Rudder Gust Lock for OSH 2023

[plehrke]

After looking through lots of posts on several threads (mainly this one from last year) I have determined that my best chance to avoid rudder damage, should a thunderstorm with high winds happen again this year, is to use a combination or two gust locks; one holding bottom and one holding top.
The first is the one from AntiSplat Aero. Just bought it so no personal experience yet, but based on reviews I have seen, I think it will work OK. It is a little awkward to install since the center of my rudder peddles (centered between side of fuselage and battery box) is not directly in line with my stick. The center of my rudder peddles on pilot side are about 1” left (outbd) of the stick position.
The second rudder gust lock is a homemade upper rudder holding fixture I made in about an hour from $10 of stuff bought at Lowe’s. It fits very snug and works well to limit any movement of the rudder.
Parts list:
(2) 30” pieces of 3/4” PVC tubing
6’ pipe insulation foam for 3/4” pipe (cut into multiple pieces)
(3) 1/4-20 bolts length (2) 5” and (1) 4”. (I would have preferred eye bolt with longer threaded sections but Lowe’s did not have any)
(3) 1/4-20 wings nuts
(6) 1/4” washers
Several pieces of 1/4” ID rubber tubing
Reuse of one “remove before flight” flag

 

[jmbrwn]

I still use a similar PVC one. It saved my rudder in reported 70mph winds at Fond du Lac one year. Buddy of mine parked next to me had fist sized hole in his rudder
Not the fanciest...but it works.

 

[Dugaru]

One data point

I constructed a PVC one just like this. It worked for several years but then one of the two longer tubes broke just forward of a rear elbow joint. Not sure how well PVC reacts to repeated bending stress.

I’ve been very pleased with the Antisplat device.

 

[texdog]

Control lock

I’m going to try 1/4 inch board, 32 inches long 3 inches wide with felt and see if that will work. I have the Anti-Splat and that has always worked, but I don’t mind a little extra.

 

[Scott Hersha]

I have some pretty robust control locks and tie down, but if I see something coming at us like last year, I’m going to turn my airplane around, flaps up, and point the nose into the wind.

 

[wirejock]

Rudder gust lock

I always thought a sock over both the VS and rudder and one each end of the HS and elevators. Then some sewn in straps to lock them in trail and all the surfaces become one unit. No slapping around. It wouldnt have to be super heavy duty fabric. I may have my Seamstress Sweetie fabricate it for Lucy.

Just my unedumicated idear.

 

[dmattmul]

Best advice out there

I have some pretty robust control locks and tie down, but if I see something coming at us like last year, I’m going to turn my airplane around, flaps up, and point the nose into the wind.

To many airframes were pointed in the wrong direction last year. There where 6 or 7 around me all pointed tail into the wind and damaged. My airframe went unscathed (RVPLASTIC Gust Locks) but maybe more luck than skill.

 

[Flying Canuck]

Timely topic. My prototyping shop (aka me, FreeCAD and a new 3D printer) is working up some rudder locks for my 9A right now - for OSH '23.

It's a simple custom shaped block (one each side) that tightly sits between the rudder horn and the rudder stop. The 3D printed pieces would only take compression loads and I'll print them with a high infill. I've also designed a clip that will hook onto the rudder horn and the front of the block. That should keep the blocks from slipping out laterally.

My previous prototype blocks allowed no movement of the rudder whatsoever without any forces on anything but the horn and stops. These are a tight fit, 40 mm from aft edge of stop to forward face of rudder horn.

I've got aileron locks nearing completion too, these will fit in the hinge slot above the pushrods and prevent that side from coming up. Again compression only load on the blocks and pressure is only hinge edges.

Attached pictures are prototypes only, the white ones are the aileron locks. Rudder blocks are shown front looking downward. Final builds will be red and will incorporate remove before flight tags.

I'm still wrestling with how I'm going to do elevator locks. Have a few ideas, but haven't found one I love yet.

 

[pilotkms]

I think there are some Follow Me scooter drivers on this forum. What is their plan for leading traffic? What’s going to happen when I quit following them and taxi down a different isle and point my nose west ???
Do we need another sign ? HBC - POINT ME WEST.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

I think there are some Follow Me scooter drivers on this forum. What is their plan for leading traffic? What’s going to happen when I quit following them and taxi down a different isle and point my nose west ???

It'll be interesting to see if Jeff Point chimes in here. I'm sure people facing their aircraft West would really screw up their operations, if only because parking aligns airplanes on burn lines which are set to face East.

 

[rockwoodrv9]

I always thought a sock over both the VS and rudder and one each end of the HS and elevators. Then some sewn in straps to lock them in trail and all the surfaces become one unit. No slapping around. It wouldnt have to be super heavy duty fabric. I may have my Seamstress Sweetie fabricate it for Lucy.

Just my unedumicated idear.

I think you could do it nicely in a non stretch material sock but I think you would want sleeves in it for pieces of pipe or something rigid so the sock couldnt rotate.

On the OP's picture, it may be better having the support pipe at the center than the top? I bet there is still quite a bit of play at the bottom where it has the most surface to catch wind.

I remember on my flight from Idaho to Michigan just after phase 1, I used gorilla tape over the top horn and rudder. It worked for the night but didnt do the paint any favor when I took it off!

 

[sprucemoose]

It'll be interesting to see if Jeff Point chimes in here. I'm sure people facing their aircraft West would really screw up their operations, if only because parking aligns airplanes on burn lines which are set to face East.

