Careful When Buckling Lap Belt!

[jsharkey]

During taxi for my second or third flight something felt wrong with the feel of the rudder. As I taxied some more I felt a gentle "tug in the gut" during LH turns and eventually realized that my lap belt was looped around the rudder cable. Something to check - especially with passengers.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Phase 1

 

[L.Adamson]

Can certainly happen. I do the "controls free & correct" before takeoff. I look over my shoulder to see that the rudder is truely swinging side to side.

L.Adamson ---- RV6A

 

[Frank Smidler]

Alex warned me

During my transition training Alex mentioned this as a check to be done, especially with passengers. I always have my passengers check that the seat belt is not around the rudder cable or the headset wire. How do you like your new ride?

 

[jsharkey]

Best Plane I Have Flown

During my transition training Alex mentioned this as a check to be done, especially with passengers. I always have my passengers check that the seat belt is not around the rudder cable or the headset wire. How do you like your new ride?

Still learning but it flies straight and true with hands off. Rudder trim in cruise is good "as is" too and I only seem to need aileron trim (right hand) when I slow to traffic pattern speed - need to work out why on that one (ideas?)

LH canopy strut gave up the ghost and had to be replaced and I'm still trouble shooting the primer solenoid - starts fine without prime though but I'll need it for winter. Temps are all fine but I had to add a thin aluminum heat shield under the LH exhaust tail pipe joint where the it gets close to the cowl and was beginning to scorch it. Oh and I need to replace the LH fuel drain "O" ring which is weeping - the trouble with a "brand new" aircraft that took nine years to build is that some of the perishable parts aren't brand new any more!

Jim Sharkey

PS - keep at it out there - it's worth it

 

[Geico266]

I had the belt around the flap handle in the -3 once. Made that landing interesting. It is now part of my pre-engine start check list.

Good warning Jim.

 

[frankh]

Jim

Congrats and a good point about the lap belt..If you get into acro that involve spins, snap rolls etc then the rudder becomes very important so this as a preflight item is critical.

Frank

 

[Rosie]

Before any passenger other than Tuppergal gets in the plane, I place both seatbelts on the seat pointing towards the stick (center of the seat cutout). I then have them 'get-in', sit down, reach under and pull the belts out from underneath them, works fine everytime Rosie

 

[plehrke]

Before any passenger other than Tuppergal gets in the plane, I place both seatbelts on the seat pointing towards the stick (center of the seat cutout). I then have them 'get-in', sit down, reach under and pull the belts out from underneath them, works fine everytime Rosie

I do the same.

 

[Greg Dillon]

seatbelt/rudder cables

Had this happen on a flight in a buddy's 9A. Rudder felt 'funny', but after landing and shutdown when belts were removed all was ok. I fabbed a couple cable shrouds that look like narrower armrests and installed them over the rudder cables. Should be very hard to get the seatbelts looped around the cables now.

 

[MSFT-1]

I need to get my mind out of the gutter

Somewhat like the recent post titled "where can I get my spinner polished?", I had something else in mind. I incorrectly assumed this was about clipping part of yourself into the seatbelt latch...

 

[jsharkey]

Nothing to do with lap belts but..

Still learning but it flies straight and true with hands off. Rudder trim in cruise is good "as is" too and I only seem to need aileron trim (right hand) when I slow to traffic pattern speed - need to work out why on that one (ideas?)

LH canopy strut gave up the ghost and had to be replaced and I'm still trouble shooting the primer solenoid - starts fine without prime though but I'll need it for winter. Temps are all fine but I had to add a thin aluminum heat shield under the LH exhaust tail pipe joint where the it gets close to the cowl and was beginning to scorch it. Oh and I need to replace the LH fuel drain "O" ring which is weeping - the trouble with a "brand new" aircraft that took nine years to build is that some of the perishable parts aren't brand new any more!

Jim Sharkey

PS - keep at it out there - it's worth it

The need for aileron trim is when slowed for approach AND with at least some flaps deployed - so "bingo" the flaps must be asymmetric
Something to check and fix.

Jim Sharkey
RV6 - Phase 1

 

[Rick S.]

Somewhat like the recent post titled "where can I get my spinner polished?", I had something else in mind. I incorrectly assumed this was about clipping part of yourself into the seatbelt latch...

Heh Heh...done both...ouch and Ahhh...lol

 

[bhester]

Classic Aero Side Panels

I have the Classic Aero Sportsman Side Panels (you could even make them yourself), problem eliminated.

 

[Jim F]

Jim F

I dealt with that problem by running a length of clear poly tubing through snap bushings past the seats, then ran the rudder cables through them. This prevents the seat belts from grabbing the rudder cables.

I know this is a problem, as I discovered it while strapping into a friend's 6A. It seems that those pesky belts just naturally coil around the rudder cables if they are exposed.

Jim F
9A at the painters...

 

[Frank Smidler]

I dealt with that problem by running a length of clear poly tubing through snap bushings past the seats, then ran the rudder cables through them. This prevents the seat belts from grabbing the rudder cables.

I know this is a problem, as I discovered it while strapping into a friend's 6A. It seems that those pesky belts just naturally coil around the rudder cables if they are exposed.

Jim F
9A at the painters...

I have the plastic tube with the rudder cables inside running from the pedals all the way to the fuselage exit hole in the tail. It does support the cables in the seating area so they can't droop down which could make it easier to get the seatbelt around. Even with this I still instruct passengers to be aware and to check.

 

[jsharkey]

Being aware....

....and checking before flight is simpler, cheaper and lighter

Jim Sharkey

 

[dougmattson]

seatbelt/rudder cables

Had this happen on a flight in a buddy's 9A. Rudder felt 'funny', but after landing and shutdown when belts were removed all was ok. I fabbed a couple cable shrouds that look like narrower armrests and installed them over the rudder cables. Should be very hard to get the seatbelts looped around the cables now.

Do you have a picture of how you did this? Any problems getting to the seat pan screws?

 

[Sam Buchanan]

Do you have a picture of how you did this? Any problems getting to the seat pan screws?

Hope you get the info you need but a reminder that you are responding to a thread that is 16 years old..........

 

[fixnflyguy]

Hope you get the info you need but a reminder that you are responding to a thread that is 16 years old..........

Since he is looking for ideas and the thread is alive again, I built my -4 interior to be free of any opportunity of snags and fouling of cables, ect. Very important in tandems. I made close out side panels from .020 aluminum in my -4, and recently posted them in another thread. Simple and effective, I remove them before pulling up floor when needed. I don't have to worry about myself or a passenger creating an emergency, and all total, less than 5 lbs added.

 

[dougmattson]

Hope you get the info you need but a reminder that you are responding to a thread that is 16 years old..........

I apricate the heads up Sam. I did realize that it was a old thread but I fly a lot of young eagles and I am pretty sure when I ask them to check that their seatbelt is not wrapped around the rudder cable some of them have no idea what I amd talking about. I thought this thread was pretty close to what I wanted.