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Control stick height

Radioflyer

Radioflyer

Well Known Member
How common is it to shorten the RV6A control sticks such that the hand would almost be resting on the thighs and knees of the pilot? I think I've heard of builders adjusting the stick heights to their satisfaction, but doesn't this affect the control feel, perhaps to a detriment?
 
I only cut mine down enough to clear the instrument panel but I have a autopilot and am lazy. Plan on spinning a knob except for TO and approach.
 
Mine is in-flight adjustable by holding the provided length stick at whatever position feels comfortable. ;)
 
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Bought a 6A recently, and built a 7A. Cut both down. The 6A shortened 1.5”. Controls were light and I believe it felt better after the trim. Not a difficult job to replace the stick if a future owner doesn’t like it.
 
4 to 9

My RV 4 was perfect, rested my arm on my thigh and could not have been better.

Iv just bought a 9A and it appears that my arm will be 6" off my leg. Just getting ready to do a top and trash those ECI cylinder's so haven really flown it much. But the way it looks Im thinking I will be trimming it down a few inches.

Of course that will depend on the stick force...............

Thanks

Tim
 
Just my take on it. I’ve flown other rv’s with cut down sticks and whilst comfortable in the cruise, they ruined the the handling on approach and landing. Felt heavier and less accurate. (After flying mine the above owner agreed his were too short)
On my own aircraft they are cut so the top of the grip is exactly the same length as the vans stick was before adding the grip.
In the cruise I can rest my hand down lower if desired.

Regards Peter
 
Several posts written about this and universally it seems the recommendation is to leave the hand where the designer intended it to be. I believe Mike seeger (problably the most experienced RV pilot out there) wrote a post about one such plane with a butchered stick. He went on with all sorts of comments about how it negatively changed the control of the plane. You must understand that the control system is an engineered design with numerous different points of leverage enhancement and reduction and they all need to work together. Shortening the stick does two things to a key element in that design. FIrst it increases the force required to affect a change and two, it reduces the movement required to affect a change. IMHO, this is one of the most well balanced planes out there, so why make changes to a critical component of that system? Better to make a spacer to put on your thigh if that is a critical issue for you. Many of us have to cut the stick down to fit a grip on it, but that it different, as we are not moving the point where the hand interfaces with the control. You want your hand to be exactly where the designer intended it to be, relative to the sitck's pivot point. Internet is an interesting place and I am sure many out there will say this is the cat's meow, but suggest you do some research and ask Van's what they think about it. If you don't believe me, go test it. Just move your hand down the stick and see how it fly's. If you want some REAL excitement, grab it right where it comes out of the floor. That will help cement the leverage relationship for you.

If you haven't noticed, Van's put an arm rest on the 6/7 fuselage wall that is of a perfect height to rest your arm. Just need to make a cushion for it.
 
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Stick length

We all have different arm and leg sizes and strengths for leverage advantages and or disadvantages for some. Kinda like the Citabria, I could toss it around all day long with one arm but some guys were in there using 2 arms to wrestle it especially to the right. Obviously we don't want that in our RVs and if the stick gets too short, it could happen.

There must have been a reason why Vans made a pad for the arm to rest on on?

Once I get the new cylinders on Ill fly it and see how it feels. If needed, I can cut little by little. Worst case is if I chop it too much, just buy another one and replace it.
 
My .001 cent, leave it as designed. Stick length is an important part of the feeling of the airplane.

I currently fly an RV-6.9i, with standard stick length, and it has a fantastic stick to control surfaces ratio, one of the many reasons as to why RVs are, normally, such a joy to fly :)
I also fly an RV-8 on which the stick has been shortened by some, and flying it is much less enjoyable, the more so during aerobatics, or even worse, when flaring to land :(
 
Some people get away with having handling that is OK with a shortened stick because the ailerons do not have proper shape.
If the aileron trailing edge is not finished as specified in the plans, it artificially makes the aileron force is lighter, which will then work OK with a shorter stick But the airplane will not have the same nice crisp handling that a properly built RV-6 has.
 
Radioflyer said:
How common is it to shorten the RV6A control sticks such that the hand would almost be resting on the thighs and knees of the pilot? I think I've heard of builders adjusting the stick heights to their satisfaction, but doesn't this affect the control feel, perhaps to a detriment?
Click to expand...

