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Old 20th Jan 2004, 22:11
  #32 (permalink)  
John Farley

Do a Hover - it avoids G
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
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Rallye Driver

Don’t get me wrong please, this is not a smartarse nitpick, but I would like to clarify something in your post which could mislead some pilots. What was fitted to cure the effects of an aft CG making the aeroplane too light on the controls when pulling G (and so risking blackout for the pilot or overstress of the aeroplane) was a positive bob weight to the control run connected to the elevator. Positive in this context means it is fitted in the sense to pull the stick forward when g is applied. You can usually spot an aeroplane that has such a weight fitted because the stick will flop forward when the aircraft is parked.

Bob weights are not fitted to elevators themselves. Weights attached to elevators are mass balance weights used to reduce the chance of flutter of the control surface which might otherwise happen, especially at high IAS. Some aeroplanes wear their mass balances internally (in the leading edge of an aerodynamic horn) others externally – like the Vampire for example.

But I am sure that is what you meant.

Regards

John
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