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"Aileron alignment tool" and QBs

Buggsy2

Well Known Member
On p. 7-15 of the -9 instructions, under "Attaching Ailerons to the Wing", it says "Use the alignment tool you built at the beginning of the wing construction..." Of course QB builders begin not at the beginning but 2/3 of the way through! I searched the forum but was left confused by just how many alignment tools there are (one for ailerons, another for flaps??) and if they are or are not available from Vans.

Can another QB builder clue me in here? Thanks!
 
I have one

I think I have the tool. You place it over the attach bolts, if I remember correctly. If I can find it in my shop, I'll send it to you. I'll check and send you a personal message.

I'm in Georgia. If someone chimes in here closer to you, you might get one faster from someone else. take care. Jack
 
Last edited:
I made mine (two in fact).

I had some 3/4 angle left over (slow wings, quick fuse.). I cut length to extend passed the tip of the aileron and drill two holes for the machine holes in the center of the 3/4 side. Used a couple of bolts with standoffs (tube). Sense I had the material I made one for each side. Draw a line down the center of the 3/4 side and clamp the control stick. Adjust the linkage to make the ailerons match the line.
Adjust the flaps to match the ailerons, but be aware that you may need to move them to adjust for heavy wing.

I also had to cut and reshape one of the wing tips to match the ailerons.

Kent
 
wrong tool maybe

This is my second post and I think I may have misunderstood the tool you were talking about. What I have is the bellcrank jig part W-930 and it is used to allign the bellcrank for the ailerons. If that is what you need, just send me a pm with your address, etc.

The other alignment has to do with keeping the aileron properly in line with the wing. I think there is a drawing or picture in the manual (#?) that depicts how to do this.
 
Guys, thanks for your replies:
I had some 3/4 angle left over (slow wings, quick fuse.). I cut length to extend passed the tip of the aileron and drill two holes for the machine holes in the center of the 3/4 side. Used a couple of bolts with standoffs (tube). Sense I had the material I made one for each side. Draw a line down the center of the 3/4 side and clamp the control stick. Adjust the linkage to make the ailerons match the line.
Kent
Kent, I think you're describing the tool Vans says I need on p 7-3, 7-15, and DWG 15, View C-C'. To make this, do you indeed need to have the wing rib not installed? Vans says that, but of course on the QB wing the lads in the Phillipine Islands did an excellent job of putting that rib and almost everything else together.

This is my second post and I think I may have misunderstood the tool you were talking about. What I have is the bellcrank jig part W-930 and it is used to allign the bellcrank for the ailerons. If that is what you need, just send me a pm with your address, etc.
OK, some of my confusion from other posts is lifting. I should also have W-930 and I'll check when I get home. If I don't have it and cannot get it from Vans I'll take you up on your very helpful offer. By the way, how did you make the aileron jig (basically a long metal or wood straightedge)? Is it possible to make this after the wing is mostly built?
 
any straight edge

With the quickbuild wing you can still follow the same procedure for lining up the ailerons with the wings. It's basically any straight edge long enough to extend in line with the holes already drilled in the wing rib. Not the larger lightning holes but two (or 3?) holes about 1/4" in diameter next to the lightning holes. If you line those holes up with the straight edge crossing the center of those holes and extend the straight edge to the tip of the aileron you get the proper alignment. I did this about 4 years ago and am going from memory. Someone may have a picture which will be better than this written description. I used a 48" X 2" metal measuring rule for a straight edge. The angle Kent described works well also.
 
There are two alignment jigs.

One of them sets the aileron belcrank at the correct position. The other one is the aluminum angle needed to set the length of the short pushrod to line up the ailerons with the wing chord line.

This first photo shows the one attached to the aileron belcrank. It came with the quickbuild kit my friend bought and finished. As you can see it came with my RV-9A slow build wings. It was in a parts bag.
DSCF0159.JPG


Here is the aluminum angle jig I built per the plans to align the aileron with the wing chord line.
DSCL0341.JPG


Here is the view of the other side of the "chord line" aluminum angle jig. Notice how the trailing edge of the aileron splits the width of the angle on a line with the two holes, bolts, spacers, and factory tooling holes in the END RIB. When you have the ailerons locked in the JIG position, you align the trailing edge of the flaps to match the aileron trailing edges.
DSCL0340.JPG


IF you get this right, the first flight will be a breeze. My first flight included a 2-minute turn to the left where I trimmed the elevator to remain in level turning flight. I took my hands off the stick and the airplane continued the turn with no tendency to roll out or to go to higher bank angle. I rolled the wings to the same bank angle on the right side and the turn continued to the right without making a change to the elevator trim. When your airplane does that, you have it rigged correctly and everything is aligned the way Van's wanted it.

I first saw these trimmed-turn maneuvers performed by a friend when I was riding in his 1966 Comanche B. It is that paint scheme that is on my RV-9A. I changed the tail emblem from the one on the Comanche to one of my liking.
DSCM0209A.JPG


Not being satisfied with one tail emblem, I designed another and could not decide which one I liked the most, so I used them both. It makes for good conversation when people ask about my paint scheme.
DSCM0208A.JPG
 
Jerry, great help. Thanks to all of you, I will try things out the next couple of days.
 
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