The Art of rigging.

[McFly]

My problem is that my ailerons are not in line with my wing tips. They are each approx 1/8-3/16? above tips.

Here is what I did to rig the ailerons.
1) Sticks are vertical and parallel
2) Jigged both ailerons at the same time so that everything was locked during adjustment.
3) Adjusted ailerons until trailing edge of aileron and tooling holes on wing (not in the aileron) were in line.

I have not done final rigging for the flaps yet but they will have to come up approx ?? to get them in line with the ailerons. This seems like a long way to come up considering the current position due to interference (I?m just eyeballing this though).

Should I adjust the ailerons to align with the wingtips (this is my current thinking)? Should I call it good and see if the flaps will come up? (the aileron/wingtip mismatch will gnaw at me so it?s not really a good option)? Other options? Help.

 

[bsacks05]

Here is my experience:
The ailerons should be rigged first using the steps you mentioned.
The flaps should align with the ailerons when they are in the full retract position. Small adjustments may be necessary.
The wingtips are positioned and drilled last. The trailing edge of the wingtips can be flexed slightly up and down to line up with the ailerons. Then you drill the wingtips in alignment with the ailerons and flaps.
I had to re-do my wingtip holes when I final installed my flaps and ailerons. Apparently, I was not as careful as should have been back when temp installed my ailerons in order to work on the wingtips.

 

[Norman CYYJ]

Adjust the ailron position according to Van's instruction. Then put the wing tips on and adjust them to the ailrons. The wing tips can be rotated quite a bit. Install the flaps as per the instructions. If you do this all will fall into place.

 

[godspeed]

wing tips

Can the wingtips be above the ailerons 1/4 on both sides without causing too
much issues ? I already installed the nutplates on them and I don't want undo
all that work.. anyone else's wingtips slightly above the alierons in trail ?


Danny..

I know what the answers are going to be but I don't want to face it..

 

[bsacks05]

Face it, Danny. You won't be happy knowing that the tips are out of alignment. When I came across that problem I had the same feeling. However, I only removed the bottom row of nutplates which allowed me to flex the tip to where I wanted. I then floxed the old holes and redrilled while the tip was in alignment. Doing this caused the leading edge of the tip to pull back from the skin a little. I left it at that but could build it up if I wanted to.

DO IT NOW BEFORE PAINT!

BTW, I'll be picking up my plane from the painter this week. Will send you a picture.

 

[Jim Percy]

Moving the elevator will cause the ailerons to move a little, both sides the same direction, and if I recall correctly the same direction as the elevator. Before you do anything clamp the elevators in neutral position, then see how things look. You might not need to change anything.

Jim

 

[Dave Cole]

Split the trailing edge of the tip

Several builders have reported this technique for aligning tips with ailerons:

1. Split the trailing edge of the tip open using a hacksaw blade.

2. Slide the upper and lower surfaces of the tip fore and aft until the tip is aligned with the aileron.

3. Bond the tip back together and reinforce on the inside with a resin-flox mix.

Check out Dan's comments on the subject at http://rvproject.com/20040120.html

 

[dan]

Moving the elevator will cause the ailerons to move a little, both sides the same direction, and if I recall correctly the same direction as the elevator. Before you do anything clamp the elevators in neutral position, then see how things look. You might not need to change anything.

Jim

That's a great point, Jim. Both ailerons will be deflected UP very slightly whenever the stick is anything but neutral elevator-wise.

 

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Could you expand on this? I'm not visualizing it. How does moving the elevator affect the neutral positiion of the ailerons?

 

[dan]

As the stick moves away from elevator neutral, the aileron pushrods are forced to "triangulate" to the bellcrank as opposed to run straight. That slight angle pulls the bellcrank.

 

[gh6gh6]

Wing Tip Alignment

Is it true then to say that if the CofG in flight is at the forward limit both ailerons will be higher than the wing tips and if the CofG in flight is at the aft limit both ailerons will be lower than the wing tips?
Someone please correct me if this is incorrect.

