REFLECTOR: Fw: Sparrow strainer - I'm confused...

Wed Sep 19 13:32:15 CDT 2012

I built the same thing for 44VF and although we don't hundreds of hours on
it, it has not move or loosened at all.  Actually, we have not experimented
with other setting like we had planned.

Jerry Brainard
Jerry at JLBEnt.com

  	-------Original Message-------
From: Andrew Ellzey
To: Reflector , Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: REFLECTOR: Fw: Sparrow strainer - I'm confused...
Sent: Sep 19 '12 1:02pm

Geoff,

Two photo's attached.

Andy

 FROM: Geoff Gerhardt
TO: Andrew Ellzey
SENT: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 9:34 AM
SUBJECT: Re: REFLECTOR: Sparrow strainer - I'm confused...

Andrew,

I was thinking of doing something similar - please send me a photo when you
get a chance.

Thanks.

Geoff

On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 10:21 AM, Andrew Ellzey <[LINK:
mailto:ajlz72756 at yahoo.com] ajlz72756 at yahoo.com> wrote:

Geoff,

Cutting the Sparrow Strainer off and reattaching it at a different angle
seems a bit harsh. I made my SS adjustable by potting a 10X32 nut plate
inside each end of the airfoil. So the Airfoil is then held in place on by
two 10X32 screws. I am not flying yet, so I don't know if my aircraft even
needs an adjustable SS. But from all of the talk of trim problems on the
reflector, over the years, I thought that I would be proactive and make my
SS adjustable. I will install mine per the manual, but if needed, I can
change the angle of attack or even invert my SS airfoil as some have
suggested. I also think with a little trial and error, I should be able to
adjust the SS depending on my aircraft CG calculations, due to passenger
loading. This may be wishful thinking on my part, due to the small size of
the Sparrow Strainer. I can send you a photo latter today if you think this
option will work for you.

 FROM: Geoff Gerhardt <[LINK: mailto:geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com]
geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com>
TO: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <[LINK:
mailto:reflector at tvbf.org] reflector at tvbf.org>
SENT: Saturday, September 15, 2012 7:45 PM

SUBJECT: Re: REFLECTOR: Sparrow strainer - I'm confused...

Guys,

Thanks for all the suggestions.  What I think I may do is cut the arms that
join the SS to the elevator and then re-connect them with the SS airfoil at
a lower angle of attack to reduce the speed-induced up-trim.

Today, I had a great flight.  I made some changes to my cooling plenums
that reduced temps in cylinder #3 (I'll describe these changes in another
email), so I was able to do a pretty aggressive climb to 10,000'.  I was
going to do flutter testing, but when I dove to gather speed, I found that
too much stick pressure was req'd to go above 180kts to properly assess
flutter.  I could not trim it so that I could take my hand off to give the
stick a whack because I had to keep down pressure to stop from climbing out
of the dive.  All control surfaces were fine to 180kias, but I think I'll
need to address the aerodynamic trim to go higher.  Or, is it okay to have
stick pressure on when doing flutter testing?

Geoff

On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 11:20 AM, Terrence Miles <[LINK:
mailto:terrence_miles at hotmail.com] terrence_miles at hotmail.com> wrote:

Geoff,
Over the past 10 years or so, the sparrow strainer debates  and opinions
(which are always fascinating to me) and the “running out of trim” issue
come up on a regular basis.  Geoff, you are hardly the first in the test
flight phase to wrestle with this.  I have the RGXL-5 with a LY IO540.  I
weigh 150 pounds.  Empty wgt she is 1928 lbs at 136.4   I know other light
weight pilots like me that fly with ballast on the floor by the right seat.
 I don’t because I have two nose mounted Odyssey batteries.  XC by myself
with 70 gal of fuel and the usual crap in the back seat area (125+ lbs) I
am at a CG of 130ish.  With a 185 lb copilot it goes to 128.3 or so if
anybody out there is considering 2 nose batts be aware of that limit.
Because I am short I have the arm of my seat is 79 inches.  The copilot is
at 83 inches.

I am not suggesting this for others, but with advice like you are seeking
right now, and more than several conversations with Malcolm Collier and
others, I decided to do this:  The factory trim spring didn’t fit due to
insufficient space behind the panel without major changes.   Also the stock
elevator trim motor throw was too short.  I have a speed brake trim motor
running my elevator trim which is longer by an inch or two.  Yes, I have to
watch for fractures in my sawed off, reduced curve spring, but  I don’t run
out of trim no matter wgt, CG, or speed.

Terry

FROM: [LINK: mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] reflector-bounces at tvbf.org
[mailto:[LINK: mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]
reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] ON BEHALF OF Richard J. Gentil
SENT: Friday, September 14, 2012 10:31 PM
TO: [LINK: mailto:geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com] geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com;
Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list

SUBJECT: Re: REFLECTOR: Sparrow strainer - I'm confused...

Geoff,

To help solve the issue I just cut my sparrow strainer in half.

Richard

Sent from my iPhone 4 Classic

On Sep 14, 2012, at 10:01 AM, Geoff Gerhardt <[LINK:
mailto:geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com] geoff.gerhardt at gmail.com> wrote:

Guys,

As I'm flying more, I'm getting a better feel for the plane and discovering
little issues.  I noticed yesterday that when I really dangle (i.e.
>160kts), I run out of down trim.  I guess I wasn't paying attention
before, but as I speed up, I need to keep adding down trim - I thought
that's what the sparrow strainer was for.  As speed increases, the canard
is generating more lift, so the sparrow strainer trims the nose down so
that less trimming is needed for speed changes.  But then, I was looking at
the way the sparrow strainer is mounted and it looks like it would do just
the opposite.  As speed increases, the sparrow strainer will be pushed
down, adding trim up!  I have my aerodynamic trim installed as per factory
instructions.  I've heard of some who install it upside down, which to me
sounds like how it should be installed.  I have a feeling that if I remove
it I'd have to trim less with speed changes.  Unfortunately, I used some
pretty aggressive silicone glue to put it on and I'm afraid I'll make a
mess of it taking it off.

Any thoughts on the effectiveness/correct installation of aerodynamic trim?

Here's now I have mine installed:

[LINK: http://thegerhardts.com/velocity/?p=491]
http://thegerhardts.com/velocity/?p=491

Geoff

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