REFLECTOR:N32XL

[Ronnie Brown]

The elevator cuffs are on the front edge of the elevators, starting at the
fuselage and go out for forty two inches.  They close up the gap between the
nose of the elevator and the back of the canard when the elevator is in the
extreme up (tail of elevator down) position.  With the cuff removed, more
airflow is able to flow from under the canard, through the gap, and over the
top of the elevator - giving more authority to the elevators at slow speed.
Else, the flow over the top of the canard at a high angle of attack is
detached and little flow is attached over the top of the elevator.

If you will extend the elevators in the extreme up (tail of elevator down)
position, the gap between nose of elevator to the canard should be the same
from the inboard to the outboard end of the elevator.

I don't see the cuffs mentioned in the online manuals at
www.Velocityaircraft.com . In my 173 RG manuals, circa 1999, they are shown
on page 4-29 in the Canard / Elevator chapter.

If you have the cuffs, removing them will make a big difference in how well
you can control the nose after touch down.

By the way, you never said exactly what your problem was re "hard to land".
If you are talking about wallowing on final, that is another problem, but as
a high time pilot with a lot of rudder experience, I wouldn't think that
would be that much of a problem for you????

Some have complained about wallowing (adverse yaw) at slow speeds on final.
I have some other thoughts on that problem.  Oh and the way to get 2.5" of
travel up and down aileron travel is to drill new holes in the aileron bell
crank, next to the engine which are about 3/8 - 1/2" closer to the pivot
point.

Hope this helps.

Ronnie Brown
173 Elite RG 150 Hours
EAA Technical Counselor



----- Original Message -----
From: <davedent@comcast.net>
To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:N32XL


| The cuffs you speak of are the ones around the hinge points?  I am not
sure what you mean. The only cuffs on the canard are the covers I have on
the outer hinge points.
| I have been flying the canards for over 1400 hrs now and have never had
this kind of problem with landing.  The Cozy IV is as sensitive to land as
any and I can handle it just fine. It has a longer canard and longer
ailerons, not the normal.  Very sensitive and like that.  Nothing like the
Velocity.
| Dave
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