Aileron trim operation

[JDA_BTR]

I have an electric trim question for the RV14. When right stick is applied, the right wing pushrod moves inboard, the aileron pushrod moves fwd, and the right aileron deflects upward for a right roll.

Assuming the trim is centered, this puts more tension in the outboard spring than the inboard.

Now let me have a heavy left wing so I’m applying right force to stay level. There is more tension in the outboard spring. If I want to transfer my pressure to the trim mechanism I would move the actuator outboard and let the inboard spring have more force. More force on the inboard spring means less stick force is needed.

On the ground if I have no other forces and move the actuator outboard for right trim with a centered stick the pushrod will have a force that will want to pull the pushrod inboard. When I release the stick it will tend to go right as the force is released from the actuator spring to move the stick right and the right aileron up.

Is all that reasoned correctly? Big picture is right trim is putting in right stick. And if I center the stick I should feel a right force on the stick.

 

[czechsix]

right trim is putting in right stick. And if I center the stick I should feel a right force on the stick.

That is correct. Sitting on the ground, right aileron trim will move the stick to the right.

 

[JDA_BTR]

A while back I solved a G3X autopilot hunting problem that made pitch oscillate by reducing the autopilot pitch gain settings a bit and reducing the trim speed a lot when over 100 kts. Basically the system couldn’t adjust trim pitch right because small bumps in the trim would move it too far so it couldn’t settle in.

I adjusted my aileron trim the same way, but lately with some more hand flying I was finding the aileron trim at speed ineffective to the point that I wondered if it wasn’t working on flight. On the ground it all worked great. So I made the aileron trim speed a lot faster in flight, from 20 percent to 70 percent, and now it responds very well.

For my plane at least, pitch trim speed low works great, but aileron trim speed works best higher.

 

[czechsix]

For my plane at least, pitch trim speed low works great, but aileron trim speed works best higher.

I think it's this way for all RV's...the pitch trim is WAY more sensitive/responsive than the spring-based aileron trim.