[cjensen]

The plans say that the control column can be removed as a whole once it has been fitted to the F-704 bulkhead, leaving the mounts on like this-

Right now I have the control column in place, but it's ready to come off, so I can finish the bulkhead.

I'm wondering why Van's calls for just removing the control column assembly and leaving the mounts. The assembly is attached with a series of washers that are fun to get in place (I'm being sarcastic here ), and removing them and reinstalling later doesn't sound like fun.

Why can't the whole thing come off the bulkhead, INCLUDING the mounts? That just means four bolts. Those of you ahead of me...what's the deal here?

 

[RV_7A]

Chad,

I dont think you can feed it back into place with those mounts installed.

-Jeff

 

[scard]

yep, the seat ribs will get in the way I think when you go to put it all back in as one big assembly. The washers aren't really that big of a deal, you just have to get a little creative (tape).

 

[cjensen]

Gotcha. I knew that the seat ribs were modified as seen in your picture, but I was thinking that they all were cut.

I have washer wrenches, so they aren't too bad. Just somewhat time consuming...

 

[RV7Guy]

modify the ribs

Hi Chad,

I modified the next two ribs like the inner two ribs with a removeable piece to make the control system easier to remove and replace.

 

[RV7ator]

You MUST modify the TWO ribs each side of center (four total) to get the controls in and out, with or without the mounts. This is one of those places the instructions are flat out wrong. You can tweak and adjust the assembly on the bench for parallelism, and leave the aileron rod eyes installed. You simply screw on the pushrods once the wings are on. Far easier than fumbliing with washers.

John Siebold

 

[cjensen]

Hi Chad,

I modified the next two ribs like the inner two ribs with a removeable piece to make the control system easier to remove and replace.

PERFECT! THAT'S what I wanted to know!

Thanks D!

 

[scard]

You MUST modify the TWO ribs each side of center (four total) to get the controls in and out, with or without the mounts.

John Siebold

That just isn't true. So many of us have installed all appropriate components just fine without modifying any more than two (total) ribs. Although I certainly wouldn't scoff at anybody that decided to modify two more ribs properly for ease of... whatever they wanted to do.

 

[Mel]

Scott is right. There are literally thousands of RVs flying without this mod.

 

[RV7ator]

So now we have a "he said, she said"...

Now that I think about it, you can get the control column in without the mounts hanging from it (obviously you must, or there indeed wouldn't be many RV's flying!) but not with the mounts assembled. I tried every which way possible on the first -7 and had to remove the mounts and assemble everything piecemeal in the confines of the subfloor. Through the fog of four years, I believe at least one of the mounts could not be attached to the spar prior to control insertion, probably neither unless you remove rib web (part of the mod) on the two outboards, because the as-manufactured web plus a mount in position was too much interference for the controls. Since the instructions say to leave the mounts in place, I still consider them wrong since you must remove at least one later. It's a major pain compared to the ease of bench assembly for the small sacrifice of a half hour to modify two more ribs. Then you can drop in the complete assembly, install the four mount bolts, and you're done.

No matter how you install the controls, installing the three rod eyes on the bench for later threading on the pushrods is a real time and frustration saver.

John Siebold