Van's Air Force
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control stick length
- Thread starter prkaye
- Start date
Kahuna
Moderatoring
No problem.
Many do.
I did in my 6.
Trick is cutting it with wires in it. You can take off your grip and insert thin alum in the tube to protect the wires when cutting.
You will loose leverage on your controls. Thats your trade off.
I kept taking off in 1/2" increments till I got to where my comfort and the control feel were at breakeven for me.
Best,
Many do.
I did in my 6.
Trick is cutting it with wires in it. You can take off your grip and insert thin alum in the tube to protect the wires when cutting.
You will loose leverage on your controls. Thats your trade off.
I kept taking off in 1/2" increments till I got to where my comfort and the control feel were at breakeven for me.
Best,
n5lp
fugio ergo sum
prkaye said:
The longer it is the more precise the control is and the lower the control pressures are. Both are desirable I think.
I prefer to keep it absolutely as long as possible without interferring with the panel or engine controls. It is possible, and I do it, to grip the bottom of the stick or below the stick during cross country flight, then regrip to the top when you need control, like aerobatics, formation, landing and etc.
I have flown an RV where the stick was short enough to make it hard to control the airplane, both for the reasons noted above and because my leg started interferring with stick inputs.
>> The longer it is the more precise the control is and the lower the control pressures are
True, but on the other hand the top of the stick travels through a greater arc than points lower on the stick. This means you have to physically move the stick through greater amounts of travel to get the same control response. A shorter stick would give a firmer, "touchier" response (smaller motions with more stick resistance) that may provide a more "sporty" feel.
When I fly the Katana, which doens't have a particularly long stick, I often end up with my hand resting on my knee, loosely holding the base of the stick below the grip. When it's trimmed up for cross country cruising, I find this much more relaxing than holding my forearm up to grip the stick at full height (as you mention in your post).
I don't plan on doing any serious aerobatics in my RV-9 (since it's forbidden!). I also don't plan on cutting my stick down to leg-height. I'm thinking about the length of a katana stick (which I'm used to). First time I saw the RV-9A (which I otherwise loved) my only negative impression was when I looked in the cockpit, and thought the high control stick looked absolutely ridiculous. Then I sat in it, and thought "who could possibly fly with their hand way up here on this thing".
Personal preference, certainly. The only safety issue I suppose is that if the stick is too short, one might have more physical difficulty exerting the back pressure needed to pull out of a dive. But unless a pilot has very weak arms, I can't see this being a problem unless you cut the stick off so it's basically at the floor.
And they say size doesn't matter
True, but on the other hand the top of the stick travels through a greater arc than points lower on the stick. This means you have to physically move the stick through greater amounts of travel to get the same control response. A shorter stick would give a firmer, "touchier" response (smaller motions with more stick resistance) that may provide a more "sporty" feel.
When I fly the Katana, which doens't have a particularly long stick, I often end up with my hand resting on my knee, loosely holding the base of the stick below the grip. When it's trimmed up for cross country cruising, I find this much more relaxing than holding my forearm up to grip the stick at full height (as you mention in your post).
I don't plan on doing any serious aerobatics in my RV-9 (since it's forbidden!). I also don't plan on cutting my stick down to leg-height. I'm thinking about the length of a katana stick (which I'm used to). First time I saw the RV-9A (which I otherwise loved) my only negative impression was when I looked in the cockpit, and thought the high control stick looked absolutely ridiculous. Then I sat in it, and thought "who could possibly fly with their hand way up here on this thing".
Personal preference, certainly. The only safety issue I suppose is that if the stick is too short, one might have more physical difficulty exerting the back pressure needed to pull out of a dive. But unless a pilot has very weak arms, I can't see this being a problem unless you cut the stick off so it's basically at the floor.
And they say size doesn't matter
Last edited:
N916K
Well Known Member
prkaye said:
Before you start cutting the stick down, fly your plane. When taxing with full back elevator the stick forces get rather high very quickly. Also with the 9 the stick forces increase quickly with speed, more so than the other RV's.
