REFLECTOR: HIGH SPEED FLUTTER

Ron Brown romott at adelphia.net
Sun May 15 07:47:48 CDT 2005


Tom, I would suggest installing your trim tab on the wing instead of the 
aileron.  As Keith and Alex have suggested, adding a trim tab to the aileron 
upsets the balance and can lead to destructive flutter (it can tear the 
aileron off!!!)

If you have a heavy wing, the correction is to add shims to the wing bolts 
(either the upper bolt of the heavy wing or the bottom bolt on the light 
wing).

Or you can install the trim tab on the wing between the winglet and the 
aileron cut out.

I used a Gurney Flap (See http://aerodyn.org/HighLift/gurney.html or do a 
Google Search on Gurney Flap for more info) on my heavy wing with some 
success.  I cut a piece of 1/8" tubing 12" long and added it to the bottom 
of the trailing edge of the wing between the aileron and winglet.  I stuck 
it on using silicone.  You can user a larger diameter tube. say 1/4" for 
more serious heavy wing conditions.  It doesn't add much drag and seems to 
work well.

Ronnie 



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