Turn Coordinator Question

I purchased a brand new turn coordinator several months ago and just realized that it states "Calibrated for 0* Panel Tilt".

Since it does not provide pitch information, will it still be accurate in my 8* tilt panel? (It seems that it would function fine to me but I'm wondering what discrepancies I might see in the instrument.)

Thanks....

Dredging up 30 year old memories from A&P school, I seem to remember that the gyro in a TC is canted at an angle and that's what allows it to show roll data.

If your panel isn't vertical, I believe that it will throw off that angle and skew the reading, but I don't know how much.

Many instrument panels are built not vertical, but 8° off the vertical. For gyroscopic intruments to be precise, they need to be built to a known local vertical, i.e., compensated for any panel tilt.

For a turn coordinator, which is a rate gyro, the sensitive axis is tilted from the vertical so that the turn coordinator senses a combination of both yaw rate (turn rate) and roll rate (anticipated turn rate, if you will -- phase lead for you control theory types). The anticipation makes it much, much easier to fly partial panel, and that's why it's there. I seem to recall that the tilt is about 30°.

I don't know what the panel tilt is for RVs, but somebody will, or maybe you could measure it with the plane leveled or from the plans. Guess #1: it's 8°. Guess #2: if it's not 8°, and you're not flying IFR, it probably doesn't matter much.

If the turn coordinator and panel tilt aren't matched, the effect will be that the indication for standard rate turn (3°/sec) will be off. This really only matters when ATC is vectoring you onto a final approach course IFR and they expect standard rate, or if you're doing timed turns to a heading.

Thank you for the replies. I was thinking that in a descent or climb where the nose I was pointed up or down by 8*, the TC should still provide me accurate information...no?

I'll have to test fly it to see what anomaly it shows. I'd hate to have to buy another right now.

Again - thank you and a Happy 2019 to all.