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Throttle/mixture left side?

Bevan

Well Known Member
Has anyone put their throttle and mixture on the left side on a "Affordable panels" sub panel RV7 or RV9? I'm 5'8" and feel like my knee would comfortably live below these controls when they're in the full out position, but not sure for the next guy who may be taller. I really want throttle and flaps for my left hand. Trying to make it work on the left side of the panel.

Bevan
RV7A
 
I have a two lever quadrant on the left side of my RV-6. I really like it.

I'm headed out of town for the weekend, but can send you a pic if you're interested. Send me a PM...
 
Has anyone put their throttle and mixture on the left side on a "Affordable panels" sub panel RV7 or RV9? I'm 5'8" and feel like my knee would comfortably live below these controls when they're in the full out position, but not sure for the next guy who may be taller. I really want throttle and flaps for my left hand. Trying to make it work on the left side of the panel.

Bevan
RV7A

Not sure why the AP panel would be any different than any other. Panel clearance to the quadrant should be roughly the same.
Here is one.
http://rvproject.com/20030521.html
 
Has anyone put their throttle and mixture on the left side on a "Affordable panels" sub panel RV7 or RV9? I'm 5'8" and feel like my knee would comfortably live below these controls when they're in the full out position, but not sure for the next guy who may be taller. I really want throttle and flaps for my left hand. Trying to make it work on the left side of the panel.

Bevan
RV7A

I used a RV-8 back seat throttle quadrant on the arm rest for a while, but if the panel is not appropriately planned, like flap switch, radios, and trim for the left hand reach, it is awkward to be switching stick hands, especially on final. I changed it to center throttle after a while because of a lack of panel planning for a left hand operation, although I much prefer flying with right hand.
 
Food for thought...

I bought my RV7 with the throttle, mixture on the left hand side of the pilot seat. It was a taildragger. I couldn't get an instructor to agree to dual unless the controls were in the center.

Left hand controls make it harder for dual training.
Left hand controls limit the number of people that can fly the plane (unless dual controls)
Left hand controls decrease the market 'if' you ever want to sell your plane.

How about center controls and you fly from the right seat?

That being said, that's the great part about building an experimental airplane- build it the way you want.
 
I agree but dissagree

.

Left hand controls make it harder for dual training.
Left hand controls limit the number of people that can fly the plane (unless dual controls)
Left hand controls decrease the market 'if' you ever want to sell your plane.

How about center controls and you fly from the right seat?

That being said, that's the great part about building an experimental airplane- build it the way you want.

I have a LH throttle with Prop and mixture in the middle. I used a standard Vans center sub panel with only two of the holes used.

The LH throttle is a little sub panel that I bent out of a piece of aly and screwed to the bottom of the panel like the center sub panel.

If I ever sell the airplane I simply drill out the spare hole in the center sub panel and moved the cable...Will take about an hour to do and the cable length is standard.

I fly the airplane IFR and there is a little hand swapping involved...not ideal but I just learned to do it.

Sure i could learn to fly with the other hand (and to be honest a lot of my IMC flying is flown this way) but for acro and tricky landings etc i just feel better with the LH throttle.

So bottom line I can't see how this setup will have any impact on value...I just move the cable and remove the little sub panel on the left..Voila all controls now in the middle.

I have no problem finding a CFII and a DE for the IFR rating.

Cheers

Frank 7a
 
Oh and

I have provision for adding a second cable to the right seat for the PX...This could go in the middle or on the right...I was just too cheap to buy a second cable...:)
 
I am glad I did center Throttle on my 6

I really thought it would be tough to transition from my L3 and Bucker, left hand controls, to the center mounted controls on the 6. In actuality, from the very first flight it felt comfortable and I am glad I kept it there for several reasons.
Moving back and forth between my airplanes is done without a second though. Also, one of the risks is getting "handed" where one hand starts to dominate the other and pretty soon, your only rolling to the left and not comfortable doing otherwise. (just an example).
I now find that I am comfortable flying with either hand.
Bottom line, it is most defineatly personal preference, but I like changing things up between my airplanes.
 
I really thought it would be tough to transition from my L3 and Bucker, left hand controls, to the center mounted controls on the 6. In actuality, from the very first flight it felt comfortable and I am glad I kept it there for several reasons.
Moving back and forth between my airplanes is done without a second though. Also, one of the risks is getting "handed" where one hand starts to dominate the other and pretty soon, your only rolling to the left and not comfortable doing otherwise. (just an example).
I now find that I am comfortable flying with either hand.
Bottom line, it is most definitely personal preference, but I like changing things up between my airplanes.

