Originally Posted by
common toad
Ah yes … the Chipmunk trim cable change at the trim wheel. Simple job if you didn’t mind hanging upside down with the cockpit rail hurting your guts. Option two, sit on the cockpit floor (seat would be out) and damage your arse on the stringers. Such joy… not!
I was lucky twice on Chipmunk Elev Trim snags.
The first where the pilot said that the 'trim' kept changing - he would trim and then (say) do a turn (ooer missus) and after rolling out straight and level the 'trim' would have changed (trim wheel in same posn).I had a quick look around - fitted an elevator lock in one side to check that both elevators were aligned,walked round the other side and found to my amusement/amazement that I could waggle the other elevator very easily.
Tail Cone removed and found that all the elevator flange bolts were loose (separate elevators with [4 or 6 bolt ?] flange at each inboard end of torque tube).No other damage found so 'snag' cured by retightening flange bolts with elev lock fitted both sides.
I always preferred a tight flange
The 2nd where the trim cable tension kept varying,this one caused by a crack/split on the tab operating bracket hole where the cable end attached to - took me a while to find that one LOL.