This post is a followup to a comment posted by Pops pertaining to rigging.
In the last couple of months, I have talked to several guys who have built/rebuilt airplanes. They both emphasized how important rigging is, and took great pride in the experiences and comments made by fellow pilots on how nice their bird was/is to fly.
My own first flight in a Chinook Plus 2 I rebuilt revealed that the previous builder had put the trim tab on backwards. Took a ton of left rudder to keep it strait in the pattern. I am embarrassed that I did not catch it on the ground fist. I just assumed it was right as the airplane had a lot of time on it. Flys great with the tab on the right direction. I have a friend who test flew a Pietenpol for a builder, and after landing it refused to ever fly it again as it was so badly rigged he was afraid for his life once airborne, and just barley got it down in one piece. Poor rigging can be dangerous.
I have read about vertical stabilizer being intentionally cocked a bit to one side, one wing having a bit more dihedral or washout then the other on purpose. All kinds of stuff, but rarely the how and why.
For those of you who have rigged airplanes, and got them flying nice, what was your methodology? Any tips and tricks?
In the last couple of months, I have talked to several guys who have built/rebuilt airplanes. They both emphasized how important rigging is, and took great pride in the experiences and comments made by fellow pilots on how nice their bird was/is to fly.
My own first flight in a Chinook Plus 2 I rebuilt revealed that the previous builder had put the trim tab on backwards. Took a ton of left rudder to keep it strait in the pattern. I am embarrassed that I did not catch it on the ground fist. I just assumed it was right as the airplane had a lot of time on it. Flys great with the tab on the right direction. I have a friend who test flew a Pietenpol for a builder, and after landing it refused to ever fly it again as it was so badly rigged he was afraid for his life once airborne, and just barley got it down in one piece. Poor rigging can be dangerous.
I have read about vertical stabilizer being intentionally cocked a bit to one side, one wing having a bit more dihedral or washout then the other on purpose. All kinds of stuff, but rarely the how and why.
For those of you who have rigged airplanes, and got them flying nice, what was your methodology? Any tips and tricks?
