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Flap Position/Travel

jhiggins

Active Member
I replaced the old yellowing flap tape yesterday, and while the flaps were disconnected I noticed how especially close the left flap was to being over- extended on the full down. It looks like it may be bent slightly once before from this possibly happening and jamming. I am not the builder and I wanted to know if the flap motor can be adjusted. I measured about 43 degrees of travel now. I would feel a lot better if I can limit the movement to about 38 degrees. It is an RV-7A
 
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Shorten the flap connecting rods so that sucker can't get in a bind. Oh ya make them the same or you'll wish you did on final.
I bought the RV-6A I fly currently and the original builder set them to low. It had been jammed before for by the looks of it. Bent metal.
It wasn't caused by flying forces, But, when somebody accidentally pressed to hard on the flap in the down position when climbing into the plane.
I know because it happened to me. I leave the flaps in down position when not flying. Raise them for flying. Went to raise them once and heard this crunching sound. It was a %@&&$25 @%^ moment.
Immediately put it back in the hanger and went to work on the flaps. I don't remember what I ended up with except they don't go down quite as much as the plans call for anymore. BUT, they don't lock in the down position anymore.
The flap motor will make up the difference when you raise them because of the clutch in it.
The down stop must be in the total extension of the motor.
Art
 
Its not possible to change the 43 degree flap swing to something less because of the permanently welded lever dimensions on the torque shaft. You can adjust the flaps with a bit more neutral 'UP' angle, insuring that when the flap is extended 'max Down', the leading edge has less potential of catching the wing skin & making a mess.
Note that if you decide to shorten the flap linkage on one side - you have to do exactly the same to the other flap or you will be creating a wing heavy condition. Also note to make SMALL adjustments at a time, check & test as you go.
 
Flap travel

So if I understand this you can’t really change the amount of travel. If you shorten the connecting rods to the flaps what is going to cause the hard stop in the up position?
 
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