• Which the release of FS2020 we see an explosition of activity on the forun and of course we are very happy to see this. But having all questions about FS2020 in one forum becomes a bit messy. So therefore we would like to ask you all to use the following guidelines when posting your questions:

    • Tag FS2020 specific questions with the MSFS2020 tag.
    • Questions about making 3D assets can be posted in the 3D asset design forum. Either post them in the subforum of the modelling tool you use or in the general forum if they are general.
    • Questions about aircraft design can be posted in the Aircraft design forum
    • Questions about airport design can be posted in the FS2020 airport design forum. Once airport development tools have been updated for FS2020 you can post tool speciifc questions in the subforums of those tools as well of course.
    • Questions about terrain design can be posted in the FS2020 terrain design forum.
    • Questions about SimConnect can be posted in the SimConnect forum.

    Any other question that is not specific to an aspect of development or tool can be posted in the General chat forum.

    By following these guidelines we make sure that the forums remain easy to read for everybody and also that the right people can find your post to answer it.

This doesn't look hard.

A

Anthony31

Messages
1,120
Country
australia
Nearly crapped myself when I first saw this arrangement for controlling an aileron. But after a bit of careful study I think I've figured it out.

The aileron control arm pushes a little L bracket. The A bracket merges with the L bracket end somehow (I think it may be a ball and socket kind of joint, I know there is a lot of grease involved, other pics I have show the join better. In this one it is hidden behind the flap). The L bracket then has a bit of twisting freedom where it connects with the aileron. Most of the aileron is supported by two other hinges (one at the far end and the other close to this assembly) so I am just guessing at the moment where the aileron pivots exactly.

iA761.jpg
 
Way to overcomplicate animating a mere aileron! ;)

Are you sure that the control arm moves laterally?
 
If the aileron control arm moves laterally, then there has to be a cam somewhere which translates the lateral movement to rotation of the A bracket. That would explain the pivoting joints where the A frame is joined to the bracket bolted to the aileron. Can't you remove that flap thingy? It's obscuring the details.
 
Do you have this thing in property or something like that? Knowing how stuff works is achieved mostly by trying it out ;)

Anyway, I think you have the right Aileron Pivot Point. It should be at the bolt you're pointing at. Also, you can see a kind of rounded shape further in the direction of the Aileron Pivot Point, which could be a proof of a pivoting hole there.
 
Unfortunately I forgot to get the pilot to move the control surfaces so didn't get to see them in action (I usually do but when you only have so much time with a plane ...).

I'm pretty certain though that the aileron control room moves left and right. The way it is bolted to the L bracket in the background makes it seem like the only possible way it could move (plus I have some other documentation of the way it joins with the joystick at the centre of the aircraft.

As the aileron control arm moves left and right, because of the way the L bracket is bolted I figure the other end of it will effectively move up and down. As the end of the A bracket is connected to this then that should convert into moving the aileron up and down.

Here is another angle which shows the join with the A and L brackets a bit better.

I think, in the end, I will just have to build all the bits, link them all together and hope for the best!
 

Attachments

  • IMGP3002.JPG
    IMGP3002.JPG
    54.9 KB · Views: 617
And... Do not forget to link the fission interface with the thrust control rods that link to the chrome plated muffler bearing as the race carriers of the bearing assembly can overheat with rough weather, not to mention the fission chamber could max out at 3,000 Kelvin with instabilities in the control surfaces, etc.

On a brighter note, is that a folding wing? That must be why its so.... . complicated looking?
 
Well, I think the reason for complexity is the following: the 'joystick' could be directly connected to the Aileron Control Arm, so they have the same longitudinal position in the airplane. No need for cables since there won't be any corner to be rounded. It also isn't reasonable that a control rod is being placed AFTER some cablesystem (in my opinion at least), so I guess this Aileron Control Arm is directly driven by the joystick. For such short distances, it might be desirable to choose a control rod instead of a cable, because of the absence of slack for example. And there's no real need for pulleys in the case of a control rod.

