• Become a Subscribing Member today!

    The Biplane Forum is a large global active community of biplane builders, owners and pilots. From Pitts to Skybolts, to older barnstormers, all types are welcome.

    The Biplane Forum is a private community. Subscriptions are only $49.99/year or $6.99/month to gain access to this great community and unmatched source of information not found anywhere else on the web.

    Why become a Subscribing Member?

    • In addition to our active community, our content boasts exhaustive technical information which is often sought after for projects and maintenance. This information has accumulated over the 12+ years the forum has been in existence.
    • We are also a great resource for non biplane users, since many GA aircraft are built the same way (fabric and tube construction).
    • Annual membership also comes with two BiplaneForum.com decals.

    Become a Subscribing Member and access the Biplane Forum in full!

    Subscribe Now

Pitch Trim on Light Biplane, Needed or Not

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Cameron

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
*
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
2,993
Reaction score
1,315
Still in the planning stages on my Skyote project. The plans do not show a trim tab on the elevator. As a substitute for a trim tab, the designer provided a sketch that shows the stick sprung to center with two extension springs, then a handle to adjust the centered position by adjusting the preload on one of the springs. I'd imagine that this would work ok, but I really don't like the idea of springs in the control system. Seems like that would make stick effort higher.

Anyway, I'm considering installing a trim, or maybe even a servo tab kind of like a Pitts, or maybe just not having a trim tab at all. I'd just install a fixed trim tab and adjust it to cruise speed and then deal with the stick forces in other flight modes. In my Eagle, I don't think I'd like this setup. In my old Acro Sport, or my old Luscombe, this type setup wouldn't bother me much. Just wondering what other's experiences have been with this. I think many of the early S-1C's didn't get a trim tab. Surely some of you have flown airplanes without them?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top