Thanks for the thoughts, I learned to be a lefty yoke flyer, and that's about all the precision that my left had will do, ( I am strongly right handed ), and I had wondered about this. I think that whenever I do finish my 6 it will be easiest for me to fly it as it was designed. It will be the first taildragger I will fly on a regular basis, so that is what I will get used to. Do what you think will be the most functional for you and remember "It's Your Plane" Have Fun!
 
Lefty

Throttle on the left, mixture by vernier in the middle. Had a quadrant with both on the left but on occasion, would pull the mixture back with the throttle and visa versa. Pretty easy to bump the mixture going either way.

I also have AFP injection and found it difficult to lean precisely with the quadrant. As it is, a half turn on the vernier is over 0.5 gpm difference. I know Dan watches mixture closely so he must have found a way around that issue.
 
I also have AFP injection and found it difficult to lean precisely with the quadrant. As it is, a half turn on the vernier is over 0.5 gpm difference. I know Dan watches mixture closely so he must have found a way around that issue.
There's just enough friction in my control cables to keep things steady, regardless of quadrant friction. I guess I'm lucky...I have very fine-grain control over mixture.
 
I'm a while before I need to mess with the engine controls but was thinking about making a center sub panel that was removable. I was thinking of making the center sub panel adjustable where it can be fixed in the center or moved to the left side when desired. Can this be done if you leave the cables long enough? I'm thinking when I'm solo or with the wife, the throttle can be on my left and then if I'm with a fellow pilot or instructor for BFR, I can move the throttle back to the center.
 
Left AND centre ...?

I have provision for adding a second cable to the right seat for the PX...This could go in the middle or on the right......:)

I'm thinking along the lines of an extra left-wall throttle - as a 'repeater' of the centre throttle - similar to the RAF basic trainer the Slingsby Firefly. Surely, I can't be the first to dream up this combination.

I'm not quite at this stage of the build, but any top tips on dual installation, blogs etc would be most welcome..!

Regards to all :). Chris
 
AN OPTION

G'day Chris,

I pondered dual engine controls (knob &/or quadrant) in our RV-7. Eventually I decided to avoid the extra effort and fitted a throttle knob (friction), vernier prop, and vernier mixture engine controls, centre mounted beneath the panel as per plans. I use a Dynon D100 EFIS (left) and Dynon D120 EMS (right). GPS is in the centre. Radio left, & transponder right, beneath the Dynons. Left & right seat PTT buttons are either side of the throttle on the engine sub panel and can be used without moving a hand from the throttle; guarded flap switch is centre top of the wing spar just aft of the fuel supply valve. Manual elevator and aileron trim are as per plans on the centre line.

The EFIS/EMS can swap/split screens so the aircraft can be flown from either seat with both flight & engine info in front of either pilot.

Usually I fly from the right seat leaving a full EFIS display on the left screen and full EMS screen in front of me. I would swap the EFIS screen to my side if inadvertently entering IMC - avoided to date.

The main aim was to optimise utility for formation flight while keeping the build & maintenance as simple as possible. I have not yet missed HOTAS switches, dual throttle quadrants etc.

Regards
 
Dual throttles

G'day Chris,

I pondered dual engine controls (knob &/or quadrant) in our RV-7. Eventually I decided to avoid the extra effort and fitted a throttle knob (friction), vernier prop, and vernier mixture engine controls, centre mounted beneath the panel as per plans. I

Cheers Bob,

Sound pragmatic set-up,....will certainly have to give the dual throttle some more thought; thanks for your wise words.

Seasons' best, Chris;)
 
Anyone have any pictures of the left hand throttles? It seems all these links are dead because this is an older post. I did not want to start a new thread so thought i could revive this one.

Any pictures of the left hand throttle would be a big help
 
Anyone have any pictures of the left hand throttles? It seems all these links are dead because this is an older post. I did not want to start a new thread so thought i could revive this one.

Any pictures of the left hand throttle would be a big help
Wish I had pics, but it's been too many years. But an old friend of mine built a Glasair III with throttle quadrants on the far left and right side of the cockpit. Left the area in the center area available for radios if I recall. Took a lot of work as he scratch built everything. Used push/pull linkages for each item which were all interconnected with bell cranks, spherical bearing rod ends, etc. It worked very well, but took a lot of effort to fabricate. Sorry - I sure wish I had pics. And talk about a fast plane...
 
Anyone have any pictures of the left hand throttles? It seems all these links are dead because this is an older post. I did not want to start a new thread so thought i could revive this one.

