REFLECTOR: 4th test flight - roll tendency persists

[Alex Balic]

So, if the ailerons are forced to neutral, then the plane no longer tries to
roll?  And when not flying, they are neutral with no force on the stick? 

 If so, I would guess that they  are not symmetrical either in chord, length
or cross section if the airflow is the only thing causing the force to exist
on them and by forcing them back to neutral the roll goes away.  If the
wings needed shimming, then you would fly roll-free with some aileron
deflection.

 

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Geoff Gerhardt
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2012 6:38 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: 4th test flight - roll tendency persists

 

Alex/Steve,

 

That was my first thought, too, but in order to get it to fly level,
pressure on the stick is needed to keep the ailerons to neutral.  If I let
the stick go, the left aileron wants to come up, right goes down.  If it
were a wing shimming issue, I'd expect that the ailerons would need to be
pushed into a non-neutral position to counteract the effect of improperly
aligned wings.

 

Before flying the plane, my ailerons were positioned so that the trailing
edges were level with the wings.  After the third flight when I noticed this
left roll tendency, I adjusted them so they drooped ~1/8".  I think it
helped a little, but did not eliminate the left roll tendency.

 

Geoff

 

On Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 10:12 PM, Alex Balic <velocity_pilot at verizon.net>
wrote:

Possibly the wings need shimming

 

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Geoff Gerhardt
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2012 7:38 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list


Subject: REFLECTOR: 4th test flight - roll tendency persists

 

Guys,

 

I went on my fourth test flight this afternoon.  Still have butterflies
before the flight and check things over like I have OCD (yes, the canard
bolts are still there, for the fourth time...).  

 

Dealing with a few issues now that I've left the pattern and brought it up
to speed.  I noticed on the third flight that it wants to roll to the left.
This is not a yaw (ball's in the center), but a definite roll that requires
right pressure on the stick to fly level at 140kts (more pressure for higher
speed).  Aileron trim isn't enough to take it out.  On that third flight,
when I was flying level at 140ks by using right stick pressure, when I
looked back I could see that the trailing edges of both ailerons were a
little higher than the wing.  So, before the fourth flight, I drooped both
down so they were ~1/8" below the wing (they were level before at rest), but
this did not have much effect on the roll tendency (although the ailerons
were level or drooping at speed).  It definitely seems to be an aileron
issue.  When I'm flying level (using right stick pressure), the ailerons
seem to be in an equal position.  Letting the stick go, the right aileron
comes up, left down and it rolls.  Any other ideas on things to check?

 

Slow flight went very well, nice control down to 60kts.  Easy 180 turn, then
back the other way holding altitude.

 

Geoff

 

 

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