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My -14A wants to fly left
- Thread starter rockitdoc
- Start date
Stick a go-pro underneath the aircraft pointing forward --- which way is the nose wheel/fairing pointing?
You think the nose wheel is cattywompus?
I found if I take off with any left drift when the nosewheel leaves the ground, I get some yaw like you're experiencing although to a lesser degree (ball maybe 1/4 out to the right). Since I've gotten better at keeping the ground run on the centerline, the ball is almost always centered in flight.
check your flap symmetry left and right on how high up it goes when retracted. My 9 doing the same with a slight left roll. I discovered it was off a little. Re adjusted the right flap up one turn this morning and will flight test it soon. I'll let you know how it goes. My stalls were dropping off slightly to the left
Correction:...my bad you said yaw in cruise. Not sure if what I said will help. Do you roll slightly to left when trimmed out level too?
Correction:...my bad you said yaw in cruise. Not sure if what I said will help. Do you roll slightly to left when trimmed out level too?
So, this isn't a wedge on the rudder, but a small plate under the strobe on the rudder!
Works well on my -8.
It’s slightly bent:
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Look into a Gurney flap. I fully expect to have some sort of trim device on my rudder...
MLG farings?
Main Landing Gear
No roll when trimmed, ie, applying right rudder.
VS is already offset quite a bit as per plans. But, maybe not enuf?
Can you post a photo?
Your nose wheel axel bolt needs to be tighten. If loose, the prop wash turns the nose wheel causing this condition. I am assuming the 14 nose wheel I the same setup as the 10. It happened on my 10.
i took a piece of the small wedge material used for the trailing edges. kept adjusting size until i got the effect. painted and installed with RTV. You can't even see that it is there unless really close to the plane. i made one of those gurney flap things and needed to be bigger than what i made and didn't feel like messing with it any more. also, more obvious than the small wedge.
this assumes a new build. if this just appeared out of the blue, it is the tension on the nose wheel. they typically loosen up 50+ hours after 1st flight.
this assumes a new build. if this just appeared out of the blue, it is the tension on the nose wheel. they typically loosen up 50+ hours after 1st flight.
I'd ask if you did your test flights with or without the fairings. If the ball was centered without the fairings the issue is the fairing alignment.
If you've never flown without the fairings, remove them and fly. If the ball is centered the problem is the fairings, if it's not centered, you have an alignment problem with the air frame. At least you can eliminate or identify the fairings as the problem doing it this way. Why add a draggy wedge to an air frame if the fairings are the problem and why start trying to find a problem with the fairings if the air frame is the issue?
I agree with Larry that if this happened out of the blue, check the breakout force on the nose wheel first.
If you've never flown without the fairings, remove them and fly. If the ball is centered the problem is the fairings, if it's not centered, you have an alignment problem with the air frame. At least you can eliminate or identify the fairings as the problem doing it this way. Why add a draggy wedge to an air frame if the fairings are the problem and why start trying to find a problem with the fairings if the air frame is the issue?
I agree with Larry that if this happened out of the blue, check the breakout force on the nose wheel first.
Don’t you mean the breakout force nut? That would affect the turning of the nosewheel, not the axle bolt.
Good suggestion. Farings coming off first. Becuz I put a small wedge on the rudder at 20 hrs and saw little effect.
walkman
Well Known Member
rudder trim tab
Yeah, I adjusted it back to 26 lbs per plans after 20 hrs. It still wants to go left.
See post #8.
A 1/2 bubble yaw in cruise can be fixed easily with a small rudder wedge. If the airplane demonstrates the same yaw with and without the wheel fairings, this is your best bet. Experimenting with the size is needed to tune out the yaw. Photo for an example.
transientair
Active Member
Noone has mentioned this:
Rudder Trim - Aerosport Products
Aerosport Products is offering a rudder trim for experimental aircraft. Fits RV-10, RV-7, and RV-9. We also have a version that works with the RV-10 Control Approach Rudder Pedals. The photos show the rudder trim mounted in an RV-10 with our standard asymmetrical carbon fiber instrument panel...
www.aerosportproducts.com
I thought I had a problem initially with this but it turned out it was all from the nose wheel. I don't have a rudder trim tab. Some grease had gotten into the Bellevilles and the breakout force had dropped. So I cleaned up and retightened and after the third time it has stayed good.
What is super important is that my nose wheel comes off the ground straight when taking off. I take a lot of care in this, and if it is straight the yaw is too.
What is super important is that my nose wheel comes off the ground straight when taking off. I take a lot of care in this, and if it is straight the yaw is too.
In my 10, once in a while, i come off with the NW not centered. Notice it in cruise, as the ball is out just a bit. A quick agressive stab of the rudder will center it for you.
OK, if we are talking rudder wedgies, . . . test fitting length and location on the rudder can be done with a piece of balsa trailing edge from the hobby shop.
Make adjustments as needed to get a center ball in cruise, then apply the same for the permanent piece.
Make adjustments as needed to get a center ball in cruise, then apply the same for the permanent piece.
Or in my case, just glass the balsa, paint it, and go!
(i.e. deploying my latent RC skill sets haha)
I taped the wedge shown onto the starboard side of the rudder this morning just above the HS. No effect. Ball is still one diameter to the right. Am I thinking this wrong. Should wedge be on the port side?
worth a try.
Attachments
If you have right ball, you need right rudder. To get right rudder, you need to fly the rudder to the right, which requires the wedge to be on the left side of the rudder trailing edge.
"C:\Users\jim\Downloads\IMG_1986.MOV"
"C:\Users\jim\Downloads\IMG_1986(1).MOV"
"C:\Users\jim\Downloads\IMG_1984.jpeg"
"C:\Users\jim\Downloads\IMG_1986(1).MOV"
"C:\Users\jim\Downloads\IMG_1984.jpeg"
Attachments
I agree with the guys who say you should check the nose wheel alignment and fairing position before messing around with trim tabs.
I have a 7 so the nose wheel wasn't a factor, but I flew it without the fairings first and it flew with the ball centered. When I installed the MLG fairings, I thought I had them pretty straight via vans fishing line method and a couple of other arcane procedures involving lasers and whatnot, but they definitely impacted yaw a bit. As I recall, right after I installed them I was maybe 1/8th of a ball out.
Subsequently, I took a lot of time and effort Including flying with flight test dye on them to make sure they were dead nuts straight. After that the plane went back to it's no-faring behavior: ball centered and my feet on the floor. No gurney strip or other aerodynamic band-aid required.
I have a 7 so the nose wheel wasn't a factor, but I flew it without the fairings first and it flew with the ball centered. When I installed the MLG fairings, I thought I had them pretty straight via vans fishing line method and a couple of other arcane procedures involving lasers and whatnot, but they definitely impacted yaw a bit. As I recall, right after I installed them I was maybe 1/8th of a ball out.
Subsequently, I took a lot of time and effort Including flying with flight test dye on them to make sure they were dead nuts straight. After that the plane went back to it's no-faring behavior: ball centered and my feet on the floor. No gurney strip or other aerodynamic band-aid required.
