Elevator down travel (Clipper)

[AKJurnee]

Assembled the tail feathers, the elevator in the down position does not look like enough deflection, it's hitting the stops in the tail. I used the upper door frame as the zero mark and I'm only getting roughly less than 9 degrees as the TCDS states it's 10 degrees down. I'm getting my full 26 degrees up, but not down. As far as I know the rear fuselage has not been repaired or wrecked.

Elevators shouldn't matter what side correct? They are interchangeable.

Any ideas?

Any photos of full down deflection supposed to look like on the Clipper?

[dgapilot]

Level the airplane using a plumb bob from the hole in the door upper Chanel to the center punch in the cross tube under the seat. Stabilizer should go 1 degree up to 6 1/2 degrees down. Elevator should go 26 up to 10 down. Set the stab at zero with the airplane level and use that as your zero for the elevator. Most of these airplanes have had tubing replaced over the years. Each time you weld, the tubing shrinks a little. I don't think I'd sweat being 1 degree off on elevator down. When was the last time you ever pushed the stick all the way forward (not counting to get the tail up on takeoff). Remember, the didn't have digital protractors in 1949!


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[Stephen]

Level the airplane using a plumb bob from the hole in the door upper Chanel to the center punch in the cross tube under the seat. Stabilizer should go 1 degree up to 6 1/2 degrees down. Elevator should go 26 up to 10 down. Set the stab at zero with the airplane level and use that as your zero for the elevator. Most of these airplanes have had tubing replaced over the years. Each time you weld, the tubing shrinks a little. I don't think I'd sweat being 1 degree off on elevator down. When was the last time you ever pushed the stick all the way forward (not counting to get the tail up on takeoff). Remember, the didn't have digital protractors in 1949!


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I agree, full up elevator is most important.

[AKJurnee]

My door Chanel's were replaced for the SB 819 so I don't have the hole to plum bob off of. I assumed to upper frame was zero so I'm wrong. Does anyone know the measurement for the hole in the upper door frame they could get for me? Whats another way to level the fuselage correctly.

It doesn't look right to me with hardly any down elevator. But I guess 10 degrees isn't much anyways.

good point on ever using down full elevator in flight

[dgapilot]

If you have the piper fuselage drawing, it should be on the drawing. I just ordered the CD, so don't have the drawings yet. Perhaps someone else will chime in.


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[AKJurnee]

I have the drawings didn't see it unless I missed it. Clyde Smith just gave me his measurement for the hole so I will reconfirm tomarrow of what my travel is supposed to be. He said 10 degrees isn't very much. Which hopefully makes better sense.

[dgapilot]

My door Chanel's were replaced for the SB 819 so I don't have the hole to plum bob off of. I assumed to upper frame was zero so I'm wrong. Does anyone know the measurement for the hole in the upper door frame they could get for me? Whats another way to level the fuselage correctly.

It doesn't look right to me with hardly any down elevator. But I guess 10 degrees isn't much anyways.

good point on ever using down full elevator in flight

Don't forget, you have 6 1/2 degrees stabilizer down, so combining them you get 16 1/2 degrees.


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[CamTom12]

I was short on elevator down travel as well. Steve said he’s seen the primary stop in the tail welded on wrong from the factory.

We ground my primary stop down and adjusted my cables to get my elevator travel back to factory (ended up with an extra 2 degrees down travel, which is nice).

I first realized I might have a rigging problem when I was loaded near max gross with a 3/4 aft CG. Full flaps and full throttle (hit by a big downdraft on final) and I couldn’t push the nose down. Pulled power to idle and the nose fell - I quickly dropped to 1/2 flaps and then added the power back with better results.

Now I have 12 degrees nose down elevator and love my pitch control even with full flaps. I never need to use full forward yoke any more, after the re-rig.

Aaaaand I just typed all that and realized you have a Clipper and no flaps. Probably don’t need to worry about it in your case.

[SClow303]

ok!! I have a a great question on this subject. My fuselage is obviously a mix of PA-17 along with the jack screw system added. At first I had only 12 degree's of up elevator deflection but realized that the my stop plate / cable link was 1/2 inches too long on the tail and hitting the upward deflection stop too early. I now have it cut down correctly and I am getting a full 24 degees up. The only issue I am having right now is the bolt that goes through the lower elevator horn rubs on the inside of my longerons and actually causes the travel to stop before it hits the stop. I ordered shorter clevis bolts to try and rectify the rubbing. The big issue I am having now is I have 22 degrees of downward travel. I keep reading over and over about the downward deflection stop in the tail but for the life of me and hours of looking at the piper CD I cannot find this stop at all! Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, otherwise I am going to be the king of inverted loops!

[SClow303]

I am either blind or an idiot. I keep reading all of these post that state there is a tube between the upper longerons that the lower section of the elevator horn contacts as a stop but cannot find it on a single drawing...