[BonitaRV8]

Having just installed the aileron & elevator control assembly I noticed when I deflect the control stick to the full deflection for the ailerons that at about half the possible stick travel I feel the stick resistance increase. After further investigation I determined that the aft rod end of the center elevator pushrod hits the bell crank and then the rod end turns inside the pushrod which is the increase in resistance. The center push rod still clears the cutout for it in fuselage bulkhead with full stick travel. I have the correct washers installed between the bell crank and the rod end so that's not the problem. I don?t have the wings installed yet so maybe the stick can travel much further than it will with the wings/ailerons installed?

 

[DanH]

I don?t have the wings installed yet so maybe the stick can travel much further than it will with the wings/ailerons installed?

Yes. That said, the rod end needs to be carefully checked for available angular travel at final assembly.

 

[Mike S]

-----then the rod end turns inside the pushrod----

If this still happens after installing the control surfaces, you need to deal with it.

For the rod end to turn inside the pushrod is unacceptable. It needs to be locked in place with a jam nut or safety wired.

 

[grayforge]

I was a bit concerned when I felt this 'soft stop' in my control stick travel. As Dan mentioned, this was an angular travel limitation. I found that as you move the stick forward & aft, the large aileron push tube rotates, as it should. But if you don't have the rod ends clocked so that both are at the midpoints of their travel while the stick is near its center position, one rod end will reach the end of its travel before the stick reaches full deflection.

So yeah, good point to stop and investigate any curious findings.