Control System Complete

The control system has been fun to work on, but it does take a lot of adjusting to get everything correct. Once everything is together you make a measuring jig for the front of the system and with all the linkages connected the back bell crank should be positioned at 91.4°, I was a few degrees off. So then you take everything out or slide the tube forward or aft and adjust the bearings until the bell crank lines up. It all took way longer than I thought, but it's finished now and the bell crank is at 91.8° and I'm calling it good.

I also worked on the rudder pedals...these have been my Achilles' heel. For some reason I have been really stuck on these. Assembly of the parts is really easy, although what I thought was the front of the pedal is actually the back and put the rivets in backwards, so now the tails are looking at you. Well, I figured it's not a big deal just paint them and move on. I had a bright idea to coat them with vehicle under coating. Why not it's black, has texture to it, and should be durable. Prepping the parts and two coats later the stuff just chips right off......mistake. Ok now what. I decided to just drill them apart and strip the coating off and start over. The stripping (not the entertaining kind) and rebuilding will happen this weekend. Hopefully I can finish these and move on.

 

Dates and Times

Sat 28 -3.25hrs- Control System work
Sun 29 -3.5hrs- Control System work and screwing up rudder pedals
Mon 30 -1.5hrs- Control System adjustments, drilled apart rudder pedals
October
Tues 1 -1.0hr- Drilled control sticks
Wed 2 -1.25hrs- Finished Control System

The forward push pull tube that attaches to the control column needs extra clearance around the bearing. A longer bearing unscrewed more than half way is used to accomplish this. Unscrewing a bearing more than half way causes concern that it could come off and must be safety wired. The plans call for one side to be wired, but I thought two would be better. I then tie wrapped the two wires to the bolt to help clear the control column tabs.

Push pull rod installed.


I wanted to remove any slack in the system but I didn't want the control stick base continually rubbing against the control column flanges. So to resolve the issue I added two washers over the bushing.

Another view of the added washers.

All the parts assembled and torqued.

Finished - Baggage Door & Brake Lines / Started - Control System and Rudder Pedals

I've done a lot lately. A lot of little things which always feels like I've just been piddling around in the shop and really accomplishing anything. Although, I can now say: the brake lines are finished along with the parking brake, the baggage door section is complete, the antenna doublers are installed, more interior panels were soundproofed and installed, the seat floors were riveted in place, and I started on the rudder and control system sections. I do need to say Thanks to Ed for his video he posted on his baggage door. I basically followed the exact same installation method he had done and it turned out great.

 

 

Dates and Times

Tue 17 -1.0hr- built bracket for parking brake

Wed 18 -1.25hrs- repositioned brake lines

Thurs 19 -1.0hr- insulation

Sat 21 -6.0hrs- with help, antenna doublers installed, com antenna cables, insulation, rivet seat panels, finished brake lines, installed parking brake, torqued brake lines

Sun 22  -4.25hrs- Primed control system parts, riveted seat floors, cut tubing, riveted side closeout panels

Mon 23 -3.5hrs- riveted baggage door side panel, built rudder pedals, riveted ends onto control tubes 

Tues 24 -1.25hrs- push pull tube end caps 

Wed 25 -1.25hrs- control system work

 

You can buy an installation kit from Airward for the parking brake. It's essentially a machined bracket with hardware and costs a whopping $170. OR you can bend a piece of aluminum into a hat channel,  reorient the valve lever, and bolt into place and you have the same thing for free! I used the Permatex thread sealant on the NPT fittings and torqued the AN fittings as described in AC 43.13.

 

 

Final brake line install with soundproofing and torque stripe.

 

Finished installing the side closeout panels and ran coax for the com antenna



Riveted the rudder pedals together.



The push pull rods look so cool like this. Wrap some copper wire around them and it would look like I'm building something much more sinister than an airplane.