Any pictures of the left hand throttle would be a big help

20060214_quadrant_installed5.jpg
 
Dan

I was thinking about Dan the other day. He took me up for a ride back in 2006. Great guy.

I wonder if he is still flying that 7 and did it ever get a paint job?

Has he built anything else?

Anyone have any idea?:D
 

Is this your set up Dan? How we'll do you like it over time? Is there a dual throttle or controls in the middle as we'll? This looks good. I have been pondering this... Been thinking another option would be a single left throttle only quadrant with the prop and mixture, vernier type in the left inst panel where the wemac is or above just forward of the proposed single thrott quad.... All left side...

Someone has done this I'm sure..

Any thoughts....
 
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Not on the left but still I used a throttle quadrant.
New%252520Panel%2525202.JPG


600+ hours, two engines, and two panels and I wouldn't fly without it!

This is an Affordable Panels panel with a recessed sub-panel for switches and breakers on either side of the quadrant.
 
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Is this your set up Dan? How we'll do you like it over time? Is there a dual throttle or controls in the middle as we'll? This looks good. I have been pondering this... Been thinking another option would be a single left throttle only quadrant with the prop and mixture, vernier type in the left inst panel where the wemac is or above just forward of the proposed single thrott quad.... All left side...

Someone has done this I'm sure..

Any thoughts....

Yeah, that's my setup. I've since added a smoke switch on the throttle (got it from Dayton Murdock/DJM). Single controls, left side only. I consider this plane my side-by-side tip-up RV-8 from a control standpoint.

I'm very happy with it. It did complicate things and add build time & cost, though. But so did a handful of other tweaks I made.
 
I have redundant throttles. One left and one on a throttle quadrant in the middle of my 7. I love it! When I was looking at the plane for purchase, I thought it was overkill. I had already warmed up to the idea of having to fly lefty after my original transition training. But since buying the plane, I've never touched the center throttle, not even for runup or other ground ops. I really love being able to fly right handed. I presume a mixture lever could have been added too but since I only move that once in a while, I am glad that only the throttle is on the left. Keeps things cleaner.
 
Yeah, that's my setup. I've since added a smoke switch on the throttle (got it from Dayton Murdock/DJM). Single controls, left side only. I consider this plane my side-by-side tip-up RV-8 from a control standpoint.

I'm very happy with it. It did complicate things and add build time & cost, though. But so did a handful of other tweaks I made.

I initially thought that quad was to big but the way you installed it seems like it could work for me as well. I was just sitting in my airplane getting a visual.. Yeah I like it. I could even see a small carbon composite enclosure over the quad maybe with a wrist rest?

For critical phases of flight, formation etc. I prefer right hand flying....What other considerations did you have if any to reduce hand switching?

Could you share more pics of the install FW fwd etc.

Greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
I have redundant throttles. One left and one on a throttle quadrant in the middle of my 7. I love it! When I was looking at the plane for purchase, I thought it was overkill. I had already warmed up to the idea of having to fly lefty after my original transition training. But since buying the plane, I've never touched the center throttle, not even for runup or other ground ops. I really love being able to fly right handed. I presume a mixture lever could have been added too but since I only move that once in a while, I am glad that only the throttle is on the left. Keeps things cleaner.

Can you share a pic of that LH throttle?

Thanks
 
For critical phases of flight, formation etc. I prefer right hand flying....What other considerations did you have if any to reduce hand switching?

Same re: critical phases & formation. I'm ham fisted enough as it is flying with my good hand (right hand).

Other considerations...mainly things like making the stick highly functional. Flip-flop & flaps are on the stick, for example.

It's definitely not ideal in a side-by-side, but hey, some of us are stubborn.
 
You can always set it up to fly PIC from the right seat. My -9's set up that way and it feels natural on the ground. I'm yet to try it in flight yet though...
 
If all will pardon a stupid question, can someone describe how the 2 throttles interconnect so both move together, and how to connect them both to engine? The behind the panel arrangements are something I have yet to work out.
John
 
One thing that hasn't been mentioned in depth, is switch position.

When setting up your panel and control stick, think long and hard about the location of smoke, trim, flap, and boost pump switches. In my case, I can go full forward on the throttle & mixture levers, push in the carb heat, and toggle the flaps up without taking my hand off the throttle quadrant.

Also, when flying formation, I hold on to the quadrant with my hand and work the throttle lever with my thumb. This prevents large movements due to turbulence.

hand%20on%20throttle.jpg

(Click to enlarge.)
 
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