Who can do Rigging?

[Larry Korona]

While it might seem to be saving $$ to do a DIY rigging, it's best to work with someone who has done it before, preferably someone who has been doing it for years. If you're located in the Kansas City area I highly recommend going to Deason

Small Aircraft Repair & Maintenance in Kansas | Deason Aircraft Services

With over 45+ years in the aircraft repair field, you can trust Deason Aircraft Services, Inc. to carry out any aircraft repair needed.

deasonaircraft.com

 

[Dan Thomas]

While it might seem to be saving $$ to do a DIY rigging, it's best to work with someone who has done it before, preferably someone who has been doing it for years. If you're located in the Kansas City area I highly recommend going to Deason

Small Aircraft Repair & Maintenance in Kansas | Deason Aircraft Services

With over 45+ years in the aircraft repair field, you can trust Deason Aircraft Services, Inc. to carry out any aircraft repair needed.

deasonaircraft.com

Yes.

One can not only screw things up royally, but symptoms of serious trouble can be overlooked. I once was rigging the aileron system on a Cessna 185, and could not get the tension to stabilize. It would fall off overnight. I finally started examining the whole cable path, and found that a stiffener had broken its rivets in the bulkhead under the floor at the rear doorposts. The cables come aft from the control tee and pass over pulleys mounted in that bulkhead, turning the cable path toward the doorposts, where it goes over more pulleys and heads upward to the wing roots. The combined tension of the aileron and flap cables overstressed the rivets, which may have been poorly installed at the factory, or else someone overtightened everything at some point. The bulkhead's web was flexing forward and letting the cables go slack.

In Canada the government takes control system work very seriously. CAR 571.10(4)(d):




The person who signs the maintenance release must be an appropriately licensed AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer).

Accidents have happened due to misrigged controls.

 

[Magman]

I hope no one took my post as encouragement to do DIY with controls.
USAF also has/had a system with a “ Red X” that only certain folks could sign off.

It is always good to have experienced people on any task. DIY is ridiculous; having to wait one year for someone to rig a C-172 or PA-28 is also. With the exemption of types like WACO’s or Stearman’s most aircraft have similar things to adjust. Just a different way to do it. End result should be per SM and TCDS. The mystique of rigging to non-factory specs can render your pride and joy to longer be Airworthy and even dangerous.

There are a few aircraft that require bending or twisting to adjust rigging.
It is in SM . Very few.

 

[camorton]

Well, lots of misinformation on this thread unfortunately.

First, you can download all Cessna service manuals, parts catalogs, service bulletins, etc. for FREE from the Textron support web site. No need to use janky out of date copies found on the web. You need to sign up for an account, but there is no cost. It's the only thing you'll ever get from Textron for free, so might as well go straight to the horse's mouth.

Second, seriously consider joining the Cessna Pilots Association (cessna.org). Call the HQ in Santa Maria and ask for a rigger in your area. They used to perform this service at KSMX back when they had maintenance guys on staff. I had them do it on my 182 back in the day and it was a great learning experience. Any A&P can follow the manual, but like all things, it will go a lot faster if they have experience.

It doesn't require any special jigs or tools, unless you consider a level and a tape measure special. The process starts by leveling the airplane and taking basic measurements to make sure the plane is straight and not tweaked or bent from prior accidents or repair. Then you clamp the yokes level and the rudder pedals even, and set the wing cams and all control surfaces to neutral. You HAVE to start from neutral or you're wasting your time compounding errors. Then you test fly to see what adjustments are needed. You'll probably need to repeat the process of adjusting and flying several times to get it optimized. The process can take the better part of a day assuming the plane is fairly straight. Don't be surprised if you pick up several knots in cruise. It's worth the effort.

C.

 

[Bell206]

First, you can download all Cessna service manuals, parts catalogs, service bulletins, etc. for FREE from the Textron support web site.

Interesting. From my Textron account I can access most manuals except the maintenance manuals. And last I checked several months ago the MM for an older 172 was listed at around $500 new. Is there a different link to access the MM free?

 

[Dan Thomas]

Interesting. From my Textron account I can access most manuals except the maintenance manuals. And last I checked several months ago the MM for an older 172 was listed at around $500 new. Is there a different link to access the MM free?

I never saw any Cessna SMs for free on their site. I'd sure like to know the secret formula.

 

[Ed Haywood]

I rigged my Decathlon when I restored it last year. The factory service manual lays out the procedures. Flies great now.

I had to gin up a simple tool to measure control surface angles. Only must-have tool was a cable tensiometer.

Single engine airframes are built with a couple degrees of asymmetric thrust or V-stab offset to counter the effect of prop wash in cruise. But this offset is only correct for one power and airspeed. Add or remove power and the aircraft will yaw. Yaw-roll coupling causes the pilot to perceive this as a "heavy wing" and start chasing rigging issues. Usually it just means the rudder trim tab should be tweaked to the pilot's preferred cruise setting.

 

[Magman]

It would be great to see a list of ALL service info free.

I’ll second the “join type club” for any make. IIRC FAA welcomes their input
when formulating an AD.


Partial list of rigging tools needed for certain tasks follows. Do not rely that your Tech has them. Some may be fabricated per SM by owner.

Cessna- simple tool for wash-out check. Some models use rig pins to
positron Bellcranks .


Cherokees - stabilizer leveling template, rig fixture for flaps & ailerons,
Bellcrank locks

Grumman- Aileron / flap template


Mooney - landing gear rigging tools


Some studying may be required. If seems a lot of folks do not know about
the “double sprocket” on some pipers to level yokes.

 

[robin ardoin]

Let me know how it goes, please.

John Efinger recently told me that he isn’t taking any new customers as he is trying to retire and has no one interested in taking over his business. A great loss to the Cessna community.

 

[Magman]

It would help if the Type Clubs would contract some of the “Rigging Gurus”and video the procedures. Aircraft Maintenance Technician ( A & P) Schools do not teach Model Specific rigging procedures. Anything that helps pass the knowledge to the next generation is a good thing.

In my area within the last year:

5 Techs received the Charles Taylor Award for 50 years of aircraft maintenance.This often means retirement.

1 Tech passed.

2 Techs are having disabling med issues

There are “ A & P Deserts” as there are very low numbers of young folks entering the GA scene.

 

[Dan Thomas]

Single engine airframes are built with a couple degrees of asymmetric thrust or V-stab offset to counter the effect of prop wash in cruise.

SOME single-engine airframes have that. NO SE Cessna has it. The stab is aligned with the fuselage centerline. The engines have no offset, either down or to the right. This stuff is common in Pipers and some others, and even the Citabrias have an offset fin. Cessna pilots actually have to learn to fly the airplane.

Ercoupes had the engine tilted down considerably to tame the yaw in the climb, since the airplane had no rudder pedals. The downward tilt reduces the assymetric thrust generated by the downgoing propeller blade in the climb, which is at a higher AoA. That angle is pretty stark:



The 210 has it's elevators mounted so that the right one is set with its trailing edge up a little compared to the left one. This generates a bit of roll to counter the propeller torque.