wdleonard(at)gmail.com
Guest
|
 Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:50 pm Post subject: pitch vs. roll, was: aileron trim - a NO vote |
 |
|
| Quote: |
Having said that, I find the RV much more attention-demanding in pitch than in roll, such that the altitude hold is more help to me than the roll-axis A/P. I have both Trio units, but the altitude hold is the bigger labor saver.
-Bill B. RV-6A
|
Interesting, I think you are right "attention-demanding", but let me expand for the benefit of those anxiously awaiting the first flights of their RVs
IMHO, the 'trimability' is much better in pitch than in roll, but holding altitude is much more attention-demanding. Let me explain.
With regard to flight in VMC, VFR:
Using the stock manual pitch trim, it is fairly easy to trim to pretty much level flight - enough to go several minutes or more without more than a couple hundred feet of altitude change. With the stock manual aileron trim, several minutes of hands off flight will have you well away from desired heading.
However, while hand flying it is easy to unconsciously maintain roll attitude and rough heading - you don't think about it at all. Maintaining altitude, depending on how close you want to stick to your target, requires more or less constant vigilance. It is very easy for an RV to drift up or down a couple hundred feet in a short period of time with very few sensory cues other than reference to the altimeter. i.e. while pitch variations are easier to trim out, but they are more difficult to unconsciously detect. I think this is what Bill means by attention-demanding.
The situation changes with hand flying in IMC:
Now you remove the obvious visual cues of the horizon and IMHO roll attitude and heading become significantly more attention demanding than than pitch attitude and altitude. Perhaps that is because I removed my aileron trim long before I ever flew my RV in IMC so I am comparing a system with trim, to one without trim.
Anyway, I hope the discussion helped you to make the aileron trim decision..
And Hmmm, maybe it is time for me to think about bucking up for that altitude hold... 
David Leonard
Turbo Rotary RV-6 N4VY
http://N4VY.RotaryRoster.net
http://RotaryRoster.net
[quote][b]
| | - The Matronics RV-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List |
|
|
|
Get Email Distribution Too!
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
