REFLECTOR: 4th test flight - roll tendency persists

Lou Stedman stedmanlou at roadrunner.com
Sat Aug 25 21:29:26 CDT 2012


Hay John, do you have pictures?

From: John Dibble 
Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2012 8:02 PM
To: geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com ; Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list 
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: 4th test flight - roll tendency persists

Geoff,

My aileron trim didn't work well.  The string kept slipping on the capstan.  I improved it by putting a piece of the soft rubber tubing ( I forget the name, but it's a light tan color and comes in only one size at the hardware store) on the capstan and then replacing part of the string with a vacuum cleaner belt going over the capstan.

John

On 8/24/2012 7:38 PM, Geoff Gerhardt wrote: 
  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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