On a Starduster One that we are rebuilding,I want to consider the possibility of converting from 2 to 4 ailerons. I can't tell you how many times people have come up to me looking at our other Starduster One and said "Its a shame it doesn't have 4 ailerons". I've looked at the wings that are almost ready for recover and it looks like it wouldn't be too hard to take away 2 bays on the inboard end of the lower ailerons and put upper ailerons in the outer 3 bays of the upper wings. That would make the lower ailerons about 41 inches long and the upper ones about 36 inches long.
I've heard of other people converting 2 to 4 ailerons on various planes. I also talked to a fellow with an EAA biplane that had 4 ailerons and he said stick force was hard with 4 ailerons. In fact, he had made the top ailerons fixed and used only the bottom ones when I saw his plane.
Obviously the incentive is for faster roll rate but I don't want to make it unstable or unsafe or hard to fly.
There are pics of the various Starduster ailerons (remember the curved Starduster wings) under a similar thread of the Aircraft Spruce Forum on Stardusters.
Can anyone offer any light on this subject? Is this too risky?
I've heard of other people converting 2 to 4 ailerons on various planes. I also talked to a fellow with an EAA biplane that had 4 ailerons and he said stick force was hard with 4 ailerons. In fact, he had made the top ailerons fixed and used only the bottom ones when I saw his plane.
Obviously the incentive is for faster roll rate but I don't want to make it unstable or unsafe or hard to fly.
There are pics of the various Starduster ailerons (remember the curved Starduster wings) under a similar thread of the Aircraft Spruce Forum on Stardusters.
Can anyone offer any light on this subject? Is this too risky?