[danielabernath]

from vansairforce.com in 2011
beneditoangelo
12-29-2011, 01:58 PM
Can someone help me? I need to know RV 12 travel in degree of stabilator , flaperons and rudder. Thanks in advance.

12-29-2011, 02:35 PM
How in the world is a builder supposed to know that the airplane was rigged properly? I mean yeah I know that these kits 12 are incredibly complete, but I think checking control surface deflections should be a very basic part of making sure that everything came together properly in the end.

You won't get argument from me. I fought this issue for months. I need the information to be assured that the airplane is rigged properly, but Van's doesn't seem to think it's important. It's almost as if they are trying to hide something.
I can't think of any other aircraft designer in the U.S. that doesn't give this spec.
David Paule
12-29-2011, 02:50 PM
This is a good opportunity for several owners with flying RV-12s to tell us what their deflection limits are. With several we'd have a good feel for what the plane ought to have.

One owner said that his flaperon deflections were:

Flaps up: 22.5 deg. up and 11.5 deg. down.

Flaps down (20 deg.): Referenced to the flap down position of 20 deg. flaps, the aileron deflection from there is 19 deg. up and 9 deg. down.

It would be interesting to see what other owners report.

Dave
Peterk
12-30-2011, 01:33 PM
In the UK, my inspector also expected some control angle ranges to measure against, and some symmetry measurements. In the end we just measured them "for posterity".

Flaperons - up

Port up 21 degrees
Port down 13 degrees

Starboard up 24 degrees
Starboard down 12 degrees

Flaperons 1st stage down, droop 22 degrees

Port up 19 degrees
Port down 12 degrees

Starboard up 19 degrees
Starboard down 12 degrees

Flaperons 2nd sgae down, droop 32 degrees

Port up 18 degrees
Port down 11 degrees

Starboard up 18 degrees
Starboard down 11 degrees

Elevator

Up 17 degrees
Down 4 degrees

Elevator trimmer

Up 21 degrees
Down 32 degrees

Similarly, we measured airframe symmetry as follows:

Wing - rear wing tip to base of fin

Port 5000mm
Starboard 4995mm

Fin, top of spar to tail plan spar tips

Port 1705mm
Starboard 1705mm

Tailplane, tip of spar to centre of canopy handle

Port 3640mm
Starboard 3635mm

Undercarriage, main wheel to wing leading edge

Port 597mm
Starboard 603mm

Biggest difference was 6mm, that's a quarter of an inch!

Not saying this is right, wrong, or indifferent. Just what was measured.

Cheers...Keith
beneditoangelo
12-31-2011, 06:28 AM
Would it be safe to assume this was intended to state 14 degrees down for the elevator?

Stabilators typically don't use much down travel.
Most aircraft with stabilators have about 3? +/- 1? down.
pierre smith
12-31-2011, 07:37 AM
How do you find where the stab will be for level flight?

Only then can you assign up/down degrees, no?

Best,
Peterk
12-31-20

 

[Planecrazy232]

I'm no expert at all but I would think the holes where the cables go through should have some kind of bushing installed. Also I'm assuming those turnbuckles have some sort of locking device on them?

 

[9GT]

I'm no expert at all but I would think the holes where the cables go through should have some kind of bushing installed. Also I'm assuming those turnbuckles have some sort of locking device on them?

I agree about the bushings missing. The turnbuckles are fancy ones that use a spring loaded wire that locks them in place. Look hard at the photos and you can see the SS spring wire running alongside the brass barrel. We used these on the Cozy MKIV and work great. Makes adjusting a snap.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Each turnbuckle barrel should have two locking pins (one on each end).
It is not apparent from the provided photos that there are two on each.

 

[BigJohn]

Not sure why you reprinted all those posts from 2011. The physical stops define the up and down travel of the stabilator. If you set the turnbuckles to be sure the stops are contacted in each direction, and confirmed correct tension on the cables, then it is properly rigged. This is all in the KAI. As to the safety clips, as Scott says, make sure they are clipped on both ends of each turnbuckle. As to clearance from the edges of the openings, if the cables are routed correctly per the plans they will not contact the edges of the openings.

 

[BigJohn]

On closer examination of those pictures, it sort of looks like twisted safety wire rather than the clips. You can purchase the clips from Aircraft Spuce and others.

 

[Sam Buchanan]

"internet sign-off" not acceptable for control systems

This is an area of your plane that needs to be inspected by someone who really knows what they are doing. Please find a local resource that can advise you and make sure your aircraft is safe for operation.

 

[tomkk]

... SS spring wire running alongside the brass barrel. We used these on the Cozy MKIV and work great. Makes adjusting a snap.

I've only tried once but it wasn't obvious how to remove the spring locking clips. Can they be removed and, if so, how? IIRC, part of the wire goes into the small hole in the barrel and springs open inside the barrel and I couldn't see a way to remove it.

 

[rvbuilder2002]

I've only tried once but it wasn't obvious how to remove the spring locking clips. Can they be removed and, if so, how? IIRC, part of the wire goes into the small hole in the barrel and springs open inside the barrel and I couldn't see a way to remove it.

Tom,
With the way they are designed, they are intended for single use.

The difficulty removing them is what assures they stay put unless you forcibly remove them.

 

[tomkk]

Thanks, Scott, that's what it looked like. I was just wondering about "adjustments being a snap", and they are with the clips. Far easier than safety wire for sure. Just wondered if I'd missed something.

 

[BigJohn]

Anyone who plans on adjusting the stabilator cables should order up a supply of the clips in advance. After you have removed the old ones is NOT the time to discover this! They are relatively cheap and every owner's toolbox should have a few on hand. Unless of course you hire out all your work.

 

[PilotBrent]

Safety wire

Not arguing that the locking pins are designed for these turnbuckles, but I'm curious about why properly installed safety wire would not be acceptable for these cables. (recall when installing these locking pins that they were not made from heavy gauge wire to begin with)

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Not arguing that the locking pins are designed for these turnbuckles, but I'm curious about why properly installed safety wire would not be acceptable for these cables. (recall when installing these locking pins that they were not made from heavy gauge wire to begin with)

The turnbuckles are specifically designed to use the locking pins, and they do lock them very securely... in fact better than safety wire.
Safety wire would be acceptable but the turnbuckles are in a very confined area which would make it very difficult to do a good safety wire job.