Elevator Alignment

[TCONROY]

Okay, I'm confused.

Ref: RV-7A

I'm in the process of fitting my elevators to my HS. I've been adjusting the rod-end beaings and cannot for the life of me figure this out. I've made fine adjustments to get the counterbalance skin aligned on the edge. Using a tape measure, everything is square when both elevators are in-trail.

Here is what I can't figure out. When I lift up/down the elevator, the rivet line along the front spart of the elevator is crooked compared to the HS rear spar. To me, those are to parallel surfaces that should be completely parallel when in-trail and when hinged up or down. But they are not. Again, I'm talking about the rear spart of the HS and the front spar rivet lines of the Elevators. I called Van's and they said the elevators are tapered so they won't be parallel when moved up and down. But again, the front of the elevators are not tapered.... so that just makes no sense to me.

Can someone who has done this before, or who has a late model RV-7A take a look at their elevators and tell me that I'm wrong?

Thanks!!

[Mel]

Originally Posted by TCONROY

Okay, I'm confused.
Ref: RV-7A
I called Van's and they said the elevators are tapered so they won't be parallel when moved up and down. But again, the front of the elevators are not tapered.... so that just makes no sense to me.
Thanks!!

The elevator spar IS tapered just like the HS rear spar. If it were not, the surface of the elevator would not match the HS.
If your elevator spar is not tapered, it's going to look real funny.

[scsmith]

I think you are seeing the effect of the taper in the spar depth. When you deflect the elevator, the rivet line that holds the elevator skin to the spar will apear to be swept aft compared to the stabilizer skin edge and/or rivet line, even if the two rows of rivets are parallel with the elevator undeflected.

With no control deflection, the stabilizer spar, the hinge axis, and the elevator spar, must all be parallel.

[TCONROY]

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that it should be swept when the elevators are deflected.