Hangar Flying ... Controls linkage and Windscreen trial

[ksatter26]

Verified all but the stb flaperon control linkages today. Waiting for an extra set of hands to use the positioning jig provided by Chris to locate the AN3 bolt hole thru the horn and flaperon spar. However, I was then able to do a little hangar flying as I climbed into the cockpit to take measurements for trimming the control stick. Too bad nobody was here to get a picture.

I trimmed the stick, primed and painted it so it is ready for installation ... probably another round of hangar flying too.

I heard back from Chris about a prop extension to help reduce the amount of cowling trimming required to provide E-prop clearance. I located a 30mm thick extender bolt drilled 8mmx6x75mm ($65 including shipping) at Apex Para-gliding Shop in Edmond, OK. Chris seems to think this will work. I have an e-mail out to them to get a weight (it APPEARS to be carbon fiber).

I clecoed in the alumunum angle bracket that supports the rear end of the windscreen. I then clamped the polycarbonate screen in place to get a feel for how it will mount.

Progress ... mostly the scary cowl mods remaining ...

[LA F2 Flyer]

Kurt, did you cut the windscreen yourself, or does it come precut? If you cut it yourself, nice job! It looks a fair sight cleaner than mine.

As for your flaperon horns and pushrods, can you show some pics of your set-up? I needed short extensions to reach the horns in my case.

[ksatter26]

The windscreen is out-of-the-box from Chris. The rear and over wing portions look perfect. Haven't tried tge cowl-end yet. Waiting on prop extender, but it appears good.

Will get flsperon cables routing pix in the morning. I spent a good deal of time this morning just positioning and envisioning how I might utilize a length of flexible cable shroud (black plastic) inside the wing so I could re-insert the cable after covering the wing. I still haven't come up with a solution ... the problem seems to be the 9.5" rigid control arm end ... how do I get it to make the curve inside the wing?

[Badland-F5 Pilot]

I heard back from Chris about a prop extension to help reduce the amount of cowling trimming required to provide E-prop clearance. I located a 30mm thick extender bolt drilled 8mmx6x75mm ($65 including shipping) at Apex Para-gliding Shop in Edmond, OK. Chris seems to think this will work. I have an e-mail out to them to get a weight (it APPEARS to be carbon fiber).

Kurt, you may want to dig on Eprop's website. They make a fiber carbon prop extension in many different sizes (almost custom lengths). I found one for the Hirth F-23, so I'm pretty sure they would have one for the Polini. They make them for Polini equipped Paramotor pilots, so I'll bet one would fit the Badland. They are 1/3rd the weight of the aluminum ones and stronger. I found the same one you found, and then went looking for something lighter, which led me right back to Eprop.

Todd

[LA F2 Flyer]

Kurt, as I recall it was quite easy for me to feed the cable through. You only have to go to the second rib, right? I made holes for the cable in the covering on the underside of the wing and in the covering over the root rib with a soldering iron, melting the hole just slightly larger than the diameter of the widest part of the cable.

I had intended to feed it through with a bent coat hanger wire, but found it unnecessary. I was able to drop the cable in and manipulate it to the other hole and out. The rigid control arm end is a narrow diameter at the tip, which helped. (I removed the nut first, of course.)

Maybe I just got lucky? But worth a shot.

[ksatter26]

Per request ... pictures of controls linkages:

[LA F2 Flyer]

Hi Kurt. It's looking good. Since the cable doesn't have far to travel through the wing, I think you'll find it easy enough to "pick up" the other end. I see your picture where you indicate where the cable hole will be made. I take it that is to feed the cable INTO the wing at the root, correct? And a second hole will need to be made maybe 8-10" up from the aluminum cable bracket, toward the leading edge? Much like I did here.



The only thing that I might have some concerns about is the angle at which you've set your control arms. I tried to set mine as close to 90 degrees as possible. Meaning 90 degrees between a line drawn from the center of the mount to the attachment hole for the cable, and the chord line of the flaperon itself. This will allow me the greatest range of motion, while also ensuring that the flaperon doesn't "over-rotate" and get locked into place because the cable bracket "tucks" in behind the control arm. (Does that make sense? if not let me know and I can try to draw a diagram.)



Setting my control arms at 90* required me to fabricate some temporary extensions, which have since been replaced with the proper items. (You can see the temporary extension circled in the black and white picture, taken from the original build manual...my build was used for a lot of the original pictures.)