My 9A inadvertently was left outside, tied down, at KIOW the week of the 4th of July and suffered through a storm front that contained 75 mph gusts and lots of rain. I know it blew pretty hard because of the Citation that jumped its nose wheel chocks and rolled across the tarmac. The good news is it didn?t get wet inside. The bad news is, the gust locks all came off so I assume the ailerons, elevators and I know the rudder were flapping in the wind. I know the rudder was as there is now a dent about the size of a pencil eraser in one side where it contacted the trim tab.
Knowing that gusts like that could have caused more damage than was visible, I removed all the inspection covers and did a very thorough inspection the next day. Finding nothing else amiss, I flew it around the pattern a few laps and thought all was okay.
When I left the next day and got to cruise altitude I found, much to my dismay, I had to hold a little right rudder to keep the ball centered, which I have never had to do. Other than that, all was good.
So my question is, where do I start looking? Rudder looks fine and even if it twisted, wouldn?t it still be in trail and something else, i.e.: gear leg fairings, wheel fairing, etc., have to have moved to cause it to need right rudder? I have visually checked the GL fairings and wheel pants and they ?appear? to be fine. If the rudder was twisted, could it cause the need to add right rudder?
Knowing that gusts like that could have caused more damage than was visible, I removed all the inspection covers and did a very thorough inspection the next day. Finding nothing else amiss, I flew it around the pattern a few laps and thought all was okay.
When I left the next day and got to cruise altitude I found, much to my dismay, I had to hold a little right rudder to keep the ball centered, which I have never had to do. Other than that, all was good.
So my question is, where do I start looking? Rudder looks fine and even if it twisted, wouldn?t it still be in trail and something else, i.e.: gear leg fairings, wheel fairing, etc., have to have moved to cause it to need right rudder? I have visually checked the GL fairings and wheel pants and they ?appear? to be fine. If the rudder was twisted, could it cause the need to add right rudder?