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Hand controlled rudder and brakes for RV10

T

timell

I'm New Here
Having just purchased a 'built' RV10, and as a wheelchair pilot of over 30yrs, I am about to embark on designing, getting approved and installing a hand control system for the rudder and brakes. To avoid re-inventing the wheel, I thought it wise to ask if anybody on here has already done something similar, or knows of someone who has.

I've already reached out to the factory, but they have no knowledge of any adapted RV's. I have friends in Italy, who have adapted two RV7's successfully and a very nice 'Gucci' job they've made of it. I can adapt their design to some extent , but the RV10 has some notable differences. I have a simpler design in mind, but if there's an already adapted '10' out there it would be good to brain storm.

I'm mainly UK based but spend a lot of time in the States......indeed I'm here right now enjoying a snowy day in Big Bear Lake, Ca :)

Thanks,

Tim
 
There was a guy several years ago who did hand brakes in one of the other models due to being a 1 leg amputee. due to his prosthetic he didn't have an adaptive rudder issue, but for the brakes he put the master cylinders between the front seats and operated them by lifting up on individual hand levers.

I don't remember his name, but I came across the details in his build log online
 
timell said:
Having just purchased a 'built' RV10, and as a wheelchair pilot of over 30yrs, I am about to embark on designing, getting approved and installing a hand control system for the rudder and brakes. To avoid re-inventing the wheel, I thought it wise to ask if anybody on here has already done something similar, or knows of someone who has.

I've already reached out to the factory, but they have no knowledge of any adapted RV's. I have friends in Italy, who have adapted two RV7's successfully and a very nice 'Gucci' job they've made of it. I can adapt their design to some extent , but the RV10 has some notable differences. I have a simpler design in mind, but if there's an already adapted '10' out there it would be good to brain storm.

I'm mainly UK based but spend a lot of time in the States......indeed I'm here right now enjoying a snowy day in Big Bear Lake, Ca :)

Thanks,

Tim
Click to expand...
www.impossibleairplane.com

Project 2025: The Impossible Airplane

www.impossibleairplane.com www.impossibleairplane.com
NoT sure what she’s doing but they might have some ideas
 
Carl Haye was the first with an RV-6 in the mid 90’s
His design used a twist grip throttle on the stick and a set of centrally mounted levers that independently activated the brakes, and when those levers were moved left or right they activated the rudder.
 
timell said:
Having just purchased a 'built' RV10, and as a wheelchair pilot of over 30yrs, I am about to embark on designing, getting approved and installing a hand control system for the rudder and brakes. To avoid re-inventing the wheel, I thought it wise to ask if anybody on here has already done something similar, or knows of someone who has.

I've already reached out to the factory, but they have no knowledge of any adapted RV's. I have friends in Italy, who have adapted two RV7's successfully and a very nice 'Gucci' job they've made of it. I can adapt their design to some extent , but the RV10 has some notable differences. I have a simpler design in mind, but if there's an already adapted '10' out there it would be good to brain storm.

I'm mainly UK based but spend a lot of time in the States......indeed I'm here right now enjoying a snowy day in Big Bear Lake, Ca :)

Thanks,

Tim
Click to expand...
First of all, good on you for taking this on. 👍

Not sure if it's in the budget, but a beringer anti skid systems allowes you to stear the plane while braking, I think combining that in can be helpful.
 
mooreparts.com

Empi 16-2542 Upright Dual Handle 3/4" Turning Brake Vw Baja Dune Buggy

Empi 16-2542 Dual Handle Turning Brakes With Upright Handles. Designed Flow Through System Does Not Interfere With Your Normal Brake Pedal. Ideal for Quick Turns In The Sand Or Dirt. Features: Chrome Steel Handles With Black Ball Grips Polished Aluminum Cylinders 3/4" Bore Tapped For 1/8" NPT...
mooreparts.com mooreparts.com

This is the turning brake of a dune buggy. It may not help with rudders, but it might be a good idea for differential braking on a free castering nose wheel. I’d look for handles that are better suited to simultaneously applying both brakes at the same time.
IMG_0102.png
 
rockyfatcat said:
This is the turning brake of a dune buggy...
Click to expand...

