Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jim Belcher on October 16, 2010 at 2:03pm

So did I, but I wish you success. I'll share the problems I ran into, in the hope it will give you some food for thought.

1) The linkage really needs to go through the center console area.
2) There's very limited room to penetrate the front spar, without cutting more holes, and possibly weakening the spar.
3) There is a lower hole in the spar which looked promising, but it was blocked on the front by the control stick linkage. I wanted control sticks more than manual flaps, so that killed that idea.

That may be reason Chris Heintz went with electric flaps. However, he didn't have side by side sticks.

I've never liked electric flaps. The early 172 I learned to fly in had manual flaps, as did the Cherokee 180 we owned for years. The manual flaps were easy to operate, and it was difficult to accidentally force down the flaps at too high an airspeed (the control force would immediately tell you that you were making a mistake). There was no question about the flap setting.

Electric flaps are, IMHO, better suited to things like biz jets and high end aircraft.

I'd be very interested, from a curosity standpoint, what you come up with. It's really too late for me to do this now, without major surgery.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Porter on October 16, 2010 at 3:24pm

Manual flaps are so much better than electric - we are still working on manual flaps for the 801... let us know how you get on!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jake Reyna on October 17, 2010 at 9:40am

It's a great idea, but the problem is the linkage required as has been stated.

There is enough room to run a cable and pulley system through the center console. It would help to run the electrical and coax along the fuselage sides under the side rails. The flap control tube would have to modified so that the arm would be centered and spring loaded. Run the cable through the center console and through few pulleys so that handle or arm is centered under the instrument panel between you legs. This assumes a center Y stick. You would use your left hand to add flaps. I can see the possibilities. Using the L angles on the Center spar for the flap handle is possible if you don't have dual sticks.

That being said, the stock electric flap is an elegant solution. I modified a stock fuel sender to act as a position sensor and use a standard fuel gauge with a modified face as the Flap Position Indicator. It is marked as Up, 1/3, 2/3 and Full Flap allowing for consistent flap positioning. Cost was less than $50.

If I had to do it over again, I would stay with the electric flaps.

Jake

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by david a jurgens on October 17, 2010 at 12:57pm

i have the stick no center control i want to mount the lever on the back of the arm rest and run a rod to excentic and when to the flap lever

• ▶ Reply