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Rigging the Flight Controls

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Rigging the Flight Controls RIGGING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS “Rigging” refers to the installation and adjustment of the rods that move flight surfaces in response to inputs from the controls of the helicopter. These rods are cut to length, threaded, and fitted with rod ends to allow rotating movement. Correctly rigging your helicopter will have an enormous impact on the safety and performance of your helicopter. WHEN INSTALLING A ROD END TO ONE SIDE OF A CONTROL ARM, IT MUST BE HELD ON THE OTHER SIDE BY A PENNY WASHER (AN970-4) WITH THE BOLT HEAD ON THE WASHER SIDE. If possible, the bolt should be installed from the front of the aircraft with the nut on the aft side. In the event that the ball separates from the rod end, the penny washer will hold it captive and allow partial control authority. Otherwise, the rod end can fall off the control arm and all control authority is lost. When installing a rod end between two surfaces that are larger than the size of the moveable area of the rod end, use an AN960-416 washer under the bolt head and an AN960-416 washer under the nut, secured with an AN380-2-2 cotter key. We recommend that you finger tighten the nuts securing the rigging and wait until it is complete before torqueing and cotter pinning the nuts. It is critically important that you understand how the flight controls work together to produce the desired effect. Careful fabrication, installation, and adjustment of the rigging will allow you to control your helicopter through its entire range of operation. BEFORE COMPLETING THE RIGGING, THE HELICOPTER MUST BE LEVEL ON ALL AXES. The bottom tubes of the cabin frame are on the same plane and can be used for leveling. The long control rods that pass from inside the cabin to the main transmission swashplate are fabricated from 4130 Chromoly and are powder coated along with the frame. If you have purchased a Base Kit, they will require painting. In a Complete Kit, the control rod from the base of the pilot’s cyclic to the rear of the cabin is provided in the Electric Trim Kit, and it is ready to install. All of the control rods that are fabricated by the builder are made from aluminum tubing that may be painted after completion. DO NOT ANODIZE THE ALUMINUM CONTROL RODS. While the side walls of the tubing are substantial, anodizing weakens aluminum tubing and should not be done on the control rods. 13-1 The procedure for fabricating the control rods is as follows: From the Control Kit, locate the package of 22 HXAM-4T rod ends. Using a felt tip marker, make a circular mark around the threads of each rod end ¾” from the end of the threaded shaft. In all instances, there must be at least ¾” of the threaded shaft of the rod end engaged in the end of the control rod, with a right-hand pal nut to lock it into position. (The two smaller MM-4T rod ends are used for the throttle linkage.) Thread AN316-6R pal nuts onto the shaft of each rod end. Loosely install HXAM-4T rod ends from the Control Kit using AN4 bolts at each location where the control rod will connect. At each location, measure the distance from the ¾” marks on the rod ends. Cut to length the ½” x .155” aluminum tubing found in the raw materials shipped with your Kit to length, square and de-bur the ends, and thread using a 3/8” NF tap. When the correct position of the rod is determined, it is locked into place by tightening the AN316-6R pal nuts on the shaft against the end of the control rod. NOTE: New rod ends can be very tight. If you find that they are too tight to move freely, they can be loosened up by placing a long bolt through the ball and, using washers to shim it up, tighten a nut down to the washers. Have a cup of water at hand to cool the parts. Tighten the bolt into the chuck of your drill and spin the ball with the drill until you feel the drag lessen. Quickly cool the parts in the water. You want the rod end to rotate freely, but no side to side play. Repeat as required. The cyclic allows you to change the direction of flight left, right, fore and aft. Left and right rotates the cyclic torque tube which has a bell crank bolted to it just behind the slider sleeves. Both cyclic sticks are linked together at the bottom forks of the bell cranks. The horizontal forks of the bell cranks have control rods extending up to the swash plate spider arms. 13-2 13-3 FINISHING THE CYCLIC LOCK Your cyclic lock is sent to you unpainted, because it must be fit to your helicopter. The rod should be cut if necessary and bent to secure the cyclic stick in the center. Once it is modified to fit, it can be removed for paint or plating; however, it will be easier to rig the helicopter if you leave it in place until that task is finished. Beginning on pilot’s side, lock the collective stick down as far as it will go. A plastic zip tie will serve the purpose. Put a piece of masking tape on the front of the kick panel over the future location of the cyclic lock to protect the paint. Position the cyclic lock on the front of the kick panel directly behind the cyclic stick and clamp it temporarily while its exact location is determined. Center the pilot’s cyclic stick vertically and horizontally as measured with an angle finder or protractor. Do this carefully, because all of the rigging is based on the position of the cyclic stick. Determine how long the hook should be to lock into the tab on the side of the pilot’s cyclic and hold the cyclic centered forward/aft, and laterally. Also determine the exact placement of the cyclic lock on the front of the kick panel. Mark and drill 1/8” pilot holes in the center of the holes in the cyclic lock mounting plates and the tabs welded onto the seat frame. Drill the holes out to ¼”. Bend and cut the rod on the cyclic lock to hold the cyclic stick in the center, and re- install it on the front of the kick panel. Secure the cyclic stick with the hook and begin fabrication of the control rods. CYCLIC PITCH RIGGING Remove the cyclic pitch rod provided in the Electric Trim Kit. If you have purchased a Base Kit without the Electric Trim Kit, you will fabricate a control rod of the appropriate length from the aluminum tubing provided in the raw materials. Position the pilot’s side cabin pitch horn so that it is vertical. 13-4 Install the cyclic pitch rod between the bottom of the cyclic stick and the pitch horn, adjusting the distance between the center of the rod ends to keep the cyclic stick and the pitch horn vertical. Attach the rod to the pitch bell crank (horn) using AN4-14 bolts, with AN960-416 washers under the bolt head and nut and loosely secure with AN310-4 nuts on this rod and the corresponding rod on the co-pilot’s side. Use AN4-15 bolts, AN960-416 washers under the bolt head and AN310-4 nut and loosely secure the other end of the rod to the lower end of the cyclic sticks. Be certain there is at least ¾” of the rod end shaft engaged in the control rod. The small tab welded on the rod from the Electric Trim Kit should be positioned pointing upwards. Fabricate an aluminum control rod for the co-pilot’s side using the procedure described previously. Adjust the control rod at both ends until the cyclic sticks are parallel fore/aft. CYCLIC ROLL RIGGING If the cyclic lock is still in position, the sticks should be centered horizontally and vertically. Install rod ends in the vertical end of the cyclic roll bell cranks, using AN4-14 bolts, AN960-416 washers under the bolt head and under the AN310-4 nut. Finger tighten the nut. Fabricate and install the control rod, and adjust to center it between the bell cranks. Confirm that both cyclic sticks are parallel in the left-right axis. COLLECTIVE/THROTTLE RIGGING Position the collectives so that the collective bell cranks are vertical and centered. Install a rod end on the aft side of the collective bell crank on the aft end of the pilot’s collective. Install another rod end on the aft side of pilot’s side of the double bell crank attached to the co-pilot’s collective. Use AN4-15 bolts with AN960-416 washers under the bolt head, an AN970-4 washer against the rod end, and an AN310-4 nut with an AN960-416 washer under the nut. Fabricate and install the control rod, and adjust to center it between the two bell cranks. Verify that both horns of the bell cranks are exactly vertical. Locate the throttle control rod shown below and the two smaller MM-4T rod ends from the Control Kit. The end of the control rod with the shortest length of tubing past the bell crank goes forward. On an AN4H-10A bolt, thread an AN960-416 washer, an AN970-4 washer, an AN960-416 washer, an MM-4T rod end, and an AN960-416 washer.
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