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Fitting Flaps Question

MikeyDale

MikeyDale

Well Known Member
Please help me with a question fitting my flaps on my RV7. I have aligned my ailerons by the tooling holes on the outside rib as per Vans instructions. Wing tips align very well. My wings have been drilled to provide 1 degree positive incidence. My flaps and ailerons (quick build) are not warped. Both lower flap skins contact the bottom of the fuselage about 3/16" before the flaps line up with the ailerons as in the pic below. I certainly don't want to load my flap motor in the retracted position like this plus it looks like ****! I have searched the plans and manual but cant find anything about trimming the lower skin close to the fuselage. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, how did you deal with it?

2jacdcg.jpg
 
Your doing it the right way.

Make the flap fit the aileron like your doing. Bend the metal flashing as required. I made the aileron match the flap and it flew squirrelly. When I re rigged it to make the flaps fit the aileron it flew like a dream.
 
Yes, I had the same problem on my -6A. A search on the FORUMS a showed others with the same problem. I implemented a fix that joggled the offending flap overhang to just kiss the airframe bottom skin. Left flap was fine, right flap needed the joggle.
 
Joggle for me

Mike,
I did the same as Noel. Both sides of mine needed a joggle, takes a little time but well worth it for a nice fit.

Gary
 
Me too,:) same thing, I joggled the flaps, when I came across this panic some years ago I was sent a picture and words of encouragement from an RV6er.
I went to find the said picture to post here but could not find it. But the big thing is, its not a disaster.:)

PS Been trying to search threads I have started, how do I do that?
 
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And if you lightly edge roll the bottom skin after fitting and/or joggling the skin it really puts the finishing touch to the final look/fit. :)
 
MikeyDale said:
Should I trim it so it over laps an inch or so then joggle it?
Click to expand...

You could, but I don't think that is necessary. The joggle will take up some. I don't know why, and have never seen a good explanation; some fit perfectly and others don't.
 
I had the same problem on my RV-6 9 years ago. Keep the wing incidence (that's important) and fit the flaps to align with the ailerons. That's what I did with my RV-6 and the airplane has always flown very, very well. The flaps bottom skin may not lay perfectly to the bottom of the fuselage. Just trim it off and let it ride up as necessary. I also had a Quickbuild.
 
Alignment

I think it is key to have the flaps align straight across with each aileron. The wing tips are less important because as I found, the tips can be mounted a little different from each other due to twisting of fiberglass. I decided to keep the flaps and ailerons straight and the flaps tucked just against the belly when fully raised. At first flight it flew hands off without any pulling left or right even though the respective wing tips are not perfectly aligned with the ailerons, one slightly up, the other down. My logic was that control surfaces and flaps do the lions share of moving the airplane in roll.
 
I made a small relief joggle in the metal to allow the flaps to come up with out the metal being bent during the end of the retraction. then flared the rest to lay flush on the bottom. If you go to flyin' you will see some with the joggle and other without. What was stated about doing the ailerons first then match the flaps is correct.
Jack
 
Thanks guys. I accomplished this task a few days ago and it turned out to be no big deal. Funny how you worry about some things and they turn out to be easy and then the easy things turn out to be hard!
 
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