Matronics Email Lists :: View topic - 601 Rudder pedal return spring

Matronics Email Lists
Web Forum Interface to the Matronics Email Lists

Get Email Distribution Too! FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register

Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in

601 Rudder pedal return spring

Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Zenith-List

View previous topic :: View next topic

Author Message

rdewees(at)mindspring.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 6:31 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

Hi Listers,

I've sorted out a lot of nagging problems during the first annual of 

N601TD and now gotten to the secondary squawks that were on the back 

burner.  I have gotten tired of  the rudder pedals hanging forward 

sometimes when I get into the plane.  Everything is great when your feet 

are on the pedals but there isn't any method of tensioning the pedals in 

the upright position when you remove your feet..  I've thought about a 

small spring with long ends on it to attach to the back of the pedals 

and  to the lower firewall to keep some tension on the pedals.  This 

would also keep any overflow of hydraulic fluid from spilling on the 

floor from the Matco brake cylinder when it's tilted forward.

  What have some of you done about pedal centering, if anything?  I 

realize that if you get too agressive with a spring or bungee solution  

it would affect the rudder trim if not balanced and fairly weak in 

tension.  Any ideas? Pix?

Thanks

Ron

N601TD



 	  Quote:

rdewees(at)mindspring.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:27 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

Oops!--

I just realized that only the 601 Taildraggers have my problem with 

floppy rudder pedals since the nosegear 601 steering rods connect to the 

nosegear and keep the pedals in a fixed upright position till they are 

depressed.  If there are taildragger builders or flyers out there I 

would still like suggestions, etc.



Thanks

Ron DeWees

N601TD  taildragger



do not archive



 	  Quote:

mfothergill(at)sympatico.
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:41 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

Springs do the trick very well.

Mike

CH-601 TD

ron dewees wrote:

 	  Quote: 	

 Hi Listers,

 I've sorted out a lot of nagging problems during the first annual of 

 N601TD and now gotten to the secondary squawks that were on the back 

 burner.  I have gotten tired of  the rudder pedals hanging forward 

 sometimes when I get into the plane.  Everything is great when your feet 

 are on the pedals but there isn't any method of tensioning the pedals in 

 the upright position when you remove your feet..  I've thought about a 

 small spring with long ends on it to attach to the back of the pedals 

 and  to the lower firewall to keep some tension on the pedals.  This 

 would also keep any overflow of hydraulic fluid from spilling on the 

 floor from the Matco brake cylinder when it's tilted forward.

   What have some of you done about pedal centering, if anything?  I 

 realize that if you get too agressive with a spring or bungee solution  

 it would affect the rudder trim if not balanced and fairly weak in 

 tension.  Any ideas? Pix?

 Thanks

 Ron

 N601TD

> 

>

mike.sinclair(at)ATT.NET
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:50 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

I made a bellcrank attached to a firewall stiffener. So rather than the

linkage going through the firewall to a nose gear, it just attaches to the

bellcrank. Keeps the rudder pedals where they need to be.

Mike Sinclair

ron dewees wrote:

 	  Quote: 	

 Oops!--

 I just realized that only the 601 Taildraggers have my problem with

 floppy rudder pedals since the nosegear 601 steering rods connect to the

 nosegear and keep the pedals in a fixed upright position till they are

 depressed.  If there are taildragger builders or flyers out there I

 would still like suggestions, etc.

 Thanks

 Ron DeWees

 N601TD  taildragger

 do not archive

 >

 >

PAULROD36(at)msn.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:45 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

I'm at that point myself, wondering how to keep the rudder pedals where they should be.  Of course, it would have been easier if ZAC had included something about springs in the TD drawings, or if they included the appropriate springs in their inventory.  But nooooooooooo.   Anyway, I found some J-3 rudder pedal springs at B&B in Gardner KS, which, I think, with some modification could fit right at the outer end of the rudder pedal shaft.   If that won't work, the next step is to fabricate the springs so that they coil around the shaft, pressing one leg of the spring against the floor, and the other hooked around the pedal's vertical bar.  There has to be someone out there with a flying TD who's already dealt with this.   Suggestions, anyone?



Paul Rodriguez

601XL/Corvair

Doing the control cables.

  ---

BillSewell(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:20 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

Here is my solution to the problem:

 

_http://www.n601bz.com/CH601XL/Fuselage/Control_Cables/043005.htm_ 

(http://www.n601bz.com/CH601XL/Fuselage/Control_Cables/043005.htm) 

 

Bill Sewell

N601BZ

 

In a message dated 2/28/2006 9:10:51 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  

rdewees(at)mindspring.com writes:






Oops!--

I just realized that only the  601 Taildraggers have my problem with 

floppy rudder pedals since the  nosegear 601 steering rods connect to the 

nosegear and keep the pedals in  a fixed upright position till they are 

depressed.  If there are  taildragger builders or flyers out there I 

would still like suggestions,  etc.



Thanks

Ron DeWees

N601TD  taildragger



do not  archive



 	  Quote:

lnk(at)iowatelecom.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:55 pm Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

Something I've seen on other planes is a very light cable from one pedal

forward to a pulley on the firewall and back to the other pedal.  Light and

simple.



Larry Kilburg 



When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your 

eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long 

to return.



- Leonardo da Vinci

--------

rdewees(at)mindspring.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:41 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

Many thanks to Bill, Paul, Mike, Jim, and others for great suggestions 

on the infamous "floppy pedal" problem in taildraggers.

  I got a lot of great suggestions, pictures, and descriptions of ways 

to fix the pedals. I suspect that  the Viagra suggestion was slipped in 

by a jealous nose dragger pilot tho  .

   Best of all I met a great bunch of happy tailwheel pilots.  I 

honestly didn't know there were as many taildraggers flying.  We need a  

flyin or something? Check out  and join  601_HD-HDS Yahoo group for more 

info and flyin activities in the greater Atlanta area. We would love 

posts about your plane and flight experiences.

 Thanks guys!  I went from no soultion to about half dozen.  What a nice 

problem to have.



Ron DeWees

N601TD



do not archive

PAULROD36(at)msn.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 7:37 am Post subject: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

EUREKA! I like Bill's solution better than my own. Looking at his "bellcrank/bar" made me realize that springs alone would have to be very strong to maintain any sort of cable tension on the rudder cables (I hate floppy cables, had a 150 that drove me nuts) whereas threaded rods from pedal to bellcrank would solve the problem.  Thanks, Bill, I'm off to the hangar to plagiarize.



Paul Rodriguez

601XL/Corvair

  ---

steveadams

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 191

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:37 am Post subject: Re: 601 Rudder pedal return spring

I have read of an accident, I am not sure of the aircraft type, where the builder had some springs attached to the rudder petals to hold them forward. One of the springs broke, and the springs were so strong it pulled the opposite rudder petal full forward with full deflection of the rudder. Not something you would want to happen at the wrong time. For this reason, I would go with one of the other suggestions, or go with a spring that would only hold it up in a neutral position if the opposite spring was to break.

Display posts from previous:

	Matronics Email Lists Forum Index -> Zenith-List	All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum