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Heavy Left Wing

bsacks05

bsacks05

Well Known Member
Anyone have a good fix for the heavy wing syndrome? I have six hours on my RV9 and need lots of right aileron trim to level the wings. Fuel is about equal in the tanks and I'm sure some of it is due to my weight (210) and the right seat empty. I have seen small, fixed trim tabs on the underside of some RV ailerons and was planning on trying that. I figured I would use some speed tape to hold it on while experimenting with different positions. Keep in mind that the RV9 has riveted trailing edges so squeezing them does not apply here.

Thanks,
 
good morning Bruce

have you put any weight in the right seat for balance ? I think I would wait and see if its not
all the way out yet..

Danny..
Installed my Flightline Interior ,
new Catto threeblade on living room floor..
waiting on saber bolts and spacer.. installing new mags today..
 
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Any possibility the incidence on the left is different from the right? Are the ailerons true to the manufacturing holes at the exterior rib? Are the flaps flared with the ailerons when the ailerons are at neutral and flaps up. I am getting ready to fly and wondering how close all these adjustments have to be. Could some of this cause your problem?

Larry N72NJ
 
bsacks05 said:
Anyone have a good fix for the heavy wing syndrome? I have six hours on my RV9 and need lots of right aileron trim to level the wings. Fuel is about equal in the tanks and I'm sure some of it is due to my weight (210) and the right seat empty. I have seen small, fixed trim tabs on the underside of some RV ailerons and was planning on trying that. I figured I would use some speed tape to hold it on while experimenting with different positions. Keep in mind that the RV9 has riveted trailing edges so squeezing them does not apply here.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

First of all, don't do anything until you fly the plane with a balanced load. that means fuel load as well as inside the plane.

If the plane still needs some aileron trim, you might want to check that your aileron trim is actually centered and it isn't just centered with the lever off to one side.

After you have checked those things check all the rigging of the flaps and airlerons. You have a digital protractor, right?? If not go and get one. Don't rig the flaps and ailerons relative to each other or the wing tips. Actually make sure that the flaps and airlerons are the same left and right. Also check for twist in the control surfaces. The digital protractor is great for this. Makes a very long job, very quick.

Whatever you do don't start adding trim tabs until you know everything is square.

Also may want to check your gear leg fairings if you have them installed. They made quite a difference to the trim of my plane when I first installed them.

Good luck
Cam
 
Bruce--
I've heard a whole bunch of people who had heavy wings who traced it back to a misadjusted flap pushrod. Apparently one or two twists can do amazing things. Just to make you feel better, if that's not the case, Van's RV-9 has a wedge on the underside of the left (if I remember correctly from when I was at the factory) aileron. Good luck sorting it out. Congrats on your recent first flight! Looks great!
 
Good suggestions. I will recheck everything after the fairings and pants are installed and the plane is repainted. I did rig the ailerons to the tooling holes but did not check them with a protractor. Seems to be alot of variables in the system which need to be addressed before trim tabs are used.

Thanks,
 
adjust aileron brackets

I had to elongate the holes in my outboard aileron bracket to raise (or lower) it to trim out a heavy right wing. If you look carefully at your ailerons, you might see one is lower than another, in relation to the bottom wing skin.

Also, check your fiberglass wingtips, because they can get "warped" during installation and one might be drooping. That requires a new rib in the back side of the wingtip, and slicing the trailing edge and re-epoxying it back together. (don't ask how I know)
 
flaps first

Others have suggested looking at the flaps. My right flap was very slightly lower than the left in the full up position. A couple of turns on the right rodend bearing fixed it and straightened it out. Jack
 
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