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Control Stick

RViator60

Well Known Member
I'm about to pull the trigger, so to speak, on a Tosten grip for my RV-14A. I'm leaning toward the 8 function CS-8 grip and looking for opinions from owners who've been flying their RV-14As a while. Any experience with the soft feel coating? I'm planning aileron/elevator trim for hat switch, trigger for PTT, index button for change frequency, top left for autopilot on/off, and top right for altitude hold on/off. Has anyone had good experience with a different configuration? I'm installing at Garmin G3X. Also, was not planning to install right hand stick initially.
 
I have the SC-8 grip with the soft feel on my -14A and like it a lot (180hrs). The soft feel is just that, softer than gripping a hard plastic piece but not "squishy" feeling and I like it. Button setup is similar but I have the small button under the PTT setup as TO/GA for missed approaches.


I'm about to pull the trigger, so to speak, on a Tosten grip for my RV-14A. I'm leaning toward the 8 function CS-8 grip and looking for opinions from owners who've been flying their RV-14As a while. Any experience with the soft feel coating? I'm planning aileron/elevator trim for hat switch, trigger for PTT, index button for change frequency, top left for autopilot on/off, and top right for altitude hold on/off. Has anyone had good experience with a different configuration? I'm installing at Garmin G3X. Also, was not planning to install right hand stick initially.
 
I have been very satisfied with the Tosten grips with “hat” trim, flaps, autopilot disconnect and “trigger” radio transmit switches. Not complicated and everything necessary. I also use a quick disconnect pin to easily remove the co-pilot/passenger stick as needed. :)
 
I have the Tosten military-style grips in my RV-14. I have it wired as follows:

  • 4-way hat: pitch and roll trim
  • trigger: PTT
  • small index finger button: A/P disconnect/CWS
  • outboard thumb button: swap audio panel mic input from Comm 1 to Comm 2
  • inboard thumb button: activate standby frequency on selected Comm radio
  • lower thumb button: smoke on/off

I love my setup so far. When I break out of phase I and start flying into busier airspace and/or IFR, it will be great to have four radio frequencies tuned and ready without having to touch anything on the panel. For now, it's nice enough to have Comm 1 tuned to CTAF with Guard on standby and Comm 2 tuned to the two AWOS frequencies I need most often in my testing area.

One note on the Tosten grips: The small index finger switch is not something you will inadvertently press. It is recessed and, if you are wearing gloves, might even be a challenge to press intentionally.

I have done a few other things in regard to my sticks that are probably worth thinking about, if not duplicating:

  • Toggle switch to choose which stick is active: Pilot, Copilot, or Both. This lets me disable the passenger's stick buttons or my own, in the event of a stuck mic or runaway trim situation due to wiring on the pilot stick. It is just a three-position switch where the center position grounds both stick common wires and the two side positions selectively lift one or the other.
  • Alternate pitch trim. This lets me run the pitch trim servo from a panel-mounted toggle switch powered by the IBBS backup battery in the event of a main power failure. This is a bit more involved with a NORM/ALT switch and a momentary toggle switch to run the trim when in ALT mode.
  • Panel-mounted pilot and copilot PTT buttons. These are great when you're on autopilot or when the copilot wants to talk on the radio while you are trying to fly the plane, because either of you can transmit without touching the stick.
 
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