REFLECTOR: Pitch trim ( was Fixed vs RG)

[Pat Shea]

Dave,

Once installed, here are some options for adjusting
the pitch trim for more 'down' trim:

- Move the bracket that mounts the pitch trim motor to
the canard forward. To do this you will either need to
slot or re-drill the mounting holes in the bracket.

- Drill out the rivets that connect your trim spring
bracket to the elevator torque tube, and then re-drill
and re-rivet with the elevator trailing edge set up a
little higher (more 'down' trim). You will probably
need to remove your canard to do this. Also, I would
consider overdoing this a little since it's
real easy to add a spacer between the trim motor
attach bracket and the trim spring if you go too far
and need more up trim later.

-Install a spacer between the trim spring and the V
shaped mounting bracket on the elevator torque tube to
get more down trim. A wedge shaped spacer may work
best for this.

Make sure you test for any interference issues after
making any adjustments, specifically with the pitch
trim spring. You will want to artificially load the
elevator with your hands while doing this since the
fiberglass springs moves quite a bit when loaded...  

In terms of the TO pitch trim setting, try setting the
elevator one finger's width below the trailing edge
with one person up front and two fingers width with
two people up front.

Pat 


--- Dave Philipsen <velocity at davebiz.com> wrote:

> Well, I adjusted it once already.  The guy who built
> it had two 
> different sets of holes where the pitch trim motor
> assembly could be 
> mounted.  I took delivery of the plane with it
> installed in the lower 
> set of holes.  I quickly realized I needed more
> 'down' trim so I moved 
> it to the upper set of holes.  This improved things
> quite a bit but 
> still left a little to be desired.  I definitely
> have more than enough 
> 'up' trim.  I asked the guy after I bought it if
> he'd ever noticed the 
> lack of 'down' trim and he said 'no'.  But he did
> replace the battery 
> right before he sold it to me and I wonder if the
> new battery weighs 
> substantially less than the old one. 
> 
> Most people have told me to set the elevator about
> one inch below the 
> canard trailing edge for takeoff pitch trim with one
> person in front.  I 
> always do this but immediately after liftoff I have
> to push the stick 
> forward and start trimming down to keep the canard
> below the horizon.


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com