About moving the stick through a greater amount of travel, go fly an RV and see how much stick travel you actually get. It's not very much. In normal flying you just put pressure on the stick to turn. An RV is not your typical spam can that requires huge control imputs. Cutting down the stick will only raise your stick forces not change the movement of the stick much.
vlittle
Well Known Member
Hey Phil: The only reason to cut your stick down is for panel clearance. This will need to be determined near the end of the project when all of your switches are in place and the stick grip is attached.
Your MD-RA inspector will also check this clearance at final inspection.
I would not cut the stick down any more than necessary in an RV-9/A. There are many times I've had to two-hand the stick to get enough leverage (usually during my Vne testing). The 9's are heavier on the controls than other RVs.
Sounds like you are thinking well ahead in your project, which is a good thing.
Vern Little 9A
Your MD-RA inspector will also check this clearance at final inspection.
I would not cut the stick down any more than necessary in an RV-9/A. There are many times I've had to two-hand the stick to get enough leverage (usually during my Vne testing). The 9's are heavier on the controls than other RVs.
Sounds like you are thinking well ahead in your project, which is a good thing.
Vern Little 9A
Kahuna
Moderatoring
vlittle said:
Vern there are other reasons. 2 for me.
1. In formation, you need to rest your arm on your leg to remove your elbow from the equation when flying. Very difficult to fine control with your arm in the air.
2. It is far more comfortable to fly with your arm comfortable rested on your leg than stuck up in the air.
Best,
RV9(A) control stick
Transition training in the company RV9-A (129RV) with Mike Seager recently and Mike stated the control stick was factory length. (I asked).
Control stick movements during the transition training never got even close to the panel. Mike's comment was along the lines of if you need that much stick authority then you have more problems to deal with than touching the panel.
Mike holds his fingers apart about 3/8" to 1/2" (top of stick movement) to describe normal stick movement during flight. Of course take off and landings will be greater stick movement.
I plan on flying first and evaluate during/after phase 1.
Pat Garboden
Ozark, MO
RV9-A 942PT (reserved) firewall forward
RV9-A 942WG (reserved) wiring
Transition training in the company RV9-A (129RV) with Mike Seager recently and Mike stated the control stick was factory length. (I asked).
Control stick movements during the transition training never got even close to the panel. Mike's comment was along the lines of if you need that much stick authority then you have more problems to deal with than touching the panel.
Mike holds his fingers apart about 3/8" to 1/2" (top of stick movement) to describe normal stick movement during flight. Of course take off and landings will be greater stick movement.
I plan on flying first and evaluate during/after phase 1.
Pat Garboden
Ozark, MO
RV9-A 942PT (reserved) firewall forward
RV9-A 942WG (reserved) wiring
vlittle
Well Known Member
Pat, I'm surprised at Mike Seager's comments. I've flown with Mike, and he seems pretty picky about things.
There are control limit stops built into all of the primary control surfaces. To allow the stick to hit the panel instead is not a great idea.
If you have a row of toggle switches along the bottom of the panel, and you've parked the aircraft without a gust lock, it's quite possible that a gust of wind could cause the stick to activate a switch (hopefully not the master switch).
What next? Does Mike not carry a fire extinguisher because he never plans to catch fire?
Anyway... up here in the great white north, you can't pass final inspection if the stick interferes with the panel. Not only is it the law, it's a good idea!
Vern
There are control limit stops built into all of the primary control surfaces. To allow the stick to hit the panel instead is not a great idea.
If you have a row of toggle switches along the bottom of the panel, and you've parked the aircraft without a gust lock, it's quite possible that a gust of wind could cause the stick to activate a switch (hopefully not the master switch).
What next? Does Mike not carry a fire extinguisher because he never plans to catch fire?
Anyway... up here in the great white north, you can't pass final inspection if the stick interferes with the panel. Not only is it the law, it's a good idea!
Vern
