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Re: Rudder cables




On Tue, 5 May 1998 18:53:51 -0700 "Al Gietzen" <alventures@email.msn.com>
writes:
>, but IF a "fix" is needed,  
>
>And it would seem that Jeff is correct; what you want is some "feel" 
>that the rudder is fully deflected and the brakes are being applied.
>Al Gietzen  RGE

Al, 

I concure with what you are saying, but I am compeled to include this.

What is most interesting to me is, given the number of Velocity pilots
who have actually flown a Velocity as PIC out there vs. the number of
Velocity pilots that have expressed or experienced rudder / brake landing
problems after learning that there is no toe braking, is your statement 
"but IF a fix is needed". I personally think that the individuals that
are hell bent to "fix" this problem without having experienced the
necessary transition time between toe brakes and 'stepped' braking need
to go fly an Ercoupe that has no rudder pedals or foot brakes at all and
figure out how to 'fix' that problem also! My guess is it would be a lot
easier and quicker to learn how to fly the plane as equiped. 

As far as the "feel", unless your rudder cables have a lot of drag in
them, the resistance 'feel' on your foot transitioning from an
aerodynamic drag pressure to a hydro-mechanical backpressure doesn't take
all that long. 

Let's all keep in mind, when we fly our Cessna, Piper, whatever, we have
a balance rudder control system. When we push on one pedal the other has
to come back toward us. In a Velocity, the initial tendency is to push
one pedal, then the other to kind of 'assist'  the other back, then the
first one a little more, etc. etc. Before you know it, we are pressing
both pedals and in the brakes. The transition time that I spoke of above,
and I can speak from personal experience, is  that it was hard for me to
make a correction  with a rudder then lift my foot enough without
applying some pressure to the opposite rudder and to where I was not
applying any pressure on either pedal at all.

I am sometimes amazed at the primary system "fixes" that some builders
make having no or extremely little flight time in a Velocity. I would
loudly and proudly applaud Dave Black for the RBH idea (Really Big Hatch)
and the subsequent spinoffs of that idea. It really does make maintenence
a lot easier. By the same token, he 'fixed" our (his words left me with
the impression "cheap") roll trim system by using a Mac servo arrangement
as I recall. He even wrote about it in one issue of the Velocity Views.
Since he has not yet flown, but is close to it as I understand, I am most
interested in how much superior his roll trim setup is going to be over
what is in and has been in Velocity aircraft for years and years. In the
end, cost / performance comes into play. Unless I hear otherwise, when it
comes down to bang for the buck, my guess is he will have a lot more buck
than bang over the currently used system. I'm sure he will let us know
after he starts flying. 

I hope Dave knows I have a lot of respect for him, I just think he goes
to extremes sometimes. I guess we all do once in a while, though. 

To all, safe and speedy construction!

Martin

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