Y/A Spitfire Stab Incidence & Incidence Meters
05-02-2003, 02:37 PM
#1
Y/A Spitfire Stab Incidence & Incidence Meters
After dry fitting the horizontal stab into my Y/A Spitfire, it appears to me that the leading edge sits at at a slightly upward angle. What is the incidence supposed to be for the Horizontal stab for this aircraft? I assume it is 0 degrees.
Second question: What incidence meters do you guys recommend? The Robart or the GP laser pointed? Thanks.
Second question: What incidence meters do you guys recommend? The Robart or the GP laser pointed? Thanks.
05-02-2003, 02:46 PM
#2
My Feedback: (2)
Yellow Spit
Mark, gosh I never took a reading when I fitted my stab on the Yellow Spit.. the way the glass is I don't remember there being much adjusting to it, what ever it happens to be?.. Dave Platt used to add a little Pos. to his stabs to help keep the nose down while flying.. My Spit flies fine as it was built.. so I needent think you should worry to much..
I have 2 Robart meters.. the old (very old) and the newer one.. They both work and I use them...What you want is accuracy and repeatability with your readings. What ever meter gives you that .. thats what's important.. I haven't used the Laser one so I can't speak to it. ...I work in an Engineering Lab where we need to be accurate so my advice is to check your readings several times until your satisifed they are correct. Hope this helps BobH.
I have 2 Robart meters.. the old (very old) and the newer one.. They both work and I use them...What you want is accuracy and repeatability with your readings. What ever meter gives you that .. thats what's important.. I haven't used the Laser one so I can't speak to it. ...I work in an Engineering Lab where we need to be accurate so my advice is to check your readings several times until your satisifed they are correct. Hope this helps BobH.
05-02-2003, 03:48 PM
#3
Stabs and incidence
Thanks for the input, Bob. Sometimes I really do not see the forest for the trees! It makes perfect sence that the factory cut-out in the fuse would be the incidence required. In my case, I built a balsa stab because I thought the Y/A stab that came with the kit was poorly done. At least in my case it was. Very flimsy/wavey fiberglass and heavy. The stab I built has the same dimensions as the factory one (I hope). I was just concerned because when I installed it, it showed a slight positive incidence. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Albert's pictures of his P-47.
05-03-2003, 02:51 AM
#4
My Feedback: (2)
Y/A spit
Mark, My stab was pretty much like yours by the way it sounds but I used it. One thing I did was to lighten the elevator with holes even to include hollowing the counter ballances.. I think my stab has a tendency to "oil can".. not much but a little..... Regards BobH.
05-03-2003, 01:04 PM
#5
Stab
I took a bad situation and made it worse. I filled the hollow stab with Great Stuff Foam. The foam solved the problem of stiffining up the stab surfaces, but made the thing too heavy. I could have used it, but I didn't want to put five pounds of lead in the nose. I am planning on building the elevators and rudder today and had already decided to make lightening holes. Just you like you have suggested here. By the way, special thanks to Chad Veich for providing me with plans. I didn't use the plans he sent because they were not quite the correct size, they were an excellant resource to refer to.
05-03-2003, 04:20 PM
#6
My Feedback: (2)
Yellow spit
Mark, I think your stab is still usefull. You can take a little gas and put it in the stab to get rid of the foam.. And.. FYI. even thought I did all that was nearly Humanly possible to lighten the back end.. I still had to add nearly 4 lbs to the nose!!.. but. its not a problem so don't worry!! What engine have you decided to use in your plane?.. If you use a gas engie you won't need to add as much weight as I did.. Regards BobH.