Question:
My QB wings are still in the cradle. I was planning to leave the W-730 bellcrank jig installed to keep the ailerons in the neutral position as per Van?s instructions and mount my wing tips before I move on to the fuselage. I am space limited and have to store the wings elsewhere. I would like the wiring and lights etc to be finished when I store them.

Could this be a mistake?

Has anyone done it this way?

 

[Ironflight]

Ian,

I finished my wings (inlcuding wiring and pitot), and stored them with the tips, ailerons, and flaps installed in the wing cradle. Just got more loose parts away from the working area of the shop. If that's your question....no problem!

(of course, stuff has to come off for wing installation...)

Paul

 

[gh6gh6]

Sorry for the unclear question.
Vans recommends waiting to mount the tips until late in the construction preferably until the aircraft is nearing final assembly. I assume this means when the wings and tail are on the fuselage.

Until I read the above alignment issues I was planing on mounting the tips, lights, antennas strobes etc now while I have the wings in the cradle and have the space.

The question is, could I end up with aileron- wing tip alignment issues if I do it this way?

Until I read the above posts I thought using the W-730 bellcrank jig to keep the aileron in nuetral was all I had to do to be sure the aileron and tip lined up correctly?

 

[Dave Cole]

The belcrank jig fixes the bellcrank neutral position

The jig doesn't hold the ailerons in the neutral position, it holds the bellcrank in the neutral position. The process of alignment is as follows:

Start by clamping the ailerons in the neutral position by aligning the training edge of the aileron with the tooling holes in the wing tip rib as shown on the wing drawings. Then adjust the length of the aileron-belcrank pushrod so that the belcrank is in the neutral position as indicated by the belcrank jig. Finally, align the wing tip with the ailerons when they are in this same neutral position.

When you rig the wings to the fuselage, again start by clamping the ailerons in the neutral position by aligning the training edge with the tooling holes, then adjust the aileron-control stick pushrods to achieve the required stick position.

In other words, the reference for aileron neutral is always the alignment of the trailing edge with the tooling holes in the rib. Everything else is adjusted to that reference.

 

[gh6gh6]

Should the tips be mounted before the wing is on the fuselage?

Thanks for the quick response Dave and Paul but I am still not 100% confident. Please hang in with me for one more go at this.

Yes I have done the rigging and the ailerons and flaps are mounted as per the plans. I am satisfied I have them lined up OK. The wings are still in the cradle. Now that the ailerons are rigged the W730 holds the ailerons and the bell crank in the neutral position. As long as I leave the W730 bellcrank jig in place and as long as I don't adjust the aileron pushrods I should now be able to mount the wing tip and line it up to the aileron.

The plans recommend not to mount the tips now, the plans recommend to wait until the wing is on the fuselage. Because of my limited space issues I would rather get the tips mounted before I store them.

I was confident that mounting the tips with the wings in the cradle would be OK until I read this thread. Now I suspect that I am about to make yet another boo boo.

I have missed something here or am I on the correct track?

 

[Ironflight]

Ian - your plan is exaclty what I did, and it worked out fine.

Paul

 

[Jim Percy]

I caved to the recommendations of others and waited to mount my tips until the wings were on the fuselage. But for the life of me I can't see why it's not just as good if not better to mount them in a cradle. Neutral aileron is neutral aileron whether the wings are in a cradle or on the fuselage, right? With the wings in a cradle, the aforementioned (and fairly unknown, I think) issue with the elevators doesn't come into play. Seems like it might be easier to keep them in position and drill the holes too. If someone has a good reason not to mount the tips with wings in a cradle, please speak up.

Jim

 

[Harvey L. Sorensen]

wing tip mounting

Vans suggestion to wait to mount the tips was to avoid damage to the tips and lights. The way I read it.
Other than this concern I see no reason not to mount the tips.
7 hoiurs on RV9-A.

 

[dan]

I caved to the recommendations of others and waited to mount my tips until the wings were on the fuselage. But for the life of me I can't see why it's not just as good if not better to mount them in a cradle. Neutral aileron is neutral aileron whether the wings are in a cradle or on the fuselage, right? With the wings in a cradle, the aforementioned (and fairly unknown, I think) issue with the elevators doesn't come into play. Seems like it might be easier to keep them in position and drill the holes too. If someone has a good reason not to mount the tips with wings in a cradle, please speak up.

