rrc1962
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2014
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Hi All.
I've been flying our new Cherokee Six for a few days now and it seems to have a rudder trim issue. You have to hold a lot of left rudder in cruise to center the ball. The trim is all the way out to the left. If I turn it to the right, the problem gets worse. Back to the left and rudder pressure decreases, just don't have enough to get the ball centered.
On the ground with the nose wheel off the ground, with the rudder trim in the full left position, the rudder is about an 3/4 of an inch off center to the right and the rudder pedals show the same. If I move the trim in the other direction, the rudder and pedals move further to the right.
In the air, with the trim to the left stop, the ball is about 1.5 - 2 balls off. If I center the ball, the rudder pedals become even and the airspeed increases. In a climb I have to hold very little to no left rudder. I did departure stalls today and the ball was centered all the way to the break with no rudder input. The break was clean and straight. Because the plane steers straight on the ground and tracks straight in the air with the ball centered, I don't think it's a rigging issue.
I suspect the rudder trim gizmo. Nothing on the rudder pedal control horn looks bent or damaged. The only other thing that could cause this is if the rudder pedals are adjustable and need to be moved forward a little.
I had the mechanic who did the annual look at it. He said that it all looked good and wanted to adjust the rudder rigging so it was neutral when the trim was neutral, which I guess would sort of fix it, but then the pedals would not be neutral when the rudder is. In fact, if you remove the trim gizmo, everything aligns and if this plane didn't have rudder trim there would not be an issue in the way it flies or handles. I flew it with the trim removed and it behaved you would expect. Lots of right rudder on takeoff/climb and fairly neutral...give or take... in cruise.
Does anyone know if the rudder pedals in a six are adjustable? Or is the position of the trim gizmo adjustable? I don't have a service manual...Yet, which is why I'm asking. If it's a simple adjustment I'll do it myself, but if not, I don't want to pay shop after shop good money to head down the wrong path.
Thanks
I've been flying our new Cherokee Six for a few days now and it seems to have a rudder trim issue. You have to hold a lot of left rudder in cruise to center the ball. The trim is all the way out to the left. If I turn it to the right, the problem gets worse. Back to the left and rudder pressure decreases, just don't have enough to get the ball centered.
On the ground with the nose wheel off the ground, with the rudder trim in the full left position, the rudder is about an 3/4 of an inch off center to the right and the rudder pedals show the same. If I move the trim in the other direction, the rudder and pedals move further to the right.
In the air, with the trim to the left stop, the ball is about 1.5 - 2 balls off. If I center the ball, the rudder pedals become even and the airspeed increases. In a climb I have to hold very little to no left rudder. I did departure stalls today and the ball was centered all the way to the break with no rudder input. The break was clean and straight. Because the plane steers straight on the ground and tracks straight in the air with the ball centered, I don't think it's a rigging issue.
I suspect the rudder trim gizmo. Nothing on the rudder pedal control horn looks bent or damaged. The only other thing that could cause this is if the rudder pedals are adjustable and need to be moved forward a little.
I had the mechanic who did the annual look at it. He said that it all looked good and wanted to adjust the rudder rigging so it was neutral when the trim was neutral, which I guess would sort of fix it, but then the pedals would not be neutral when the rudder is. In fact, if you remove the trim gizmo, everything aligns and if this plane didn't have rudder trim there would not be an issue in the way it flies or handles. I flew it with the trim removed and it behaved you would expect. Lots of right rudder on takeoff/climb and fairly neutral...give or take... in cruise.
Does anyone know if the rudder pedals in a six are adjustable? Or is the position of the trim gizmo adjustable? I don't have a service manual...Yet, which is why I'm asking. If it's a simple adjustment I'll do it myself, but if not, I don't want to pay shop after shop good money to head down the wrong path.
Thanks
