What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Elevator trim

JohnJacobsen

Active Member
I recently ordered my tail section without electric trim. Now Iam wondering if I should have got it. I currently fly a Cessna 150 with manual trim and like the feel of it. But I have flown a DA20 Katana with electric trim and liked that for that aircraft. Just looking for some opinions on both to maybe help me decide.

John Jacobsen
 
Truth be told, if I had to do it over again I'd go with manual trim on my RV-6. Better control and less to break.

Best,
 
Im thinkin keep it simple. But not having flown one I dont know the feel of either. Probably stick with manual though. Like you said Doug, less to break. :)

John
 
I really like the manual trim. I had electric trim in my SeaRey and found it too touchy and annoying. I would also prefer manual flaps, but that is no longer available.
 
RE: manual flaps.

I have to agree w/Roberta on the manual flaps. One thing I like to do on landing (tailwheel) right as all three wheels are lightly dancing on the ground in the landing flare is to reach over and whack the flap locking button. The flaps raise in about a third of a second and the plane STICKS to the ground. It is quite a sensation to feel the plane's wing unload precisely when you want it.

I can land in 1,000 ft now consistantly with this technique.

Like Roberta said....I find the electric trim 'touchy', but certainly understand its appeal.

Best,
 
Electric/Manual Trim

John, the upside of manual trim is that it is simpler and more reliable than electric trim. It also gives you finer control over the trim setting than the electric system.

On the other hand, the cable takes an entire wire routing channel through the spar, which is a problem when it comes to routing antennae. Also, the manual trim knob gets in the way when you are crawling under the panel.

Vern Little RV-9A

JohnJacobsen said:
I recently ordered my tail section without electric trim. Now Iam wondering if I should have got it. I currently fly a Cessna 150 with manual trim and like the feel of it. But I have flown a DA20 Katana with electric trim and liked that for that aircraft. Just looking for some opinions on both to maybe help me decide.

John Jacobsen
 
Re: Thermos post; for speed control, i used the advanced-control-systems board, makers of the ACS 2002 engine monitoring system, (now named advanced-flight-systems). it's about 2"x3" and weighs less than a pack of smokes. i mounted on the sub panel. works well. i also have the ACS 2002, Great unit!

David-S
RV-7 Flying
 
Last edited:
Manual trim

When I orderd my tail kit (wayyyyy back in 1997!!) I talked to Ken in the Vans Booth at Osh. When I said I was going with manual trim, he looked up, and with a sage look in his eyes said "good".

Regards,

Jeff Orear
 
Electric Trim Options

JohnJacobsen said:
I recently ordered my tail section without electric trim. Now Iam wondering if I should have got it. I currently fly a Cessna 150 with manual trim and like the feel of it. But I have flown a DA20 Katana with electric trim and liked that for that aircraft. Just looking for some opinions on both to maybe help me decide.

John Jacobsen

John,
I did the same thing with my RV-6, manual trim and then I changed my mind. GretzAero.com has a great set up, you mount the pitch trim servo underneath the empenage fairing and then he has a cable that runs the same route as the manual trim does. I'm very happy with this set up
 
Whats the trouble w/the electric trim

I have the electric elevator trim installed,haven't used it yet-except to test it on the bench before I hung the HS on the ceiling- I'm wondering what the problems have been ie;
- panel mounted rocker switch ?
- stick mounted coolie-hat ?
- durability of the components (motor, switches,relay, etc.)?
- sensitivity to control input?
Since I've spent the money for the electric I wonder which is the best combo to use for control. I like the idea of making trim adjustments on final without having to look down in the cockpit. So I plan go with the stick switch,which ofcourse means using the relay control and adding something to go bad. Does anyone use the panel-mounted rocker switch? I did go with the manual aileron trim to simplify things.
sam k.
 
This is a test to see if I can get the picture up. I drove a straight shift (Floor Shift) car for years. I don't remember looking down to see where the shifter was. I can't imaging having to look for the trim knob. It isn't near or on the same angle as the throttle or mixture.

Derrell
 
Electric vs Manual Pitch Trim

If the manual elevator trim had used a trim wheel, like most airplanes I've flown, I probably would've ordered that. However, I didn't like the vernier knob Van's designed in, so I ordered electric trim. In the RV-6 I got my "grin" ride in, it was a little sensitive, but after a few minutes I got the hang of it.

Also, there are ways to slow the electric trim down to make it less touchy.

I used to rent a Katana which, like the RV-7, has electric-only trim. If it runs away, you have to hold a stick force until you land. It never happened to me, fortunately! However, in an RV, with the light elevator forces, I don't think it would be that big a deal...and if you're really worried about it, here's what you can do:

Install a split trim switch, instead of the rocker switch that comes with the E-trim kit. A split switch requires that both sides fail before the trim can run away...a rather unlikely proposition. With that mod, the worse failure mode is a stuck trim, which is no big deal.
 
Back
Top