Rigging, what's the first thing to look for?

Timbeck2

Timbeck2

Final Approach
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Timbeck2
When I'm flying straight and level, my yoke is turned 10 degrees to the right? It didn't used to do that. What happened?

This isn't one of those questions where I already know the answer. I really don't know what went wrong.
 
Which plane?
Push rods straight? Lock nuts locked?
 
What airplane?

Are your ailerons in trail?

Were they before?

How 'bout your flaps?

What's the ball doing (Got a rudder problem?)?
 
Does the plane have a heavy wing or is the wheel just crooked?

You’re going to get a lot of different answers on this subject but my policy is to start from scratch when there are rigging problems. I’ve run across a number of airplanes that are screwed up (by mechanics I know) because the mechanic tried to take the short cut method of just adjusting what they thought would make the airplane fly straight again. That approach works to a point but if you repeatedly fix things like that it may get farther and farther out of spec.

As best I can remember, the piper Cherokee maintenance manual had a decent section on rigging. I’d start by reading that.
 
What airplane?

Are you applying pressure at 10*?

If not, was the yoke removed recently?
 
As in you have to hold it 10 degrees off to be level, OR hands off trimmed it’s flying level with the yoke 10 off?

Basic stuff like inbalance aside, or recent work, I’d look at the cables or pushrods to the ailerons for anything loose or missing cotter pins.

If it didn’t fly like this before and this is new, it would concern me to fly the plane before I got to the bottom of it.

Another telling thing for rigging, after you give the thing a one over for obvious bolts and sprockets, a nice gradual power off stall, does a great job at showing how well a plane is rigged.
 
Last edited:
He has a Cherokee 140
 
Timbeck2 said:
When I'm flying straight and level, my yoke is turned 10 degrees to the right? It didn't used to do that. What happened?

This isn't one of those questions where I already know the answer. I really don't know what went wrong.
Click to expand...
fuel load..
 
Yea if it’s just me and I got equal fuel I have to keep some right aileron in until I burn off some fuel in the left tank.
 
Dang....sorry had to do some work. Those border patrol guys can't take off by themselves ya know.

Sorry - Cherokee 140
Flaps - unchanged or messed with since I've owned it the last three years, no trim tabs
Rods are straight and tight, also haven't messed with them
Ball stays in the center of its cage because its afraid of being stepped on
Yoke was replaced 3 years ago but there's only one way it will go on with a thru bolt
Chain hasn't jumped a sprocket although that was something we'd thought of. It'd be pretty tough since there is a lot of tension on it or rather enough that it would have to have some sort of tool to remove it
Hands off trimmed straight and level, the yoke is 10 degrees right
Fuel was at the tabs, less than a gallon difference between the two tanks
Not trading it in for hanging below the wing.
 
Forgive me for asking since I'm sure you'd have noticed, but:
No "hanger rash"? Fuselage looks straight (the same) on both sides?
 
are u going the wrong way around a nascar track?

do u have any kind of autopilot? roll trim?
 
Recent annual?

Sounds like they might have adjusted cable tensions, but not evenly.
 
Walboy said:
Is the right yoke correct? If so, could the yoke have somehow rotated on the yoke shaft on the left side? Or rotated/slipped where yoke shaft attaches to sprocket?
Click to expand...

Yokes are symmetrical. It would be extremely weird if both slipped at the attachment point at the same time.
 
It was there before the G-5 install and it seems to be worse now than it was before.
 
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