• Welcome aboard HomebuiltAirplanes.com, your destination for connecting with a thriving community of more than 10,000 active members, all passionate about home-built aviation. Dive into our comprehensive repository of knowledge, exchange technical insights, arrange get-togethers, and trade aircrafts/parts with like-minded enthusiasts. Unearth a wide-ranging collection of general and kit plane aviation subjects, enriched with engaging imagery, in-depth technical manuals, and rare archives.

    For a nominal fee of $99.99/year or $12.99/month, you can immerse yourself in this dynamic community and unparalleled treasure-trove of aviation knowledge.

    Embark on your journey now!

    Click Here to Become a Premium Member and Experience Homebuilt Airplanes to the Fullest!

Control preferences?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

dwalker

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
1,746
Location
Tennessee
I did not find a specific area I felt this actually fit, and it occurred to me that this might provoke some very opinionated answers, so this might be the right arena for the discussion...


That said, as the Dragonfly inches and crawls painfully slowly forward, I need to make some decisions about the controls, because bearing blocks and other mounts etc. need to be planned for, made, and epoxied permanently-ish in place. More specifically, I need to decide if I want to do single center stick in the console, dual controls with center stick and right side armrest stick, or dual controls with sticks in left and right side armrests.
With center console control stick will have dual throttle controls on each side of the panel.
With dual side controls would have a single throttle control in center of panel
Reflexer and electric trim will be in the center panel/console, although I have considered wiring them into a "hat" switch on the sticks.
Speed brake, if I use it will be electrically actuated on the panel.
Reflexer, trims, and speedbrake, if I use electric rather than manual, will have a digital readout showing position/percentage on a bar graph or dial. Even with manual trims I can use linear, string, or rotary pots to give me the position/percentages.
The reflexor and pitch trim will likely be servo controlled.
Rudder pedals will be as plans, although mounted on a removable panel instead of the canard, and with differential hydraulic brakes.
Pretty much settled on differential brakes on left side only. I could add brakes to the right side but I am hesitant to add them as it adds complexity, weight, and more points for leaks or outright failure. I have no real plan as of now for a parking brake setup, but I feel like I should make one.

Other things I am considering but no immediate decision needed are the servo controlled trim tabs for pitch and roll trim.
Any thoughts, input, cautionary tales etc. are certainly welcome.
 
Back
Top