Originally Posted by
radfordc
Counterweights will always cure flutter....you could even disconnect the surface from the linkage and it won't flutter. But its also true that lighter surfaces and stiffer linkages do help prevent and control flutter.
But what good is a control surface that doesn't flutter if there is no linkage and you can't control the airplane? If your linkage is sloppy and you use counterweights to overcome the flutter it allows, you are only masking the problem and you are left with poor control of the airplane.
There is no one size fits all. Counterweights are great and I highly advocate their use when needed. But tight linkages are a must. I see more cases of flutter due to flex and slop in linkages than any other cause. So when helping someone with flutter problems, I always check and fix linkages first, then add counterweights if needed. The added bonus is that it not only might fix your flutter problem, but it will make your plane fly more accurately.
I'm just trying to let folks know that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Unfortunately, they are all messy
Dave