Hi,
I just finished installing the flap drive mechanism. My assumption was that the
strap on the outboard flap hinge determined the maximum flap extension, i.e.
30 degrees. So when I installed the flap drive tube, I made slots in the
fuselage
to accommodate the entire range for the flaps.
To my dismay, after installation of the actuator, the flaps only use 2/3th of
the
available range. The actuator reaches its limit far before the strap of the
outboard flap hinge reaches its limit.
To be sure, I measured the difference in angle of the flap, between fully
retracted
and "fully" extended. This is only 24 degrees! I confirmed this with a digital
gauge. Now I don't see how I can have done something wrong with this, as
long as you don't cut the hinges or reshape the flap drive tube, you can't alter
the maximum flap extension.
As a further test, I temporarily attached the Europa flap indicator decal on the
flap and wing, and to my surprise this decal tells me that the flap, fully
extended,
reaches 30 degrees...
Several questions cross my mind:
1) Is my method to measure the maximum flap extension correct? Does "30 degrees
flaps" actually mean that the flaps have rotated 30 degrees?
2) Has anyone else actually measured the maximum flap extension? The build
manual
doesn't tell you to measure it, but I suspect I'm not the only one who wants
to measure everything related to the controls. Or does everyone else just trust
the Europa flap indicator decal?
3) Why do I only get 24 degrees of flap extension? Maybe on the mono wheel it is
reaching 30 degrees, but on the tri-gear the electrical actuator is just too
short so it limits the flaps to 24 degrees?
4) If I drill another hole in the lugs of the flap drive tube, closer to the
rotation
center (i.e. truncating the lever action of the lugs) I will get more flap
travel (at the cost of a slight reduction in flap drive power). Anyone tried
this? It seems to me a safe way to fix this problem.
5) What is actually the maximum flap extension one can obtain? I suspect that it
is possible to actually get more than 30 degrees if the full travel allowed
by the outboard hinges is fully used. (I'm flying a Cessna with 40 degrees
flaps,
and I really love these 40 degrees flaps). Anyone tried/implemented this?
Thanks in advance for any answers.
Frans
Visit - www.EuropaOwners.org
|