Trim Tab

[r.stinchfield]

Hi Guys. I had to recover the horizontal stabilizer.I ordered a new trim tab from Mark. I have to make some changes to the new tab to make it work. Well I got impatient and flew the A/C without the trim tab. Take off was ok except i had to keep the stick almost full forward to maintain level flight.I flew around the pattern and decided to land.I came in a little hot and bounced, came down on the nose wheel and bounced again. This time the fiberglass legs broke. All I can say is Mark Builds a great A/C. I skidded to the side of the runway and stopped. My impatience only cost me a nose wheel fork and some pacthwork on the nose cone. Thanks Everyone for your help, still learning. Ron Stinchfield...

[blaswichk]

Yikes!! You are lucky! On every pre-flight you should make sure that all control surfaces are ok, and in good working order. The trim has a lot of leverage due to it's size, and you had a real experimental flying test going without it. But yes, you are right. The Gull is a tough little bird. A freind of mine had an aileron hinge fail on take-off and go up cockeyed, and a flap hinge on the same side fail, both of which were due to not crimping the hinge ends as per plans. In both cases, the plane was very manageable, and flown to a safe landing. Kudu's for a safe stable design.

kb

[fgayford]

Hi Kess
Do you mean that the wire rode out of the hindge because it wasn't secured by crimping?
When I bought my JT2 the previous owner said that he thought I should change the right aileron hinge because it had a little play in it. What I mean by play is if you grabbed the outside trailling edges of the aileron and torqued it in and out there was just a little slop in the hinge .
I didn't think it was a problem. Should I be concerned?
Fred

[blaswichk]

My freinds 'J' that had the hinge failures was indeed because the original builder did not crimp the ends of the hinges as per plans. Maybe the builder though that would make future removal easier by just pulling the pin. My freind solved his problem by making a new pin that was longer, forming an eye at the end hanging out, and securing with a screw. I would recomend anyone purchasing a Gull look at the hinges in their pre-purchase inspection. I looked at mine right away after his tale, and they were as per plans.
By the way, the stabilator tips look great on the plane. I had to make a slight trim on the trailing edge to clear the trim tab, but otherwise they fit great. Thanks again, and I willI will post pic's.

kb

[mikemarckel]

Have you checked weight and balance? I wouldn't think a trim tab would chance stick position, only pressure??

[cossitt.alan]

Good point. Sounds really tail heavy. Also Chk tightness of elevator and rudder cables before flying again. This could also be cased by loose elevator (stabilator).

-Alan Cossitt

>From my iPhone. Please excuse typos and terseness.

[dickoreilly]

If I read this right you flew without the aluminum trim installed, which means horizontal stabilizer was missing some 120 sq inches of surface and it's aerodynamic pivot point was different

Really glad to know the outcome was not worse. In other circumstances the best way to handle a bounce is give it full throttle, fly level until plane will climb safely and go around. But in your case getting it on the ground and accepting a little damage seems wise.

Dick

Sent from my iPhone

[cossitt.alan]

Not sure how much lift was lost since most lift occurs near deepest part of chord and least is near trailing edge but interesting point.

-Alan Cossitt

>From my iPhone. Please excuse typos and terseness.

[earthstaraircraft]

In a message dated 7/11/2011 8:52:34 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
mmarckel@msn.com writes:

Have you checked weight and balance? I wouldn't think a trim tab would
chance stick position, only pressure??




the trim tab changes the weight and balance of the stabilizer, causes it to
fall leading edge low, this causes the plane to head for the sky, nose up.
the trim tab is not a trim tab it an antysurvo tab and is what gives the
stabilizer its feel. with out it the stabilizer has no feel and extremely
light forces or pressures will move it a lot. that is why it felt nose light.
happy Flying
Mark Beierle, Earthstar Aircraft

[cossitt.alan]

Mark, don't follow. Wouldn't the weight on griping edge cause front of stabilator to rise?

-Alan Cossitt

>From my iPhone. Please excuse typos and terseness.