REFLECTOR: Another aerodynamic question

Dave Philipsen velocity at davebiz.com
Sat Jul 8 15:51:58 CDT 2006


Thanks, everyone, for your replies.  I'll have to take a closer look at 
everything when I get a chance.  From what I remember seeing, I don't 
recall that there was any easy way of adjusting the elevators 
separately.  I think the control rod / shaft or whatever you call it is 
solid between both elevators so it seems that the bell crank would have 
to be removed an perhaps re-drilled.  I'm not too familiar with how it 
all goes together so I'm just guessing here.  I went out to the hangar 
today and looked at it again.  It seems the disparity is probably 3/16 
of an inch or less and that's assuming that the canard itself is 
straight and level.



Alex Balic wrote:
> I think that the problem that Dave has is that the elevators are not lined
> up with each other- this could be more difficult to fix- other than welding
> and re-drilling, the elevators are fixed in position to their bell crank
> arms, so changing the rod end would move them both the dame distance- not
> too sure how to move just one- and it would certainly cause a rolling moment
> if one since of the canard is generating more lift than the other....
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Scott Derrick
> Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 8:59 AM
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Another aerodynamic question
>
> Dave,
>
> The elevators can get out of alignment.  Its easy to adjust. Under the 
> panel is a long 3/8 bolt that attaches the two elevators together, there 
> is a spacer and the control rod end between the two elevator attach 
> tabs, loosen the bolt/nut. Either move the elevators so they are even, 
> or have somebody outside hold them so they are even,  then tighten the 
> bolt.
>
> If this doesn't make sense just look under the panel, follow the 
> elevator control rod from the stick up to the elevator and you will see 
> how they are attached together and  how the adjustment can be made.
>
> Scott
>
> Dave Philipsen wrote:
>   
>> I was doing a little 'transition training' today with Curt Smith, a CFI 
>> in southern IL who also happens to be a Cozy flyer.  We slowed the Velo 
>> down until we started to get the slight oscillation in pitch from the 
>> canard as it started to stall. With the two of us and full fuel, the 
>> airspeed indicator indicated that to be about 65-70 kts.  At this slow 
>> speed, we both noticed a tendency for the plane to roll to the left a 
>> little.  The roll could be corrected with a little right rudder but the 
>> response from the ailerons was a bit sluggish at that slow speed.  We 
>> also noticed that the trailing edge of the canard elevator is just a bit 
>> higher on the right side than on the left.  It seemed to be maybe 
>> 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch higher.  My first question is:  can this be 
>> adjusted out?  Secondly:  Could it be the cause of the left rolling 
>> tendency near canard stall speed?  I also noticed just a slight left 
>> turning tendency even at cruise.  My ailerons appear to be flush with 
>> both wings at their neutral position.
>>
>>   
>>     
>
>   

-- 
Dave Philipsen
STDFG
N171SP

soon-to-be N83DP



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