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  #1  
Old 06-06-2015, 03:11 PM
yankee-flyer yankee-flyer is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 838
Default Aileron trim for RV-12

Little Bird II is trimmed for me and about 2/3 fuel. With full fuel and a passenger she really wants to go right. After thinking about it for quite a while I bought Van's RV-7 manual aileron trim kit and fouynd a way to make it work. I apologize for photo quality-- camera didn't focus where I wanted)--but think you'll be able to get the idea.
Instead of mounting the handle between the seats where our flap handle is I mounted it on the vertical face of the seat floor, below the electrical output.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Yank...dehj.jpg.html][/url][/IMG]

The "L-shaped" actuator lever was too short and too high to connect to the sticks without biding on the lightening hols in the structure so I cut it off and riveted on a new one made from mild steel. Guys who can weld would probably do that. It extends the arm down just a bit more than an inch and moves the connecting holes back about 1.5 inches.

[IMG][/IMG]

The springs were connected to this actuating arm

[IMG][/IMG]

Then instead of using safety wire as Van;s suggest, I made turnbuckles from Du-Bro threaded rod and clevises (R/C airplane section of your hobby shop), connected those to the springs and then to the sticks with safety wire. Checked clearance with stick in all four corners and flaps in all three positions.

[IMG][/IMG]

Yesterday I had 16 gallons and a 210 pounds passenger (I weight 165) and we could trim out hands off. A really sharp stick input will pull the trim off the setting but it's no problem to re-trim. Stick forces are increased slightly by the springs but not having to hold left stick makes up for it.

Wayne 120241/143WM at 311 hours
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  #2  
Old 06-07-2015, 12:33 PM
todehnal todehnal is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kentucky Lakes area in KY
Posts: 947
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Hey Wayne, your installation looks great!! Curious though, do you have Van's fixed rudder trim tab installed??

Tom
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2013- RV12, Kit #119. N123M First flight Nov21. It's a keeper!
1998- RV-9 tail kit, built and sold
1989- RV-6 tail kit, built and sold
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  #3  
Old 06-09-2015, 08:17 AM
yankee-flyer yankee-flyer is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Dayton, OH
Posts: 838
Default Well I have the original wedge-type

rudder trim and LBII needed about 1.6 wedges. I finally decided that the most likely reason for the wide variation in amount of wedge required was that we early builders had to use pipes, sledgehammers, and vises to open and bend those (*&(*^^ longerons. I suspect my fuselage isn't precisely square and therefore the tail surfaces are slightly canted.

Anyway, the trim installation was done for the variation in right-side weight and works pretty well.

Wayne 120241/143WM
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  #4  
Old 06-09-2015, 10:05 AM
todehnal todehnal is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kentucky Lakes area in KY
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Like you Wayne, I am also an early builder (120119), and I spent a lot of time, and effort to get the longerons as true as possible. On the first flight, the ball was not well caged. I was able to get the ball centered with Van's rudder trim. I also still had a slightly heavy right wing. By working on the trailing edge of the wing skins, and getting a better alignment with the flaperons, I have improved it to minimal. .....Tom
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2013- RV12, Kit #119. N123M First flight Nov21. It's a keeper!
1998- RV-9 tail kit, built and sold
1989- RV-6 tail kit, built and sold
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  #5  
Old 06-09-2015, 11:15 AM
rv9builder rv9builder is offline
 
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Location: Irvine, CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by yankee-flyer View Post
I finally decided that the most likely reason for the wide variation in amount of wedge required was that we early builders had to use pipes, sledgehammers, and vises to open and bend those (*&(*^^ longerons.
I know about longeron dies for bending, but is there another tool now available for opening the longerons?

Thanks!
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  #6  
Old 06-09-2015, 04:08 PM
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MacPara MacPara is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 461
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A hex nut socket and a vise worked well for opening the longerons. It should be a fairly sturdy vise if you go that route as there is rumor that at least one Ohioan has broken a vise doing this ;-)
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  #7  
Old 06-09-2015, 05:57 PM
yankee-flyer yankee-flyer is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Dayton, OH
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Default At one point someone was selling bent longerons.

I don't know if they still do, but I thought that was an options Van's should have offered. But then, they only built a couple.
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  #8  
Old 06-09-2015, 06:42 PM
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Bill_H Bill_H is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Marshall TX (KASL)
Posts: 1,783
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Read this thread for doing the longerons successfully without the dies.
http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=69024
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