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BlueMountain Auto Pilot Q's

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flyadive(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:36 am Post subject: BlueMountain Auto Pilot Q's

Hello Flight:

    

   I am finishing up installing the Blue Mountain Auto Pilot in an RV-6A.  The Altitude hold servo is installed as well as the interface box.  Now comes the difficult part, installing the roll servo.  I say difficult because the plane is competed and flying and the installation is an after thought ... Many years after.

   Installing the servo in the wing is not an option.  After doing some fit checking I have come up with an installation point on the pilot side half under the seat and half into the area by the stick and under the left leg.

   I am thinking about running the push rod from the servo to the right and connecting the rod-end-bearing to the Hex Connecting Rod that goes between the pilot & co-pilot sticks.

   The method of connection would be to drill and tap the Hex Rod for a 1/4 - 28 thread and use LocTite to secure it.

   Each end of the push rod will have the rod-end-bearings to help in converting the rotational arc movement of the servo to a liner movement for the aileron push rods.  

   From all I can see ... YES ... It will also handle the forward and back rock of the stick.

   So, what is my question(s)?

   1 - Is the Hex Rod HOLLOW?

   2 - From what I can ROUGHLY measure it is 9/16" from flat to flat.  And since all the stress in longitudinal do you feel that drilling and tapping a 1/4 - 28 thread in the Hex Rod is acceptable?

   3 - If your answer to Q2 is NO then what method of connection do you recommend?

    

   Thanks Flight, your help is greatly appreciated.

    

   Barry

   "Chop'd Liver"

    

    

    

    

    [quote][b]

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khorton01(at)rogers.com
Guest

Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 11:32 am Post subject: BlueMountain Auto Pilot Q's

On 19 Nov 2006, at 13:34, flyadive(at)aol.com wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		    I am finishing up installing the Blue Mountain Auto Pilot in an  

 RV-6A.  The Altitude hold servo is installed as well as the  

 interface box.  Now comes the difficult part, installing the roll  

 servo.  I say difficult because the plane is competed and flying  

 and the installation is an after thought ... Many years after.

 Installing the servo in the wing is not an option.  After doing  

 some fit checking I have come up with an installation point on the  

 pilot side half under the seat and half into the area by the stick  

 and under the left leg.

 I am thinking about running the push rod from the servo to the  

 right and connecting the rod-end-bearing to the Hex Connecting Rod  

 that goes between the pilot & co-pilot sticks.

 The method of connection would be to drill and tap the Hex Rod for  

 a 1/4 - 28 thread and use LocTite to secure it.

 Each end of the push rod will have the rod-end-bearings to help in  

 converting the rotational arc movement of the servo to a liner  

 movement for the aileron push rods.

 From all I can see ... YES ... It will also handle the forward and  

 back rock of the stick.

 So, what is my question(s)?

 1 - Is the Hex Rod HOLLOW?

 2 - From what I can ROUGHLY measure it is 9/16" from flat to flat.   

 And since all the stress in longitudinal do you feel that drilling  

 and tapping a 1/4 - 28 thread in the Hex Rod is acceptable?

 3 - If your answer to Q2 is NO then what method of connection do  

 you recommend?




	


If the screw that connects the servo's rod end to the flight controls  

is too small, it may fail.  This disables the autopilot, but leaves  

you with normal flight controls.  If it is too big the hex rod may  

fail, and this may lead to a flight control jam, if the loose end of  

hex rod catches on something.  Given the consequences of either  

failure, I'd much rather bias the probable failures towards a failure  

of the connection to the servo's control rod, rather than towards a  

failure of the hex rod that connects the sticks.



I suggest you use a smaller rod end, such that you would only need to  

drill and tap a 3/16" hole in the hex rod, or smaller.  As a point of  

reference, the Navaid devices wing leveler servo uses tiny rod ends  

that go over #5 screws (about 1/8" diameter) at the servo control arm  

and at the flight controls, and I have never heard of a problem.  So  

you could get by with a much smaller connection both than 1/4", if  

you can find a suitable combination of hardware.



Kevin Horton         RV-8 (finishing kit)

Ottawa, Canada

http://www.kilohotel.com/rv8

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