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RV-10- Fabricated a Rudder gust lock

Storch

Member
We've all seen tons of rudder gust locks, here's mine completed during the annual.

Considerations:
It had to be effective, safe (difficult to forget to remove prior to flight),light and very convenient to use.

Fabrication:
I measured the O.D. of the rudder pedal arm verticals post, then found a piece of 4130 tubing whose I.D. was slightly larger. I then used a hand grinder to split it down the middle (that was the goal anyway), then bent a piece of 3/16 mild steel into a 90 and welded it to the tubing half. I attached them to the rudder arm with a single adel clamp.
The red arms are from an old street sign we had laying around. You need these arms to be fairly stiff.
I then drill a hole in the tunnel cover and mounted an AN bolt with with a cotter key hole in it.
The red arms in the picture were the prototypes, the final ones are similar but a little cleaner.

Construction tips:
Place an external rudder gust lock in place to center the rudder. Then ensure you push each rudder pedal firmly forward. You will then see where the ruder pedals will be when locked. I then eyeballed that the arms would need to be about a foot long.
I then mounted my bolt in the tunnel.
I then fabricated my arms, drilled a hole on one end to go over the 3/16 90.
I then swung the other end of the arm over the bolt in the tunnel, kinda scraped it on the bolt as an indication where to drill the hole for that end.
A not of caution, ensure the rudder pedals are firmly pushed forward before you mark your drill hole on the arm end that will go on the tunnel bolt.
Why? Because the rudder cables have no springs and if the pedals are not pushed firmly forward, the cables will have slack and the rudder will continue to move a little, even with the gust lock installed. Yes, I found this out the hard way.
When not in use the locks go in the co-pilot seat back. Weighs less than a pound.
None of this is rocket science or Mikey Patey quality. But it'll do for now.
 

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Sorry, but street sign material in 1" flat stock is NOT going to hold the rudder pedals in any real wind. The rudder pedals get a LOT of force in a serious blow as the 10 has a LARGE rudder. I made a gust lock for the 6 from 1" PCV tube. WOrked well so tried it on the 10. Came back to the plane after a 30 knot wind evening and the tube had bent and popped off the rudder pedals. Luckily no damage, as it was a sustained wind with no gusting. It si now made from .063 steel tube and that is butted up to the spar, not bolt into .032 aluminum sheet at a 90* angle. That was just with a 30 knot blow. Nothing compared to the 87 knots we saw at my airport 2 days ago - EF0 tornado. The maule had the 1" tie down ropes snap and then flipped the plane upside down and the long EZ had the tie down rings rip out of the fiberglass spar. Luckily all other planes were spared.

Larry
 
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Sorry, but street sign material in 1" flat stock is NOT going to hold the rudder pedals in any real wind. The rudder pedals get a LOT of force in a serious blow as the 10 has a LARGE rudder. I made a gust lock for the 6 from 1" PCV tube. WOrked well so tried it on the 10. Came back to the plane after a 30 knot wind evening and the tube had bent and popped off the rudder pedals. Luckily no damage, as it was a sustained wind with no gusting. It si now made from .063 steel tube and that is butted up to the spar, not bolt into .032 aluminum sheet at a 90* angle. That was just with a 30 knot blow. Nothing compared to the 87 knots we saw at my airport 2 days ago - EF0 tornado. The maule had the 1" tie down ropes snap and then flipped the plane upside down and the long EZ had the tie down rings rip out of the fiberglass spar. Luckily all other planes were spared.

Larry
You're probably right.
Its just for light wind use. External locks for the big stuff.
Thanks.
 
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