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Rudder counterbalance locking

TASEsq

Well Known Member
Patron
Hi,

Reading the following build log:
https://airplanebuild.com/2018/03/15/rudder-counterbalance-and-top/

Notice a nifty assembly to prevent the counterbalance screws backing off or the lead compressing etc -as seen here http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?p=704407#post704407

The recent post shows the assembly and also plans behind it - yet the plans I have, and also the plans on the vans site (amendments) don?t show the assembly. Are these old plans and this assembly is no longer needed? (Seems like a better solution than locknuts and future rudder fairing surgery).
 
Surprising they don't have a spacer under that plate. I made two spacers with good area and tested for reaching the specified torque, it would not torque with standard washers for me. I also used a bed of proseal for good measure. It is a 7 but uses the same weight.

Off topic: I cast some lead weights and found that with a cold mold the lead would pillow like these. If the mold was preheated, the parts were smooth like the mold.
 
This is the image I am referring to:
fullsizeoutput_2e3.jpeg


Am I missing something that the version of the plans I have doesn’t show such a plate, but just a couple of washers / nuts?

Seems the plate is a better idea to me... than
 
I received my kit last November and I have the plans with the plate. I do think the earlier versions didn't have this, I did read older post where this was an issue.
 
I received my kit last November and I have the plans with the plate. I do think the earlier versions didn't have this, I did read older post where this was an issue.

My kit did not have plate - wish it did! And I've done the fairings. Hopefully won't have a problem.
 
I just received my kit last week. I am now working on the rudder and I found that there is indeed nut plates supplied as indicated.
I hope they do not come loose.
Dave
 
I?m curious why the elevators were not updated to match the rudder. Does anyone have any thoughts about making the same improvement to the elevator counterweights?
 
I?m curious why the elevators were not updated to match the rudder. Does anyone have any thoughts about making the same improvement to the elevator counterweights?

I made backing plates for my elevator counterweights - saw someone else's blog and used the same idea. If I had thought about it sooner, would have done same for rudder.
 
I also did the same. The rudder had the nutplate plate change and I thought it prudent to incorporate into the elevators as well..

Byron
 
I am perplexed about how properly tightened locknuts securing the lead weights could come loose. I can imagine a very small amount of compression of the lead happening over thermal cycles and such, but this?

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=91626&highlight=loose+rudder+weight

I strongly suspect that those locknuts were never properly tightened to begin with. Sorta like the fuel pickup tubes in the original RV tanks where a few people didn't tighten them properly and they came off, and then Vans issued a mandatory SB that should never have been needed...

The counterweights on my RV-8A (along with the fuel pickups) flying for 12 years now are still as snug as they were the day I installed them back around 2001.

That said, I guess it doesn't hurt to put the nutplates on allowing the option to snug them down in the future, but if you already closed up your empennage tips (and used properly tightened locknuts per the original plans), I wouldn't lose any sleep over it!
 
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