Aileron Improvements

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Jim Agnew made some modifications he says improved the rigidity and remove any slop from his ailerons. The idea is that the stock aluminum torque tubes that came with most of our kits (the factory has moved to steel tubes) warps and creates slop or distortion in the ailerons. As it turns out, this was either original, or was added to the plans pretty early on, and removed later as unnecessary as the manual insert below shows.

Jim's Instructions

I can't send you pictures since the universal joints are inside the wing.

All you have to do is purchase the proper size universal joints that will fit the inside diameter of the aileron connecting piece and the torque tube.

See the parts at http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/ujoints.php

You will have to shorten the torque tube to make up for the additional length that the universal joint adds. remember that the inside diameter of the aileron connecting piece and the and the torque tube have to be the same.

Jim

and

I can explain exactly what is wrong with the aluminum tubes. They do not rotate around the center line of >the ailerons. The tubes warp absorbing the torque. Proven by several Torsional vibration specialists at my request. I replaced all of the aluminum torque tubes with the same size and thickness stainless steel tubes >and added universal joints to the aileron connection to minimize the warping tendency.

When Sam DaSilva & I discovered that you could hold the back edge of the aileron with your thumb & >forefinger and move the stick FULL THROW RIGHT & LEFT without the aileron moving that made me look for the problem.

Jim

Parts

Basically you need four of universal joints and steel torque tubes.

The universal joints that Jim used are Spruce part number MS20271. I'm not sure what size, but the tube ID is 0.634", so probably the B-10, which is the 5/8" size.

The factory torque tubes are 21" long each, part #MA0202. These are 3/4" x .058" thick, and the factory sells the steel upgrade for $28.00 . Alternatively you could buy part #.

03-04500 from Aircraft Spruce.

Original Factory Instructions

Here is the original image, showing the u-joint on the aileron end of the torque tube. Click picture for full-size image.

AileronUjoint.jpg

Images

MS20271-BS.jpg03-16000.jpg

Ujoint1.jpg

Ujoint2.jpg

Ujoint3.jpg

Gallery