IMHO...

Interesting discussion by the way!
 
In answer to Lionheart. Close. It is a detachable wing, not folding. Although I don't know how many times anyone would actually go through all the rigmarole to detach wings.

There is a centre wing which is flat and level and part of the fuselage (it extends 58" from the centreline of the aircraft). Then the outer wing section is attached to that and the outer wing has a 5 deg up sweep so there is another joint at that point. I imagine the reason for running the control arm outside of the wing (it runs behind the flap) was for easy access.

There is some sort of cable system running from the two joysticks (side by side and some way forward of the aileron line) back to the Aileron Bellcrank which is in the centre of the aircraft. The control arms connect to this bellcrank. The Elevator also uses a cable system connecting to a bellcrank with pushrods while the rudder is all cable driven.

I should also point out the aircraft is from the 50's so it was definitely from a time when courageous engineering ideas were often tested out.

One other interesting thing will be the flaps. The plane has a centre flap in addition to the two wing flaps. And there is a big fat arse hydraulic piston connected to the middle of the centre flap which looks like it pushes all three flaps. There are two small "flap interconnecting assemblys" which fit between the outer and centre flaps. Basically just a couple of jointed rods. This looks like what connects all three flaps together. But, the centre flap is all square with the aircraft and the outer flaps have that 5 deg up sweep plus a forward sweep (to follow the forward sweep of the trailing edge of the wing) so it will be interesting to see how that comes together.
 
It sounds like it would be complicated but they are all pretty simplistic. If you want, call up a local aircraft mechanic and see if they will let you explore the workings of the pulley system. They will usually allow you to come in and watch as long as you dont touch. Also if they work for a company, they may have restrictions because of insurance purposes. Ive been able to visit the aircraft maintenence hangar and watch them get deep into the workings of an aircraft. This was usually when i went to the airport for a lesson and the weather grounded my flight so I would venture to the hangars.

I will reveal a little knowledge I have from these visits and through my training as a pilot. You should know a little about the systems and that will help you understand if something is not functioning properly.

The way the ailerons work is simple. Cable based or hydraulic are the most common systems. Electronic systems are becoming more used but still behind the 2 main. Note that each of the systems have multiple ways of working and different methods to activate. There is not one set way to do it. These are just generalizations of how they work.

Cable systems use a double cable to each aileron from the yoke, 2 cables from each yoke for safety, passing through the bell and also through a number of pulleys. The cable ends at the control arm which is leveraged between pulleys so the cable is transferred to an up and down motion; some use a type of lockout that only allows a pull or a push, meaning the aileron is held flush to the wing with wind resistance and weight; some use a screw to activate the aileron movement but usually this is for trim over range movement. Note that cables are not a solid cable but usually 2-5 cables attached together with a tension screw(s) for tightening/loosening the system. Most small ga aircraft such as a Cessna 172 ailerons are attached to the wing by a hinge that has a long pin(s) going through the 2 hinge surface. This is where the pivot functions. Some have the hinge below the wing panels on the tops side if they are one directional. There are a number of ways to design and activate the pivot, it is manufacturer dependent. High wing Cessna's usually one aileron goes up, the other goes down. On some low wing aircraft one aileron goes up while the other has no movement.

Hydraulic normally uses one (with additional backups) hydraulic pump that connects to hoses running from the pump, to the control surface intended to use. Usually the ailerons, flaps, rudder and/or elevator are on their own pump system so if one fails, you don't lose everything. At the control surface is a fluid actuator/piston that reacts to the hydraulic fill/reduction that pushes or pulls the control arms.
There is a lot more to this process but I wont explain much more. There are actuators and other functions throughout the system.

Electronic systems use a shielded covering to protect it from interference. They basically use a series of electrical motors that are direct fit or connected by screw/levers to the control surface.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top