Saturday, February 12, 2022

Time: 5h

Installed Control Stick Assembly
Fit floor boards
Broke my 10-24 Rivet Nut head :-(

Working Notes

Working on the control stick assembly. When assembling, lay the interconnect tube inside the torque tube, install the front stick first and connect it to the interconnect tube. Then slide in the rear stick enough to connect the interconnect tube. Then install the main pivot bolt in the rear stick.

Also, I had to remove one shock to slide the control tube through. I could not find a way to twist it through otherwise, maybe it exists, but I couldn't find it.

It took much longer than anticipated to clean the holes out so the bolts slid into the tubes nicely. I think I need to invest in some reamers. The sandpaper trick is too time consuming and I always wind up ripping up the sand paper.

Bolts

Interconnect Tube calls for an AN3-5A with a AN364 (Shear Elastic Locking Nut). The plans also mention shortnening. Need to purchase some AN364's
Control sticks to Torque tube, AN4-21 is too small. AN-24 is too large. Need to measure and purchase the correct AN bolts.
Torque Tube to Fuselage AN3-10A.

Photo Stream

Collected the main parts for the primary control assembly

Test fit everything before putting mounting to the fuselage

Screwing in one of the tie rod ends where the torque tube will hang from

Torque Tube and Sticks are installed!

All of this is test fitting at this point. Nuts are coming :-)

Another view of the hung control assembly

Rear view of the control assembly, again nuts are coming :-)

Test fitting the floor boards (front)

Test fitting the floor boards (2nd from front)

Here you can see the front floor board needs a little trimming (lip resting near the landing gear mount. Also, the 3rd from the front does not sit down all the way.

Hitting the rear passenger master cylinder mount

I ordered mine with brakes for the rear passenger. I am unsure if the mounts are there for all models and just the pedals and cylinders are part of the addition or not. Anyway, my floor board did not have cut outs for the rear passenger brake cylinder mounts. Had to mark, drill, then shape.