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Elevator stops... 04/21/03 - This evening, I used a borrowed digital inclinometer and set the up/down stop on the forward elevator push/pull tube, then drilled and riveted the stops in position. I was planning to cut a couple of cardboard templates (according to the manual) and use those to set the angles for elevator travel, but I was talking with Ed at Rans earlier and he tipped me off to a MUCH EASIER method using a 'smart level'. I thought about trying to purchase one but on a hunch, I made my way around to a couple of the shops at my job and got lucky in the Driveline Department when Fred Loehr just happened to have what I needed and was nice enough to loan me the tool for the evening. Thanks Fred! Following are a few photos of today's final task for this section. I had long nosed vice grips locking the stops in place as the following photos were taken. Hard to tell here, but the display is set at zero:
Here we are at 30.3° for right side up elevator (Rans calls for 30°):
The left elevator displays 30.1° up elevator:
The right side displays 19.9° down elevator:
The left displays 20.2° down elevator:
Stops are drilled and clecoed:
After riveting:
There was of course a little more to the process than what's shown because you have to play a bit of back and forth trying when setting the stops in order to keep the stick's final forward and aft positions away from both the panel and your tummy. In my case, it's the tummy that presented the challenge. ;^) There is some adjustment available via swivel rods on the aft end where the yoke attaches to the elevator horns, but you also have to start the rods turned-in a minimum of 10 full turns with your goal being the same measurement on both elevators while maintaining a level plane across the top of both elevators. Although I started both adjusting rods turned-in exactly 10 full turns, I did have to move the left rod another two turns to get both of my elevators as close as I did before I nailed the stops down. I figured three tenths of a degree difference max would be acceptable since I had planned to measure the angles with a piece of cardboard originally. Today's task completes this section and I'm planning to start on the wing sections (wing, aileron, flap, etc.) next. According to the (very flexible) schedule I have had in mind, I would like to be wrapping the next section up sometime around May 15 to May 30, so I can begin the trial assembly and rigging process. The next section is much more detailed than the last and I've been averaging less than ten hours per week so far, and that might toss my schedule off a week or three...wish me luck! More updates soon... |
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Last Update: 04/21/2003 |
