Shortening Elite elevator & Control Sticks

[Alan Hepburn]

Bob:

There's so much lead in the Elite spades that a little aluminum more or less
will hardly make any difference. The instructions make a big deal of doing
a precise mass balance, but don't tell you how you're supposed to allow for
the weight of the rivets which you haven't installed yet, let alone the trim
tab servo, which probably isn't in either, or the paint. When I called
Brian, he just said to bolt in all the lead supplied with the kit, since
it's not critical. I can't imagine flutter being much of an issue either at
Elite speeds.

Incidentally, I've never seen anything posted about the need to chop the
Elite control sticks down to clear the panel, which is necessary to get
anything like the suggested control movement. Even then, you can't come
close to the 25 degrees of down called for in the instructions, but again,
MAM says that's not nececcary!

By the time I had my sticks short enough, there wasn't enough straight tube
at the top to properly accommodate even the simplest Ray Allen grip. I
called the factory and had them send sticks with only one bend. I'm cutting
off the pilot's end at a 62 degree angle and welding it back on so it's
parallel with the bottom part. That way, I have just enough strainght tube
to take the grip. The factory sent me Moose staicks, which are 4130, since
it's easier to weld. Comments anybody? This is another example of where
they used Rebel parts without thinking. The Rebel panel is dished much
further forward than the Elite one.

Al Hepburn





-----------------------------------------------------------------
List archives located at: https://mail.dcsol.com/login
username "rebel" password "builder"
Unsubscribe: rebel-builders-unsubscribe@dcsol.com
List administrator: mike.davis@dcsol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------

[Bob Patterson]

Hi Al !

Believe me, the weight IS critical !! I

[Ken]

For Rebels with a moved back firewall there is a stick available that
has about 2.5" more rearward stagger. It still has to be shortened and
even then I have no switches or controls on the channel below the
instrument panel within the forward arc of the stick.
Ken

Alan Hepburn wrote:

snip
Incidentally, I've never seen anything posted about the need to chop the
Elite control sticks down to clear the panel, which is necessary to get
anything like the suggested control movement. Even then, you can't come
close to the 25 degrees of down called for in the instructions, but again,
MAM says that's not nececcary!

By the time I had my sticks short enough, there wasn't enough straight tube
at the top to properly accommodate even the simplest Ray Allen grip. I
called the factory and had them send sticks with only one bend. I'm cutting
off the pilot's end at a 62 degree angle and welding it back on so it's
parallel with the bottom part. That way, I have just enough strainght tube
to take the grip. The factory sent me Moose staicks, which are 4130, since
it's easier to weld. Comments anybody? This is another example of where
they used Rebel parts without thinking. The Rebel panel is dished much
further forward than the Elite one.

Al Hepburn

-----------------------------------------------------------------
List archives located at: https://mail.dcsol.com/login
username "rebel" password "builder"
Unsubscribe: rebel-builders-unsubscribe@dcsol.com
List administrator: mike.davis@dcsol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------

[Alan Hepburn]

OK, Bob, well I got the same story as Dave Ricker, so I guess we'll just
have to see how it goes.

On the sticks, I actually got two sets in the kit I bought, so I guess I
have both the old and the new ones. I have 25 degrees of up, and about 18
down with the stick about 2" forward beyond the edge of the panel, so I
think on the Elite there's no way to get by without shortening the stick,
which will unfortunately effectively raise the gearing in the control
system. However, with the smaller spades, it hopefully will be a lot less
twitchy in pitch than the ones you flew. The Elite panel is a lot less
dished than the Rebel one, no doubt to allow for the more aft location of
the firewall, so at least they thought that far ahead. Too bad they didn't
move the control column a bit aft while they were at it. But that might
have required more structure under the floor.... I picked up my 4130 welded
sticks with the straight grip area today and will try them for size
tomorrow. The have a PTT that protrudes about 3/8" on top, and I plan to
size them so that misses the panel by about 1/4". So long as I'm not
yacking on the radio during spin recovery, that should be OK!

Regards, Al





-----------------------------------------------------------------
List archives located at: https://mail.dcsol.com/login
username "rebel" password "builder"
Unsubscribe: rebel-builders-unsubscribe@dcsol.com
List administrator: mike.davis@dcsol.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------