REFLECTOR: 4th test flight - roll tendency persists

[Laurence Coen]

Geoff,

I agree with Alex.  People trying to convince you that you didn't see what you saw is because it doesn't jibe with their theory on wing incidence.   As to what is causing the asymmetry  you could spend years trying to figure that out.  The good news is that it really doesn't matter what the cause because the fix is cheap and simple.  If you want easy you need to find a really lazy guy.  That would be me, "Lazy Larry".  I'm also cheap!  Get a small piece of flat aluminum like the roofers use and cut out a rectangle about 2" x 1" and round off the corners so you don't hurt yourself.  Bend it along the long axis center for about a 5 degree droop.  Silicone it to the bottom of the right aileron inboard.  Go fly and bend it up or down till it's just right.  This solution comes with the "Lazy Larry" 100% lifetime warrantee.  If it don't work, peel it off and throw it away.

Larry Coen
N136LC


From: Alex Balic 
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2012 7:54 PM
To: geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com ; 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list' 
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: 4th test flight - roll tendency persists


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

 

 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


_______________________________________________
To change your email address, visit http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector

Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20120825/13355bdf/attachment.html>