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RV-4 flap connection lost!

C

chuck

Well Known Member
The other day on medium final my flaps (electric) went from full deflection to 0 deflection in an instant with a soft thud. I went around and checking things out and determined that I the motor was moving but the flaps weren't. An uneventful landing was made.

It turns out that the rod end into the flap tube (under the rear stick) had backed completely out. There was a jam nut in place but apparently it wasn't tight. I went over it with an AP and she told me that certified AC would not have a flight control rigged in this way and some form locking would be used (saftey wire, cotter etc).

Has anyone had this problem? How is this control connection supposed to be done?
 
chuck said:
I went over it with an AP and she told me that certified AC would not have a flight control rigged in this way and some form locking would be used (saftey wire, cotter etc).
Click to expand...

You are correct. ;-) Van's has changed the plans for this part on the RV-7 (possibly a SB also?). The new plans have you drill a hole next to the jam nut and put safety wire through that hole to secure the jam nut. Additionally, the wire then loops around the bolt/weldament fitting to ensure no rotation can take place.
 
Flap failure

Chuck - I am struggling to understand which connection failed. Was it the top right bearing in this

picture, or one of the ends on the part that is missing from it?

Thanks, Steve.
 
Lockwire the flap motor.

Chuck - I have put a copy of a part of the RV9A plan here for you. (7/23/06 entry) Double click on the picture and you will get a readable copy. It shows you exactly what VANS propose you do. It should work just as well on a -4 I guess.

Glad you didnt have an accident.
 
Thanks for the link, I'll be making that change. It really should be a service notice of some kind. If it happened really close to the ground it could have been a really hard landing...
 
Flap Safety Wiring

Can anyone post a "really good" image of the plans revision (or better yet a good close up picture of the completed safety wiring). All I can find is a small, poor quality image of the plans....just can't make sense of it.

Thanks for your help in advance.
 
Bill - I have added a photo of how I lock wired mine. Its the same link as below, but here it is again.

I dont know if either the RV9 plan image or my flap motor are "really good". They will be better if you double click on the pictures.

Hope that helps, Stvee.
 
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