elite elevator and rudder spades
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 6:33 am
Lynn,
Commented earlier on spade balancing. I also rounded the rudder spade. It is likewise an easy change. My thinking is that if it was helpful on the elevator it at worst it would not adversely affect the rudder. Not an aeronautical engineer, the logic of the roundings seemed solid. Think of the square elevator spades and how the air would flow over the front. As the spade came up (or down) from behind the stabilizer the air would impact the blunt face and be deflected up (or down) the spade face. At the "corner" it would be deflected back but be unable to follow the skin surface. That would create a "roller" and low pressure area just at and aft of the spade "corner". The resulting low pressure would tend to snatch the elevator further. By rounding the spade front a more gentle transition for the oncoming air is enabled reducing the turbulence and low pressure and the snatch. I may be wrong but could see how an improvement was easily possible with no downside apparent.
Ralph Baker
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Commented earlier on spade balancing. I also rounded the rudder spade. It is likewise an easy change. My thinking is that if it was helpful on the elevator it at worst it would not adversely affect the rudder. Not an aeronautical engineer, the logic of the roundings seemed solid. Think of the square elevator spades and how the air would flow over the front. As the spade came up (or down) from behind the stabilizer the air would impact the blunt face and be deflected up (or down) the spade face. At the "corner" it would be deflected back but be unable to follow the skin surface. That would create a "roller" and low pressure area just at and aft of the spade "corner". The resulting low pressure would tend to snatch the elevator further. By rounding the spade front a more gentle transition for the oncoming air is enabled reducing the turbulence and low pressure and the snatch. I may be wrong but could see how an improvement was easily possible with no downside apparent.
Ralph Baker
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