Were you considering buying a 6A with shortened sticks or were you asking if it was okay to do it to your airplane?

If it's the former, it's easy enough to either replace the stick or weld/rivet with doubler an extension to return to original height.
 
Personally, I am of the school to leave the stick lever ratio as per plans. I was looking at a plane with a shortened stick and was wondering if it is just one more thing on the list of things I would have to correct.
 
I'm with Kiwipete, I've flown both RVs with stick length as designed and also several with shortened sticks. Without exception those with shortened sticks were horrible to fly. The usual comment is that the stick was only shortened by an inch or two to clear the panel - then your longer panel is too deep and is wrecking the whole experience of flying your airplane.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't ever consider shortening the stick.
 
Stick height

I have a curved stick with an Infinity grip. It’s a pretty comfortable height especially in cruise as it’s at the perfect position for my right hand. With my new Flightline interior seats there’s a slight bit of interference on the front seat with full aft stick. Not gross but enough that I may switch my stick & grip.

I have a Tosten military grip and a standard front stick for an RV-8 that I haven’t touched yet. I have a standard panel on the -8, anyone have this combo and how much did you have to cut the stick to make the grip clear the panel?
 
If you’re ever going to fly formation, or think subsequent owners will, you should leave the stick as long as you can. That’s what I’ve done, and when I’m hand flying cross country I hold the stick at the bottom of the grip or just below it, with my arm resting on my leg, and using only my finger tips. That’s all I need.
 
rvbuilder2002 said:
Some people get away with having handling that is OK with a shortened stick because the ailerons do not have proper shape.
If the aileron trailing edge is not finished as specified in the plans, it artificially makes the aileron force is lighter, which will then work OK with a shorter stick But the airplane will not have the same nice crisp handling that a properly built RV-6 has.
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Scott, I'm working on my RV7A stick & have seen a lot about drilling a hole in the side of the stick and also shortening length of the stick to accomodate the length of the stick grip. I do not want to drill a hole in the side of the stick. I'll run the wires out the bottom and connet them to appropriate controls (A/P, trim, PTT) I'm using a Ray Allen G407 F Stick grip which has a "Cooley" hat for trm control on both sticks. If I do not trim off about 1 5/8 inches of the stick, the grip will hit the panel in the full forward position. Is it acceptable to trim the stick enough to keep the top of the grip at the same relative position in the full forward position as the bare stick? I'm assuming that the additional weight of the grip does not have an adverse effect on the control stick. Does my plan, if used, maintain the design characteristics for the stick.

Thanks,

Mac Burton
 
Mac Burton said:
Scott, I'm working on my RV7A stick & have seen a lot about drilling a hole in the side of the stick and also shortening length of the stick to accomodate the length of the stick grip. I do not want to drill a hole in the side of the stick. I'll run the wires out the bottom and connet them to appropriate controls (A/P, trim, PTT) I'm using a Ray Allen G407 F Stick grip which has a "Cooley" hat for trm control on both sticks. If I do not trim off about 1 5/8 inches of the stick, the grip will hit the panel in the full forward position. Is it acceptable to trim the stick enough to keep the top of the grip at the same relative position in the full forward position as the bare stick? I'm assuming that the additional weight of the grip does not have an adverse effect on the control stick. Does my plan, if used, maintain the design characteristics for the stick.

Thanks,

Mac Burton
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I would say it's common to trim the stick as needed to clear the panel.

Personally I fly a lot of cruise with my hand on my knee and not even up where the grip would be if I had one. My hand is up higher when doing acro or other stuff that needs more leverage (like activating the PTT). All that said if you have a grip with buttons etc. I would say you want the top of the stick PLUS your hand to clear the panel.
 
Mac Burton said:
Is it acceptable to trim the stick enough to keep the top of the grip at the same relative position in the full forward position as the bare stick? I'm assuming that the additional weight of the grip does not have an adverse effect on the control stick. Does my plan, if used, maintain the design characteristics for the stick.

Thanks,

Mac Burton
Click to expand...

Yes, Yes, and Yes.

The goal is to have, in simple terms, the same mechanical advantage when grasping the top of the stick, as you would have had if an unmodified stick were used, so if adding the grip puts it back to the same overall length, you will be in good shape.

Drilling a hole in the bottom end of the stick and having wires exit between the two rod end bearings is the best routing method.
 
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