Andrew,
Allied Electrical has 90 degree D sub connectors available which reduces
the TruTrak electrical connector overall length. I use these on the
Dynon and other long EFIS types and radios if there is a clearance
problem. The length is cut about one inch. In the mono, the ply seat
support normally is cut out for the connector and a hole cover could be
made and or a bump manufactured in the ply/glass to make room for the
connector and still clear the wheel and brake during retraction in the
mono. After all, we had to move the rudder cables in to clear and I am
sure your TT roll servo will clear with a 90 degree connector.
At my shop we mount the roll servo in the aircraft with the arm attached
to the stick. The servo mounts to a aluminum plate attached to the
inboard access hole inboard of the passenger stick. A metal bracket is
manufactured for attachment to the current stick yolk. Clean neat and
simple install, but you must make a kick panel to cover the mechanism to
protect the control arm. I install on the passenger side, but it works
on the pilot side as well. Just a mirror image. For pitch, until this
mod came out, we attached the pitch servo to the tube behind the baggage
bay. Not optimum for maintenance but safe and doable with more work
than I'd like to admit.
As for the Mod 76 pitch mod, it is quite clever and does pose a sticky
fit. Again, as above, the photo in the Mod 76 instruction shows the
servo back of the TruTrack hard against the seat vertical support lying
on the floor with the D-sub protruding into the mono wheel well. The
wheel normally clears, if memory serves, the pilot side by some two
inches when using the 7 inch tire. This space allowed us to install the
airbrake system into the mono which also protrudes into the tunnel. By
guessing, the plywood is 1/8 inch and the hood is 1.5 inch leaving the
hood to protrude into the mono by about 1.25 inches. An alternative
mounting would be to install the servo vertically on a metal plate to
the access hole in the front of the seat using approved mounting
techniques, which would raise the connector to allow a bit more
clearance from the floor giving the mono gear frame a wider birth. Just
flip the bracket over. Also by disconnecting the arm from the shaft,
the MM3 style bearing can fit on the inside of the servo arm but your
bolt may need to be changed to a washer head 525 screw type for
clearance. This gives another 1/2 inch of clearance. Not worth the
effort in my opinion as future maintenance would be uncomfortable, but I
have done it for solving clearance issues. You will have to cover the
connector/wires in the wheel well to prevent dirt/water and the like
---From damaging the electrics for sure. Please do some measuring of your
aircraft before buying as no two aircraft are exactly alike.
I have never installed a Trio but I hear good things about them, I just
like the TruTrak for the attitude style display, ball, and servo
toughness, but there are issues with electrical reliability as I have
had two units that died within the first few hours of operation due to
circuit card mounting problems during assembly at the factory. That is
a 50% failure rate in my shop. Each has been fixed and works well now.
I just could be unlucky.
Regards,
Bud Yerly
Custom Flight Creations, Inc.
www.customflightcreations.com
(813) 653-4989
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Sarangan<mailto:asarangan@gmail.com>
To: europa-list@matronics.com<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2012 10:18 AM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: Trutrak or Trio Autopilot?
Thanks for that insight. I was just going by the website description.
However, Mod 76 says the Trutrak servo won't fit inside the thigh
support compartment because the D-type connector is at the back of the
servo and will stick out into the tunnel. So for the monowheel this
won't work. I am a bit surprised that the connector cannot be modified
somehow. But I don't have a Trutrak servo on hand to come up with a
different plan. Does anyone have thoughts on this?
On Sun, Jun 3, 2012 at 5:04 AM, G-IANI
<g-iani@ntlworld.com<mailto:g-iani@ntlworld.com>> wrote:
Andrew
Why do you say the Trio servo looks better?
The Trio servo is of the old analogue design while the TruTrak is a
digital stepper motor with far less to go wrong, wear out or fail. The
fact that Garmin, Dynon and others have decided to use the same unit
(although they are not electrically interchangeable) say a lot.
Ian Rickard G-IANI XS Trigear, 300hours
Europa Club Mods Specialist
e-mail g-iani@ntlworld.com<mailto:g-iani@ntlworld.com>
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