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Old June 16th 08, 12:34 AM posted to rec.aviation.student,rec.aviation.piloting
Ken S. Tucker
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Posts: 442
Default Mechanics of Elevator Trim. In Detail.

On Jun 15, 1:30 pm, wrote:
On Jun 9, 12:36 pm, Le Chaud Lapin wrote:

On Jun 9, 1:19 pm, Gig 601Xl Builder
You never learned of trim until MSFS and you are going to design an
airplane. Fabulous!


Is it really necessary to understand the particular way it was done in
C172 to achieve the same result?


The same thing could be achieved using more electronics, less
mechanics, and the controls might be entirely different.


#1. Learn to fly first.
#2. Study the construction of aircraft, best done by taking an
aircraft maintenance course.
#3. THEN think about designing an airplane. No worthwhile design that
I'm aware of has ever been put forward by someone who was unfamiliar
with the way things are now and why they are that way, but I have seen
designs built by folks who "knew better" than everyone else. One of
those, built by a local guy who would take no constructive criticism
of his ideas, stalled at circuit altitude and dropped him, hard, on
the surface of the earth. He was such a stubborn guy that he got up
and walked away, but he neither built nor flew any more airplanes.
Needless to say, this design was neither inspected nor approved nor
licensed to any standard whatever.
Adding electronic controls to something like a trim tab on a
lightplane is one of those "better" ideas that has no basis in
reality. It adds complexity, which adds failure points and cost and
weight, none of which are welcome. It is no more accurate than manual
trim.
Dan


I concur with Dan on his last two posts, yeah that's
rare, but anyway...
I designed and tested (models) of a fantastic plane,
but when I chose between putting my wife and kids
in my fantastic plane or into a proven (safe) C172,
I chose the C172.
Here's why: If my machine cracked up due to a fault
in my design, and killed my family except for me, I'd
feel obligated to shoot myself, though I wouldn't.

That said, build your machine, put it threw it's paces
then take on a passenger, who knows what the tag
"EXPERMENTAL" means on the side of the A/C,
and have fun.
Ken