some "play" twisting the main aileron torque tubes.
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You have to go a bit further than that...
You need to confirm that you still have play in the push/pull tube rod ends when moving the stick through the full range of elevator travel while also selecting full aileron travel (it is this movement that is actually using most of the available rotation range of the rod ends). Actually, it is sometimes not possible (because of variations in travel range, etc). In this case you adjust for it being just short of binding at full up elevator. This will give you the most possible free travel range (the last little bit of full down elevator would never be used in flight while also using full aileron input)
Last edited by rvbuilder2002 : 03-26-2012 at 07:45 AM.
Reason: corrected torque tube, to push/pull tube
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