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Flap Switch location

BOHICA

Well Known Member
Just wondering where people put there flap switch in the RV-14's.

* Pilot and Co-Pilot Stick
* Panel
* Panel and Pilot Stick
 
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7, not a 14, but my switch is on the Tosten military grips and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I did my training in a 7 that had flaps on the panel and that had me looking in the cockpit on final to positively identify the switch. This convinced me to put them on the stick. Head down on final is not a good idea. Run it through a GAD27 so there’s no risk of bumping the flaps down at cruise speed. Also have flaps on copilot sticks, but can disconnect easily if necessary with a molex connector at the base of the stick.
Tom.
 
Flap Switch Location (Panel)

Not a -14, but in both of my -7's I placed it just above and to the left of the throttle.

I'm just not a fan of "extra" functions on the stick...
 

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On my RV8, I put the switch on the Infinity grip and a dedicated flap switch on the panel as a backup, in the case the switch on the grip fails. The switches are connected to the flap controller module so the wiring is more simple.
 
I also placed mine on the panel just above the throttle. I contemplated putting it on the Tosten grip but decided against it to keep things simple. If there is a problem the wiring and thus the troubleshooting is much easier.
 

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7, not a 14, but my switch is on the Tosten military grips and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I did my training in a 7 that had flaps on the panel and that had me looking in the cockpit on final to positively identify the switch. This convinced me to put them on the stick. Head down on final is not a good idea. Run it through a GAD27 so there’s no risk of bumping the flaps down at cruise speed. Also have flaps on copilot sticks, but can disconnect easily if necessary with a molex connector at the base of the stick.
Tom.

Did you put on left or right side of your pilot stick?
 
On my RV8, I put the switch on the Infinity grip and a dedicated flap switch on the panel as a backup, in the case the switch on the grip fails. The switches are connected to the flap controller module so the wiring is more simple.

This one of the options I am thinking about since you can have two flap switches on GAD 27. With the second one on panel if Tosten fails I would not have to try and hit switch on other grip. Then I could set up co-pilot buttons as comm swap 1 and comm swap 2 to make easier for them to handle radios.
 
I use Infinity grips. Flap is a toggle switch operated by the thumb.

On the RV-10 I had it on both the pilot and co-pilot grips (as well as the top hat trim control). On the panel I added a “Pilot/Co-Pilot” selector switch that controlled the common ground for flaps and trim grip switches. The idea was to:
- Take flap and trim away from the co-pilot as most of the time that person was not an RV-10 pilot.
- Provide for a backup flap and trim operation if the pilot stick grip failed. It is easy to just reach over to the other stick.

Carl
 
Mine is above the throttle in such way that I can push it while my hand is on the throttle. Unless there is a switch that disables flap above a certain speed, I would not be putting it on the stick.
 
Mine is above the throttle in such way that I can push it while my hand is on the throttle. Unless there is a switch that disables flap above a certain speed, I would not be putting it on the stick.

Both the GAD 27 and VPX provide speed limit on flap. So no worries on speed.
 
I like a big manual handle that hangs from the ceiling …. Oh wait - I’m thinking Carbon Cub! ;)

Honestly, I prefer the flap switch on the stick grip, on the thumb side so I have to reach for it. I’ve got two planes set up that way, and two with switches on the panel next to the throttles where I can get at them with my hand on the Go/NoGo lever. I have flown so many airplanes with switches/levers/dials/handles in so many different places that I don’t do anything by rote. But I fly my own airplanes with switches on the grips enough that I am always reaching for flaps with my thumb - I just prefer it that way.

There’s no “right” answer - if you do a poll, I bet it turns out fifty-fifty….

Paul
 
I have unused buttons on the stick but don't want my flaps there. On the panel next to the throttle...an easy and repeatable reach for me.
 

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On the panel.

Like others, I have mine a natural thumb distance above and left of the throttle. Don’t have to look for it. Big FAT flap switch.
I have Comm & autopilot connect/disconnect on my stick. Have on occasion hit one instead of the other. Not possible with flap switch on panel.
 

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toggle switch right next to the throttle so I never need to look for it. On approach or go-around your hand will be on the throttle anyway and you can use your thumb

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toggle switch right next to the throttle so I never need to look for it. On approach or go-around your hand will be on the throttle anyway and you can use your thumb

View attachment 27541

But I am using a throttle quadrant in the console between the seats. So would not be near thumb.

Seems like my plan of going on stick so it is near "a" thumb works especially since I am putting in a center console w/ throttle quadrant. I think it will work best.
 
I elected to put the flap switch on the right side of the 12” control cable bracket from SteinAir. The location allows me to slide my hand over from the throttle when required. Works well.

Cheers Jim

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Flap switch

I like a big manual handle that hangs from the ceiling …. Oh wait - I’m thinking Carbon Cub! ;)

Honestly, I prefer the flap switch on the stick grip, on the thumb side so I have to reach for it. I’ve got two planes set up that way, and two with switches on the panel next to the throttles where I can get at them with my hand on the Go/NoGo lever. I have flown so many airplanes with switches/levers/dials/handles in so many different places that I don’t do anything by rote. But I fly my own airplanes with switches on the grips enough that I am always reaching for flaps with my thumb - I just prefer it that way.

