RV-6 Trutrak Servo Install Help

[Geeman]

I purchased a flying RV-6 last summer so I am not the builder and have limited knowledge of aluminum construction, although I am learning.

I purchased a used Trutack Digitrak and Altrak autopilot that was installed in another plane. The servos were mounted on a thick pieces of aluminum.

My plan is to mount them per the Trutrak location under the co pilot seat pan. My question, what is the best method to fasten the stiffiner plate to the bottom skin of the fuselage. I was thinking I would countersink and thread the existing plate and dimple the bottom fuselage skin and use a flathead screw up from the bottom into the plate. I could then put a locknut on the screw from the inside. With this in mind, I need to dimple the bottom skin. How do you dimple the bottom skin without being able to get on btoh sides.

Any insight is much appreciated.

 

[RV7ator]

KISS

Simply use pan head screws. Shouldn't cost you more than 20-30k TAS.

That "thick" plate... how thick is it? Unless ridiculously thick for the purpose, it's a poor candidate for tapping. Plan on using lock nuts and a helper for the installation, a one-time event, or put nut plates on the mounting plate for blind access, but that needs specialty tools - like a squeezer or gun.

Take great care positioning the roll servo so you don't cramp the pushrods.

Have fun!

John Siebold

 

[Isaac]

RE: RV-6 Tru Trak Install Help

Avery Tools sells dimple die tools for #6, #8 and #10 screw holes that might work in this situation. You probably will need a second set of hands (one person to hold the screw on the outside while the other person tightens the nut from inside the fuselage) but one of these would probably work fine for dimpling the skin for the mounting screws. Here is the link.

http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1026

 

[Chino Tom]

+ 1 on the pan head screws, lock nuts and a helper. Save yourself a lot of extra work. That's what I did on my -6.

 

[Ironflight]

+ 1 on the pan head screws, lock nuts and a helper. Save yourself a lot of extra work. That's what I did on my -6.

Yup - we did the same thing on Louise's -6 when we installed the Tru-Track a few years back - easy, and very low drag.

 

[Geeman]

Pushrod Length ?

I bought the trutrak hardware kit and it came with pan head screws and nut plates already installed on mounting plate....go figure.

Last night I was dry fitting roll servo and the pushrod trutrak sent looked to be too long for install under copilot seat by about 1.5 inches.

The install drawings show the servo under pilot seat. I'm going to pull seat pan tonight and see how it fits there, but aren't they a mirror image?

I had the servo arm vertical and stick neutral. If I cut the pushrod off I am sure it will work under the copilot side but wanted to know if anyone has done same thing.

Thanks in advance.

From Rosie: Here are some pics from my RV-6A install

 

[Geeman]

Figured it out.

Driving to hanger I realized the control sticks are a mirror image, but servos are not. Servo arm is not in center of motor, it's on the left. So if you install on right side of plane, pushrod will be shorter than on left.

If you order the kit from trutrak and want to install on the right, pushrod will have to be cut.