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36-12: How to adjust stick angle?

Stockmanreef

Well Known Member
I had no idea what to search, so I am asking:

I am on 36-12 and I have no idea how to file down the tab to adjust the downward travel of the stick to 13.6 degrees.

I finally got filed for upward travel to the desired target of 23.1 degrees--I think. When I measure the right the side I get 24.15 degrees, while on the left side I get 22.55. So on average I have about 23.1. The right side down is 11.45, while the left side down is 12.85.

I assume that what you really want is the total angle to be 36.7 to 42.6. The total angles about both about 35.5, so I have at least 1.2 degrees more of travel that I need to file on the down side. I would prefer to file that on eat up side, but I assume that that could cause problems with the stick hitting the seat when pulling fully back.

Filing the up was a PITA and so far as taken 3 sessions of filing.

How the heck do you file the downward angle?

Any tips or tricks would be really really appreciated.

thanks
ken
 
well I figured out the root cause of the issue. The plans were revised


Control Column forward travel angle 13.6? +3.0? / -0.0 was 11.4? +2-0.
Control Column aft travel angle 23.1? +3.0 / -0.0? was 20.5? +2-0.

The bearing bracket assembly was made for the original angles and not the new angles.

Maybe Vans was supposed to replace the old bearing bracket assembly with new one that more closely match the correct angle.

Because filing forward angle from 11.4 to 13.6 is **** near impossible.
 
so no one else has run into this issue.

I think that I am up to about 8 hours trying to meet the angles suggested in the plans.

Any suggestions?

other than to buy a Quick build fuselage, which is too late for me.

thanks
ken
 
I just completed these steps. As you said, filing the upper bracket was fairly easy. However, filing the lower stop was indeed a PITA. The only way I was able to do it, and get the two stops to hit together, was to use thin strips of 100 grit sand paper (~1/4"), threading them around the tube that the bracket hits with the rough side on the stop side. By holding some slight control force against the stop, it was possible to then pull the sandpaper out. This caused the sandpaper to remove a tiny bit of the stop ( I'm guessing about 2 atoms ;)). Repeat for a long time until the stops hit together. Fortunately, when I got the two stops hitting together, it was within spec. for travel. There is probably an easier way . . .
 
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how is it possible that vans does not provide the correct part here? Or is this just to off set the need to not have to match drill the skins. I think that I would have preferred to match drill all the holes. After they changed the plans, a new part should have been designed and sent to everyone who already had a kit.

I am not bothering with the bottom stop. I am only going to file the top stop util I hit the called for angle between the aft and forward which is 36.7 degrees.

If I have issue with the stick aft of about 26 degrees, then I will just some how change the angle of the sticks (have it rebent).

I am thinking of using a dremel tool, if I can fit it in the area. My concern is that I will then grind too much off with the dremel and really screw things up.

I am super frustrated at this point.
 
BTW, if you complete section 35 before doing this then you might actually be throwing stuff around the shop. Access is hard enough, but if you put on the panel frame assembly or the F-01468 (panel frame brackets), then it will be a nightmare and you might want to break some thing. Or at least stop and drink a whole bunch of beer.
 
By-the-way, I have a QB fuselage - setting the stops is still required. :eek:
 
mine were spot on for the original angles of 20.4 and 11.4. Hopefully I am measuring correctly. I am using a digital level and zeroing it out on the top flange.
 
Its not easy but I was able to put a 1/4" rotary file bit in a 90 deg angle grinder and slowly grind away at it. Sounds really dangerous but it wasnt to bad just dont give the grinder full gas and it will work.
 
so why should I bother filing it down. I understand maximizing the aft angle for landing, but do I care how much forward the angle is? How often am I going to push the stick full forward? Just curious. I am sure that someone is going to flame me for this post.
 
I just completed these steps. As you said, filing the upper bracket was fairly easy. However, filing the lower stop was indeed a PITA. The only way I was able to do it, and get the two stops to hit together, was to use thin strips of 100 grit sand paper (~1/4"), threading them around the tube that the bracket hits with the rough side on the stop side. By holding some slight control force against the stop, it was possible to then pull the sandpaper out. This caused the sandpaper to remove a tiny bit of the stop ( I'm guessing about 2 atoms ;)). Repeat for a long time until the stops hit together. Fortunately, when I got the two stops hitting together, it was within spec. for travel. There is probably an easier way . . .

I just completed this process. Neither forward or back angle was quite up to minimum when I started, but I focused first on getting both sides hitting the stops simultaneously. I cut two strips of paper 8 1/2 long and 5/16" wide, held the stick bases neutral and threaded them down past the top stop, around the tube that contacts the stops and out over the bottom stop, one on each side. Relax the stick forward against the stop and tug each strip. On mine, the right was tight, no contact on the left. Hold the stick back and test the other way with a tug. Mine was tight on the left, no contact on the right. I then cut two strips of cloth-backed sandpaper, one 220 grit, the other 400. Worked on one side at a time with the 220 until there started to be some resistance to the tug (always using the plain paper strips to check.) Like in the post above, use the stick base to maintain pressure against the sandpaper on the stop you are sanding. Then finished with 400. My sandpaper strips were over a foot long and I would pull back and forth so I didn't have to keep threading it thru. Took awhile but was easy and foolproof. Best part is, when I got both sides contacting simultaneously, the stick travel was perfectly in the middle of the desired range.
 
I'm at this step right now .. it's so close, but I can fit a piece of paper under the right stop .. dangit! Anyone with additional advice before I proceed with Don's sandpaper method?
 
Just a follow up on this for anyone else that hasn't got to this point .. not as bad as it sounds .. while it seemed like it took us a 10 hours to file the stops to spec, from start to finish was about an hour and a half and it's perfect. We just used a large file and a digital pitch gauge. File, refit, measure, repeat, etc. You do have to remove the linkage to easily get to the bottom stop.
 
This part will test your patience.

I worked on the stick stops and made all four points to the near perfect, a piece of paper will engage almost equally on both sides, up and down, and my angels were nicely just about the range it has been given 13.6 forward and 23.1 aft.
Then I installed my elevators only to find out that the stops are getting engaged at the stick before the elevator hit the stop and not even close to the full deflection of 30 and 25 that is called for. So, I filed the tail for the full deflection range on the elevator and now with .3 degree of 30 and 25 degree but need to go back to the limits on the stick and file those, presumably quite a bit to make sure I am not being limited by the stick. I guess this will be a six-month task if I work on it 8 hours a day  So not looking forward to it.
 
I found the stops for the stick just needing a touch on one of the up stops to meet specs, there was a bit of filing down the back though to get the required degrees. More so with the up stop.
 
For the slow kit builders, this is easily done in section 29. Temporarily bolt the column in place before shimming and measure the angles. Remove the column to file. Took me 5 minutes.
 
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