Manual Flap Lever and knuckle bruising on the spar

My RV4 manual flap lever is about 1/2 inch from the spar on the forward end. I imagine it was built per plans but not sure.

Anyway, this puts my fingers in close proximity to the many bolts passing thru the spar. My index finger and thumb have been pretty beat up from hitting the bolts as I dump the flaps on landings.

I am curious what others have experienced or have done to solve this, other that self discipline. Smokey I read in a thread you had a fairly customized flap lever, though I didn't see a picture. Right now my grip is just a piece of black hose over the aluminum bar. I am thinking I will add a grip to the end that has a flare, like a motorcycle grip. That will give me a better tactile indication of hand position.

no i'm not adding electric flaps!

CATPart said:

I am thinking I will add a grip to the end that has a flare, like a motorcycle grip. That will give me a better tactile indication of hand position. no i'm not adding electric flaps!

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I used a motorcycle grip and never experienced bruised knuckles. Agree with your comment, "no electric flaps."

Add the electric flaps

Some aversions to technology are just silly. Add the electric flaps. I made the change about six months after I started flying the RV-4. Best thing I ever did.

Jim
RV-4
N444JT

12V

Go electric..never look back, never tell back seater to move your foot...you will like them.I like old school simple, but I love electric flaps.

The preference for manual flaps is on no way going against technology.

If you like electric flaps, that's fine but many of us prefer the simplicity, the lower cost, the dependability, the operational speed control of manual flaps.

For me it is not an aversion to technology. I'm actually a techno-electro-mechanical geek. I just have an appreciation for simplicity, and if its not broken I will not fix it. I do however appreciate a moving map in the cockpit. Anyway, I'm sure they are nice to have, but I am not installing electric flaps anytime soon.

Cut off the last inch of the flap handle, relief the bottom of the bar so you can get your fingers under it more easily, and rock on.

+1 for manual flaps.

With my manual flaps I've learned I can clean the flaps my merely flexing my left butt cheek.

Infidel said:

With my manual flaps I've learned I can clean the flaps my merely flexing my left butt cheek.

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that really is flying by the seat of your pants!

Infidel said:

With my manual flaps I've learned I can clean the flaps my merely flexing my left butt cheek.

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Is that during flight or on the ground?
I usually clean my flaps on the ground with a rag.