There’s no “right” answer - if you do a poll, I bet it turns out fifty-fifty….

Paul

Paul
Curious...
Do you prefer the natural location of your thumb? Right handed stick would be top left.
 
Paul
Curious...
Do you prefer the natural location of your thumb? Right handed stick would be top left.

Well now we’re really getting into stick grip design…. ;)

On both airplanes with stick-mounted flap switches, I have Infinity grips, and both are right handed. The flap switch is a toggle, to the left of the trim hat. But you have to actually reach with your thumb to get to the top of the toggle switch to bring it to the “down” position. It’s easier to get the flaps going “up” because you just have to nudge it a little. This is with a flap switch that you have to hold (against a spring) to drop the flaps, but if you push it up, the lever stays in the “up” position, bringing the flaps all the way up. I know folks will argue that this could create an inadvertent retraction case, but it is actually really hard to make that happen, and I have never experienced it.

I don’t think I’d be quite as happy with a grip-mounted flap control with push buttons BTW - the tactile aspect is very different from the toggle bat.

And if I had my way, the place where the thumb naturally sits would be the trim hat so that you can trim without having to move your thumb to an unnatural position (the top center of the grip). Kevin at Tosten made me a grip like that with pitch trim only, and I love it - but there wasn’t room for a switch that would do two-axis control. So one of these days I need to find someone with the capability to build what I am looking for….

Paul
 
Flap Switch Location

Mine is on the panel to the right and above the engine controls because that’s where it is on most of the other planes I fly.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
 
RV-6, second iteration on the panel - the first was standard 6-pack so I rearranged things some including flap switch when I went to a new panel with glass.

From that experience, I chose above / slightly left of the throttle for the flap switch, and for me it's perfect as I can operate it with my thumb while my hand is on the throttle.

As an aside, I always liked manual flaps in Cessnas, and might have done that in my -6. But while I was building I was fortunate enough to get 50 or so hrs in a manual flaps RV-6 and that convinced me that in SBS RVs, the geometry of the manual flap handle is far less than ideal. So that's why I chose electric flaps in the -6. Dunno if manual flaps are even an option in the newer models? But in case so, food for thought.
 

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In my RV-14, I put a flaps switch on the panel just above the Steinair throttle bracket. With over 100 hours flying with it, I like it there and wouldn't move it.

Side note for the over-thinkers: I put some effort into designing an "alternate flaps" system that would let me raise and lower the flaps in the even the VP-X Pro fails. I ended up not doing the alternate flaps because no-flaps landings are a non-event in the RV-14. I did put in alternate trim that allows me to send power from the IBBS backup battery directly to the pitch trim.
 
For the Garmin G3x system with a GAD27 you can have two sets of flap switch inputs. I have a panel switch just to the left of the throttle as many others. I also have a flap switch on the pilot stick. I haven't flown with a flap switch on the stick before so I thought this is is a good starting point. If at some point in the future I get used to or decide I like the stick flap switch then I can use that as the primary. I think the flap switch next to the throttle is pretty convenient though so we'll see how it goes.
 
Not a -14, but in both of my -7's I placed it just above and to the left of the throttle.

I'm just not a fan of "extra" functions on the stick...

I have both ... one the stick and one the panel just above and left of the throttle.

I only use the one on the panel. It's very convenient for all operations, especially fast reconfigurations on touch and gos. I'd be happy to dump the flap switch from the grip and never look back.
 
I don’t use flaps that often but it’s my preference to put the flaps down with the switch I have on the panel. However, I do think it would be nice to be able to command full flap retraction from a button on the stick.

Currently my flap switch is a momentary rocker switch so I have to continually hold it for flaps up or down in the circumstances where I might be using flaps. I don’t mind that for adding flaps but it would be nice on a go-around or touch-and-go to not have to hold the switch continuously to retract them. I’ve had my eye on the flap positioning system from Showplanes, but they tell me I have to use their switch, and I don’t care for it. I’d buy it if I could use my existing switch, or something not quite so….functional…in appearance. This stuff is on my list of things to investigate but I haven’t got that far down that list yet.
 

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I’ve got my flap switch on the panel above the throttle. It’s a gigantic flap shaped switch, so it’s easy to access without looking. I’m not a fan of the HOTAS flap functions…

With a center console throttle it would be easy to put a toggle just to the side or behind the throttle control, that’s where the flap were in the jets I flew with console mounted throttles.
 
As an aside, I always liked manual flaps in Cessnas, and might have done that in my -6. But while I was building I was fortunate enough to get 50 or so hrs in a manual flaps RV-6 and that convinced me that in SBS RVs, the geometry of the manual flap handle is far less than ideal. So that's why I chose electric flaps in the -6. Dunno if manual flaps are even an option in the newer models? But in case so, food for thought.

I don’t find the geometry to be a problem, and I like the simplicity and fail safe aspect of manual flaps. I can dump the flaps in the blink of an eye on a gusty landing, and ‘glue’ the airplane to the runway. I can extend or retract the flaps on preflight, or during maintenance without powering anything up electrically. I’m a fan of manual flaps.
 
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