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Old 28th Sep 2011, 12:29
  #217 (permalink)  
FoundationMetro
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: San Antonio Texas
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RE: articles that quotes Matt Jackson and amazing photos, what a work of art

1. If this fellow truly believes trim tab use caused the accident, then the racers should be required to bring a set of elevators WITHOUT trim tabs and change to them before racing. With the money that is obviously spent on these aircraft, a spare set of elevators should not be excessive. My experience has been that leaving a function operational in the cockpit and telling pilots not to use it does not have a hight probability of success.

2. Trim tabs usually fail because of flutter, not static strength. Flutter usually occurs with a lightly loaded surface (one is is relatively faired with the control surface) not one that is highly loaded.

3. The pictures of the aircraft construction. The trim tab has a single rod actuator. For an aircraft that operates at this speed, a dual rod actuator would be much better. Also the elevator mass balance appears to be entirely in the horn. Again for aircraft operating in this speed range and under these conditions, spread out along the leading edge of the elevator would be better.

4. There appears to be a huge amount of space in the vertical stabilizer near where the leading edge of the horizontal attaches. Just cries out to have an electric actuator installed, the entire stabilizer made trimmable, and the trim tabs done away with altogether.

5. The work that was going on in the shop appears to have been first rate.


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