Re: How to do a Positive Control Check?


Lotsa good stuff in this thread

I have a Nimbus 2C which has eight manual connections - six in the fuselage
and two in the wings. There's also an incredible number of moving
mechanical components comprising an almost incomprehensible monkey motion in
the fuselage and wings. If you move any control, pretty much everything
moves. Although I don't have a lot of experience with the N3 and N4, it
appears they are even more complicated than the N2.

I do the control hookups in overlapping stages. First, I make the outer
wing connections and safety them - then I try to take them apart again by
pulling and twisting on the connection and by pushing on the release tab.
If they fail to come apart, I figure the connection is well made. I do the
same with the six fuselage connections.

But, of course, there's more ways for the control linkage to fail. I
regularly inspect and lubricate all the control system pivot points even if
it takes a flashlight and mirror

With the ship well assembled and lubed, I do the classic positive control
check with me at the control surfaces if the helper is inexperienced or I
may wiggle the stick if the helper knows his job.

I think that a takeoff with one outer aileron connection disconnected and
positive flap would be a certain disaster. Fortunately, negative flaps for
the takeoff roll up to picking up the tailwheel and neutral flap after that
works fine.

Bill D



"ContestID67" <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1d6c473b-b5e7-473d-b558-cf935cee6882@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A recent accident (disconnected aileron) got me thinking about
positive control checks. I searched the RAS archives and didn't find
any details on how people do this.

I was trained by my CFIG, like most of you I hope, to do a positive
control check every day. Actually it was more like it was drilled
into me. This was even done on club ships that remain assembled for
the season.

As a beginning pilot I would sit in the cockpit and move the controls
as someone more experienced put their hands on the flight surfaces.
Later I found that anyone can handle the controls, it's the hands on
the surfaces that was much more telling if things were connected
properly or not. My ship does not have automatic hookups so this is
especially important to me.

I got into the habit of having my assistant move the control one way,
then the other, then back again with full deflection. All the while I
was putting pressure on the surface and, at the same time, wiggling
the surface to simulate take off vibration. So far, no incidents,
knock on wood.

So, the question is, how do *YOU* do your positive control check?

John "67" DeRosa


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