It won’t screw things up as much as you might think. As long as they still within the boundaries of their parking lane, it won’t much matter. If folks want to park facing the opposite direction of their line, we’ll accommodate that as best as we can.

Within HBC and Area 51 we literally have parking downs facing all 4 cardinal directions due to the layout of the area. So which direction should we face everyone?

I’ve been thinking about a separate thread on this topic, just to inform everyone what to expect this year after the incidents of damage from last year. I’ll try to get that done in the next couple of days.

 

[sprucemoose]

I think there are some Follow Me scooter drivers on this forum. What is their plan for leading traffic? What’s going to happen when I quit following them and taxi down a different isle and point my nose west ???
Do we need another sign ? HBC - POINT ME WEST.

Bluster aside, I really recommend against this. Not only are you creating a safety hazard (the escorts are there primarily to keep you out of pedestrian traffic) but we also steer you around unsafe areas. A couple years ago we had a pilot (not an RV) back in the southeast corner of HBC decide to abandon his escort and go off on his own. He had a prop strike. He did not get a lot of sympathy. We really don’t want to see this kind of thing happen.

 

[plehrke]

On the OP's picture, it may be better having the support pipe at the center than the top? I bet there is still quite a bit of play at the bottom where it has the most surface to catch wind.

As stated, I am also using the AntiSplate gust lock which locks the rudder cables at the bottom of the rudder. Top and bottom locks to specifically address the potential for twisting loads with only one gust lock.

I am not assuming I can park nose into the wind so being prepared for which ever way I get parked.

 

[JGT]

I just use two sticks hinged at one end to wedge between the copilot peddles and framed. Simple and easy to set before you get out !

 

[wcalvert]

Here comes the rain again ...

Whatever you do for a gust lock, think in terms of a 10 year old kid pushing and pulling on the trailing edge of the rudder in full rage mode with both feet ... for 15 minutes.

I'll stay out of the "direction to face discussion", but the wind gusted from all directions hard enough to make it difficult to stand up, and that didn't include the torrential horizontal downpour happening at the same time. So not like the "steady push" you might do during testing in your warm dry hangar. Pretty extreme.

... and assuming your gadget stays in place (many didn't), think about the ancillary damage that might occur from the point loads created during use (bent skin surfaces, popped fairings, etc.)

Skill or luck, be prepared to stand by your stead holding the reigns if it happens again!

 

[bkervaski]

should a thunderstorm with high winds happen again this year

You can count on it ... it's happened every single year we've attended, got my rudder good the first year ... what stories to tell

 

[rv8ch]

Whatever you do for a gust lock, think in terms of a 10 year old kid pushing and pulling on the trailing edge of the rudder in full rage mode with both feet ... for 15 minutes.

I'll stay out of the "direction to face discussion", but the wind gusted from all directions hard enough to make it difficult to stand up, and that didn't include the torrential horizontal downpour happening at the same time. So not like the "steady push" you might do during testing in your warm dry hangar. Pretty extreme.

... and assuming your gadget stays in place (many didn't), think about the ancillary damage that might occur from the point loads created during use (bent skin surfaces, popped fairings, etc.)

Skill or luck, be prepared to stand by your stead holding the reigns if it happens again!

This was my recollection from 2022 - I was going into a restaurant just before the storm came, it was shaking the building - not a steady wind.

I'm not sure anyone came up with a foolproof way to protect your control surfaces, but it seems like the anti-splat device or something else that really holds your surfaces using the stick and rudder pedals with just enough "give" to avoid slamming into the stops will be best.

Or just find a hangar!

 

[MED]

Not slamming the anti splat gust lock, but I had one in place - as secure as I could make it, and during all of the thrashing it came free of one rudder pedal. This allowed the rudder to move enough to catch the wind and cause damage. Fortunately, not structurally significant, according to the Van’s engineer who reviewed the damage. This year, I will use the gust lock with additional belt-and-suspenders locks securing at the control surfaces. Fingers crossed.

 

[bkervaski]

Next time I may just take the rudder off and avoid the whole debacle

 

[Flying Canuck]

After reading a lot of the posts on this topic, I'm adding another 3d printed lock for the trailing edge of the rudder. This will tie off to the elevator rod end bearings, the elevators will be locked in a full nose-up position with another external lock. I'll still have the rudder horn/rudder stop blocks I mentioned earlier, but this extra protection should help to keep the blocks from causing the rudder stops to break.

I've attached the model view. It will be secured with 1/8" utility cord and "loop alien" tensioners.

 

[uk_figs]

I was lucky last year and had no damage but my buddies rudder was damaged. I use the standard airgizmos gust locks. After reading the posts I ordered the anti-splat gust lock and will use both. The rationale based on my experience buying a generator for the house is that the better prepared I am the less likely there will actually be a storm, and that will be good for my plane and my new (after last years storm) tent
Figs

 

[texdog]

Tent light

Fig, what size battery goes in the light on our tent? The light says CR1921, but I don’t see any for sale. Thanks

 

[uk_figs]

Fig, what size battery goes in the light on our tent? The light says CR1921, but I don’t see any for sale. Thanks

Fred
I think the tent instructions say 2032 which is what I bought, I have not put them in yet.
Figs

 

[Thermos]

Next time I may just take the rudder off and avoid the whole debacle

Not a bad idea at all...

ds

 

[zmatt]

Thanks for posting, just made mine for Oshkosh.

 

[jfisher]

Just built the one with pvc tubes. Looks very sturdy and weighs only 1 lb. Will definitely be bringing to OSH. Thanks for the idea