Jim

Jim, we just wanted you guys to have to go through the same painful process we did... Just kidding. I agree with you.

See you flyin' out at Chino SOON!

 

[bsacks05]

Ian,
If I had to do it again I would wait to install the tip until after the wings are mounted and the ailerons rigged properly. That doesn't mean you can't install your wingtip lights and lenses. As I suspect with other builders, the wingtips are the last thing you will do before digging into the fuselage kit and if you are waiting for it to arrive, you are tempted to finish up everything you can. Hold off and you won't have to worry about them fitting later.

 

[Mel]

The wings are much easier to handle while installing without the tips on. Without the tips, you have lightening holes to get ahold of. The tips are round and slick.

 

[sportpilot]

wing tips

We did the wing tips exactly like Bruce says. What we did before installation is this.

We got a 4 foot piece of one by two oak from Lowes, nice and straight. We measured and drilled the holes according to Vans plans for alieron alignment. Draw 2 parallel lines along the face of the board in line with the 2 bolts. Attach the board to the end wing rib with the 2 bolts. Insert the aileron alignment template onto the bellcrank in the wing. Make sure its good and tight against the spar and then align the aileron trailing edge tip exactly between the 2 paralell lines on the oak board. Dont breath. Install the bellcrank to aileron push rod and when you get a perfect fit, thghten the jam nuts on the pushrod. You wont have to mess with aileron alignment after that. Keep this board and some screws handy, you will use it over and over again to check the aileron alignment.

When we attached the wingtips, we put our wing on the bench, put the oak board back on the wingtip rib attached to the 2 tooling holes. Aligned the aileron tip up with the 2 parallel lines, tore off some duck tape strips and taped the aileron to the wing in this exaCt position. Raised the flaps to the full up and taped them to the wing.

Now your ailerons and flaps are in exact trim. Stuuf some looose paper inside the wingtip to make it expand out. Slide it into the leading edge of the wing, and press the edges under the wing skin both top and bottom. (this assumes you have already made your notchs and cutouts)

When you get the wingtip fitted into the wingskin, take some duck tape and tape the wingtip to the top of the wing. Tweak all around the edges of the wingtip and make it fit exactly inside the wingskin adjust the tape as required.

Now, when you start to match drill the wingtip thru the skin holes. flex up or down on the trailing edge of the wingtip to make it align with the aileron. Youll be surprised how exactly you can make it line up. Keep the tip flexed while drilling the holes. Follow the instructions and drill one hole on top, and one on the bottom and so on. One person does the drilling, while the other keeps the trailing edge flexed and makes sure of all the alignments. Go sl;ow, drill a hole and check the alignment, drill another hole ets.. We found that as yhou progress drilling and add clecos the tip will lay exactly where you hold it. its really fun ..I promiss

This while we were still fitting it in and cutting clearence. Yu can see how much we had to flex up on the trailing edge while we drilled

 

[sportpilot]

the board

Sorry about that huge picture from my previous post, I forgot to size it down.

A bit more about the board to align ailerons. After you set up the bellcrank pushrods using the template with the aileron in neutral and lock the jam nuts, the board comes in handy for any future reference. We used it today. after installing the wings we installed the control columns and hooked up the control pushrods from the ailerons. We just poped on the board and got our ailerons lined up, taped them to the wing, and adjusted the pushrods. We used a large carpenters square to set the control sticks parallel with each other and adjusted the connecting pushrod.

We used the board to align our flaps with the alierons and adjust the flap pushrods. It only takes 30 seconds to pop in the 2 bolts and set up the board. One of the best tools we have made.

Today we finished installing and aligning the control columns and pushrods for the ailerons. We used the board to measure the angle of deflection up and down from stop to stop on the aileron. Here is a picture of our control sticks over full right, the right aileron is visible in the backgroun deflected full up. This is getting to be fun.