gws tiger moth wing twist
03-18-2003, 06:15 PM
#1
gws tiger moth wing twist
Ok, here's a question for the GWS Tiger Moth devotees. My TM has has a rough life, and it's only flown a handful of times. The day after I finished assembling it and rigged up the flying wires, the cat decided to drop a shoebox of junk onto the plane, essentially destroying the upper wing. 
And this before maiden flight! Lesson learned. Curiosity may not kill the cat, but it kills airplanes and aggravates the cat owner.
Anyhow, I repaired and re-rigged the wing, and went to fly the TM on Sunday. I needed a *lot* of right rudder correction to keep tracking straight and under control. Upon landing, which I did very quickly, I found that the bottom left wing has wash-out and the bottom right panel has wash-in...essentially left aileron. This is with both wings even front-to-back and the struts as straight as that flimsy junk can be. (I'm using the stockers) at this point, I'm fresh out of ingenuity and energy for this plane, as I've got too many other projects going.
So, any suggestions for a quick fix?
And this before maiden flight! Lesson learned. Curiosity may not kill the cat, but it kills airplanes and aggravates the cat owner.Anyhow, I repaired and re-rigged the wing, and went to fly the TM on Sunday. I needed a *lot* of right rudder correction to keep tracking straight and under control. Upon landing, which I did very quickly, I found that the bottom left wing has wash-out and the bottom right panel has wash-in...essentially left aileron. This is with both wings even front-to-back and the struts as straight as that flimsy junk can be. (I'm using the stockers) at this point, I'm fresh out of ingenuity and energy for this plane, as I've got too many other projects going.
So, any suggestions for a quick fix?
03-19-2003, 02:55 AM
#2
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gws tiger moth wing twist
So you're saying that the lower wing has a twist in it causing the wash in/out? 1) Could the flying wires be causing the problem? 2) If not, could they be used to solve the problem?
The stock struts are very weak. On mine, I strengthened them by gluging 1/8" square balsa strips to the vertical parts, then run a bead of glue all along the struts where they touched they wing (not just the notches on the ends). This really locked the wings together, and I didn't need flying wires. This is an option if you can't fix the problem by tweaking the flying wires.
The stock struts are very weak. On mine, I strengthened them by gluging 1/8" square balsa strips to the vertical parts, then run a bead of glue all along the struts where they touched they wing (not just the notches on the ends). This really locked the wings together, and I didn't need flying wires. This is an option if you can't fix the problem by tweaking the flying wires.
03-19-2003, 02:38 PM
#3
gws tiger moth wing twist
It's a very strange matter. With the wings removed from the plane, the problem is still there, and it's only in the bottom panel either way. Any attempt I have made at re-rigging the wires has severely warped the struts when I get the twist out. It seems that when I rebuilt the wing, I built the twist into it
after a discussion with my father (another TM jockey) I decided to do what full-scale pilots do with a twisted wing...add a trim tab This is my short term solution. If the little plane should experience any severe wing trauma in the future, I'll try the 1/8" balsa doublers like you mentioned to stiffen the struts. BTW, thanks for the input. I'll try this out tomorrow and post a follow-up if it doesn't work too well.
after a discussion with my father (another TM jockey) I decided to do what full-scale pilots do with a twisted wing...add a trim tab This is my short term solution. If the little plane should experience any severe wing trauma in the future, I'll try the 1/8" balsa doublers like you mentioned to stiffen the struts. BTW, thanks for the input. I'll try this out tomorrow and post a follow-up if it doesn't work too well.
03-25-2003, 06:48 PM
#4
gws tiger moth wing twist
UPDATE---I must be blind!!!
Well, after I got home from flying my gws cub in the (lit) school parking lot last night, I decided to have a good long stare at the tiger moth, knowing that if I looked at it long enough, I would shame it into fixing itself. Well, after ataring didn't work, I grabbed my trusty steel rule and set about quantifying the problem. If it were any more obvious, it would have bit me on the *****! The top left strut is attached 5mm too far forward. Argh! How did that happen?! You see, this is why I like RCU. I can ask questions, get answers, and then, when I find out I'm a victim of my own stupidity, come back and tell you all about it without feeling bad, because I know I'm not the first. Live and learn.
Well, after I got home from flying my gws cub in the (lit) school parking lot last night, I decided to have a good long stare at the tiger moth, knowing that if I looked at it long enough, I would shame it into fixing itself. Well, after ataring didn't work, I grabbed my trusty steel rule and set about quantifying the problem. If it were any more obvious, it would have bit me on the *****! The top left strut is attached 5mm too far forward. Argh! How did that happen?! You see, this is why I like RCU. I can ask questions, get answers, and then, when I find out I'm a victim of my own stupidity, come back and tell you all about it without feeling bad, because I know I'm not the first. Live and learn.
