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Thread: Yoke position/rigging question.

  1. #1

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    Default Yoke position/rigging question.

    Hello,

    I have been playing with my pacer for a few years now. I keep learning new things and picking up more subtle feedback from the plane.

    what I have noticed lately is that on calm days when I trim out the plane for hands off flight, the plane tends to enter a very slight left turn with the yoke slightly turned to the left. I have gotten used to resting my right thumb on the yoke to compensate and keep the plane flying straight and level with the yoke centered.

    my question is if this is normal? I weight 230 lbs and often fly alone. Is this normal behavior for a property rigged pacer and it’s leaning due to my asymmetrical loading on the left side of the plane. Or, does this indicate a slight rigging issue? If it’s a rigging issue, is there a simple fix like tightening a turnbuckle somewhere to center the yoke., or do I need to have someone go through the whole piper rigging procedure checking washout, angle of incidence, etc.

  2. #2
    Glen Geller's Avatar
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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Have you tried flying solo from the right seat?
    Practice "simulated" changing seats on the ground, then climbup to a few thousand feet and skooch over to the right seat and do the hands off flying.

    GG
    Glen Geller
    1955 PA22-150 "One For Papa!"

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Quote Originally Posted by Glen Geller View Post
    Have you tried flying solo from the right seat?
    Practice "simulated" changing seats on the ground, then climbup to a few thousand feet and skooch over to the right seat and do the hands off flying.

    GG
    That’s an interesting idea. Never crossed my mind to fly from the right seat.


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  4. #4

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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    What is the fuel load when it does this? Are you burning down the right tank?

    I use the slight imbalance to remind me to watch the fuel. I usually run the right all the way down, then go to the left.

    As for rigging, half a turn in on the left rear or half a turn out on the right rear strut fork may be too much.

    When it is doing this, is the ball centered? Could you be holding a little left rudder unconsciously?

    All else fails, half a turn up on the right flap or half a turn down on the left.

    With all rigging adjustments remember, increasing lift will increase drag, decreasing lift will decrease drag. Flying uncoordinated increases drag.

    Always make sure the urn and bank is really level in the instrument panel.


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  5. #5

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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Thanks those are some good ideas too. I will check.


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  6. #6
    Administrator Steve Pierce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Is it enough to turn the strut fork in half a turn on the heavy wing? I like to rig them hands off.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Thanks to everyone that responded. With respect to turning in the strut a half turn. I have never done this before. Which way is in? Clockwise or counterclockwise? And which strut do you adjust? The front or the rear? Thanks.

    Tim


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  8. #8
    Administrator Steve Pierce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Turn the rear strut in (standard thread clockwise if looking from the fork end) on the heavy wing. That will give you a touch more lift on that wing.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Pierce View Post
    Turn the rear strut in (standard thread clockwise if looking from the fork end) on the heavy wing. That will give you a touch more lift on that wing.
    You are reliably awesome. Thank you. Wish I would have run into you at oshkosh this year. I owe you quite a few beers at this point.

    And DGApilot it was nice running into you by accident at Philips.


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  10. #10
    mmoyle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Yoke position/rigging question.

    Dissimilar rudder return springs could do that too. One a little longer than the other perhaps due to fatigue maybe?


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