It's been a few years since I set up my controls, but I do remember a lot
of fiddling, checking other Rebels, and talking to lots of people to figure
out how to do mine. Anyway, I am happy with the way it flies now, and just
checked again some measurements as they are today on my flying Rebel.
The flaperons drop down a full 25 degrees from the neutral position. My
reflex, though, only goes up to 6 degrees. When the flap handle is in the
full down position, I have it set so that the mixer arm is tight against the
bottom stop, and there is no play in the flap cable. When the flap handle is
at neutral, there is only 5/8 " space at the top of the mixer arm, not 7/8
as I believe the manual specifies. In the reflex position, there is still
1/8 " clearance at the top of the mixer arm. My total mixer space, bottom
stop to top stop is 4 inches.
When in reflex, the tops of the push pull tubes will contact the cabin
bulkhead before full aileron can be applied. However, that is not a problem
in cruise, as it doesn't take much aileron to bank it, and I don't come
close to contacting the bulkhead. In the neutral position, there is no
contact.
My aileron push-pull tubes out on the wing are 6 7/8 " long, bolt centre to
bolt centre, which I think were also shorter than the manual specified. They
can be adjusted to be longer which would then give me less full flap
deflection, and more reflex. However, I like it the way it is, as it makes
my full flaps more effective and my stall is significantly lower. I know
some other Rebels locally here that had less down travel, and combined with
the flex and slop in the mechanism, didn't have very effective flaps.
I do have my fin offset 3/4 inch and it seems to be just right for my Rebel.
I still need right rudder on take off and climb, but in cruise, I can fly
hands and feet off with no slip to one side.
Anyway, that's how my Rebel controls are set up. I am not saying that this
is right, or that's how they should be, but it seems to work OK for me.
-----Original Message-----
From:
murphy-rebel@dcsol.com [mailto:
murphy-rebel@dcsol.com]On Behalf Of
Bob Patterson
Sent: October 13, 2001 8:28 PM
To:
murphy-rebel@dcsol.com
Subject: Re: aileron controls
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Hi Ken !
You're welcome to bring out a digital level & check XWI ....
Will try to do it myself in the next few weeks....
You ARE correct - there IS always a slight difference in the
ailerons. You will notice a slight tendency to roll one way when
going from full flap to full reflex, but it is a very small stick
movement to correct. Ideally, it will fly hands off in full reflex,
as that's where you'll spend most time.
You can shorten the pushrods in the cabin to give clearance,
then adjust the pushrods out on the ailerons to balance. There are
lots of places to adjust, and it could fill a day of fiddling
initially ....
<I> would definitely set things up so you can use 2 notches
of reflex (12 degrees), as this WILL give better cruise and ride in
tirbulence if you have over 120 hp.. Someone mentioned that they
could "only" get 24 degrees of down flap - that is TOO MUCH ! The
original spec was 3 notches of 6 degrees each, for a total of
18 degrees at full flap. It really doesn't compare to the Cessna
flaps, as you have a full span flapperon, and it is very effective !
It is VERY important that the bolts holding the bottom
bellcrank and the mixer arm are properly torqued - even a quarter
turn of slop will make a HUGE difference out at the ailerons !!
If you can pre-tension the Teleflex cable before clamping the ends,
it will eliminate a lot of the play there. (have a bit of tension
on the casing ...)
One problem some folks have had is getting the bellcranks
flipped - it pays to double check to see that the loger horna are
on the correct side ...
Many people are worried about the correct settings here, and
the seemingly large amounts of play in the ailerons, (again, compared
to OTHER aircraft) - don't worry about it too much !! The Rebel
flies just GREAT !!!
Keep rivetting - it IS worth it !!! :-)
.....bobp
-----------------------------------orig.------------------------------
At 12:46 PM 10/13/01 -0400, you wrote:
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I am stopped at the point of rigging the flaperons untill Spring weather
so this is a timely discussion for me.
My manual is clear on insuring that 5.25" of up deflection on the RIGHT
flaperon is available before the control horn in the fuselage hits the
roof bulkhead. That corresponds to just under 21 degrees of up
deflection. So that is the ultimate limit even with all the push rods
disconnected. If I rig everything according to the 1999 manual the
control horn (in the cabin roof torque tube) for the left flaperon sits
slightly lower with the flaperons in neutral. But it looks like the roof
bulkhead curves down more than that slight difference so that I would
have slightly less total left up flaperon than up right flaperon
available. Since I may well try to use two notches (12 degrees) of
reflex for cruise, like some folks here have suggested, I will consider
rivetting these control horns on in a slightly lower position than the
manual recommends if I really get less left control deflection than
right. Shortening the push rods to them would of course keep them from
hitting the roof bulkhead but it reduces the total up flaperon
deflection available in cruise. Maybe it doesn't matter in cruise.
Because the left control horn sits lower with the ailerons in neutral,
extending full flap must indeed pull the right flaperon very slightly
lower than the left one. This may be what Rick is reporting but it looks
to result in such a small control stick deflection though that I am
guessing it is not objectionable in flight. One could tinker with the 90
degree angle at the bottom of diagram 20.7.4 to adjust this effect
somewhat as that angle should indeed affect this.
It would seem that the differential flaperon effect is fixed and
controlled by the geometry of the mixer horn. ie. The shape of the mixer
horn (CC-48-2) insures that for any control stick movement left or right
from neutral, the upgoing flaperon moves up more than the downgoing
flaperon moves down. That would be intentionable and desireable. If
angle "A" in fig 20.7.4 (fig.67A in my older manual) is significantly
different for the right and left side, it would change the differential
effect though.
As I have previously mentioned, the new manual does reverse the position
of the mixer bellcrank and the flap cable on the CC-76 mixer arm. I
would guess that was done mostly to position the vertical push tubes a
bit farther aft so they don't obstruct the door opening.
Don't suppose anyone has the numbers for up and down flaperon or aileron
deflection on their flying rebel. Geert has also asked a couple of times
for those as well. Also do you have less aileron available with the
flaperons reflexed?
cheers
Ken
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