Wings Forum

MH434 · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:40 am Post subject: Elevator deflection

I'm building a Highlander with the Escapade manual. The manual gives elevator deflection of 28 degrees up and 17 down plus or minus 2 degrees. Is there any difference for elevator deflection between the Highlander and the Escapade? With the control stick set central and the elevators level, I then get 28 up and 28 down on full stick deflection. No amount of fiddling with the rods will give me the correct elevator deflections without the stick being way out of center. It's got to be simple but I'm missing something here.

Johnny C! · Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 163 Location: Brevard, NC

434,
If I don't get to call Troy before
this weekend, I'll ask him to show
me the correct arrangement when
I go down to the factory, this weekend.
But, hopefully someone else will answer
your question before that.

John

Johnny C! · Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 163 Location: Brevard, NC

434,
Troy said the non-symmetrical throw as stated in the
manual, is a spec that Europe placed on the airframe.
It was an attempt to limit the possibility of an inadvertant
full deflection stall. He said it is not something that is required
or recommended for anyone else. He feels that it is reasonable
& necessary to have access to the full deflection, in particular
for the bush type flying.

So 28/28 is correct.

Also, the manual is in process of being re-written.
Please post any other questions that might have,
related to the manual to help clarify where it needs
to be updated.

Thanks!

John

MH434 · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:15 am Post subject:

Thanks for your help John, that makes a lot of sense.

Keith

Johnny C! · Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 163 Location: Brevard, NC

I'm glad I could help...

John

juliant · Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:37 pm Post subject: Elevator deflection

Hi
I am setting up the deflection angles on my Escapade elevator and note that at 28 deg up I get about 45 deg down. To limit this I have to fit a block of some sort in front of the column so it limits the down to 28 deg. Has anybody else done this or similar ? Maybe the Highlander is different?
Since all the holes are pre drilled for elevator and bellcrank etc I cant see how else to limit the movement I have 75 deg of total movement no matter how you adjust the rod ends. Does this make sense or am I missing something obvious?
thanks
Julian
NZ

Roger · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 58

Julian:
I'm sure there's someone on here a lot smarter then me, but in all my flying days, which go back some 47 years, I've never known a time that I needed 28 degrees of down elevator (except when I was upside-down) and I certainly don't see any reason to put a stop on the down elevator. Seems to me that the pilot can control the amount of down elevator he needs quite easily. I think I'd check with Troy at the factory before I made a final decision.

taildrgfun · Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 26 Location: Nampa Idaho

I like having lots of down elevator for taxing in the rough. I quite often have to turn around in the midst of sagebrush that is so close to me that the only way I can turn around is to give it power ,brakes and down elevator. I hold up the tail and pivot on one tire keeping the tail up over the top of whatever I don't want to drag it through.
I have broken off my tailwheel before too and it sure was nice to be able to taxi, take-off and land while keeping the tail off the ground so as not to drag the rudder. :)

juliant · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:48 pm Post subject: Doh!!

Looks like I may have found the reason. I measured the fulcrum distance of the bellcrank and it is about 10 mm different from end to end . So I will turn it upside down (or right way up!!) which will give a smaller throw at the elevator for a given stick movement.

Now what I should have done of course was to pay more attention to the manual which states:
STEP 12
Attach the F-1350 long elevator push pull tube to the rear bellcrank using the AN4-11A bolt. The long tube attaches to the long arm (bottom) of the bellcrank

From now on I'll read twice and fit once!!!

Julian