I've seen a similar one for ultralight airplanes:

blackmaxbrakes.com

Master Cylinder Assembly Dual Push Levers #44995

Master Cylinder Assembly with Dual Push Levers. Includes 2 pcs of the 44962 master cylinders (Does not include compression fittings)
blackmaxbrakes.com blackmaxbrakes.com

Also... You may be aware of the following, but in case you're not, then, some more sources for ideas / folks you can contact. "Able Flight" airplanes have an added stick-like control, which is pushed/pulled to actuate the rudder and twisted to move the throttle:



Recently, some certified factory-built S-LSAs became available with hand controls:

bydanjohnson.com

Brazil's Montaer MC01 Rises to a Need: Hand Controls to Let All Pilots Fly - ByDanJohnson.com

Over many years, many people have done solid work to accommodate people who are physically challenged in one way or another. That’s great! More opportunities to bring in motivated pilots is worthwhile. Yet designers have been hampered from making such changes, partly as they are burdened by a...
bydanjohnson.com bydanjohnson.com

For Disabled | Montaer Aircraft

www.montaeraircraft.com www.montaeraircraft.com

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0H1BgRdxJ6wNdXTjLUL2oKntgm91Cxn2bxpvTDtcBDWuofN9fhS2y1kNJPhBPMzrhl&id=100010582569664

Best of luck!
 
Dual hand brakes are definitely the way to go to achieve the braking function. Caution - it takes a fair amount of effort to use hand brakes. Most of us don't realize how strong our legs are as compared to our arms. One of my aircraft uses a single lever-actuated hand brake with the lever mounted between the two seats. I can lock the brakes and smoke the tires if I need to but it takes a much more conscious effort than making the same "oops" with over-zealous application of toe brakes.

I suspect the ideal situation would be to have the hand brake levers standing up vertically and bolted to a single shaft running in the fore-aft axis on the centerline of the aircraft - the two brake handles would become the "brake quadrant". The longitudinal shaft would be free to rotate such that the brake quadrant would rotate to the left and right of their normal vertical position. This rotational motion would control the rudder.

In operation one would "tilt" the brake quadrant to the left or right to achieve rudder input. This implementation would allow simultaneous use of rudder and brakes. When taxiing, for example, if moving the rudder to its left stop by "tilting" the brake quadrant all the way to the left isn't enough to keep the airplane straight, pull the left brake lever while holding the "brake quadrant" tilted to the left. This applies full left rudder and as much brake as is required. One could even apply full rudder deflection in one direction while pulling the opposite brake lever. The key would be in designing the brake quadrant to produce useable braking force with fairly short deflections of the brake levers to ensure the pilot's wrist doesn't have to contort at crazy angles.

Rotational friction of the brake quadrant could be tuned by varying the amount of tension applied to a band-style friction clamp applying friction to a nylon or similar round ring of material mounted to the rudder shaft. This would allow for some balancing of control forces to improve control harmony.
 
Carl Bell and Rafael Lopez built an RV-14A with hand controls for the brakes. Carl was a one-leg amputee. He used a skate wheel on one shoe for rudders. Their build was one of the first 14 builds and was very thoroughly described on their web page. It was even listed on the Van’s site as a resource, may still be. The address is http://www.rv14a.com. They ended up reluctantly selling their 14 due to age, so don’t visit here anymore. Good luck!
 
Hi Tim,

I don’t know your background, if from the UK or US but if not familiar with UK then Aerobility based at Blachbushe have two aircraft with modified controls that may be of some help when looking at your aircraft mods.
 
Thanks Guys, some good info coming through, please keep it coming.....the more RV and particularly RV10 specific the better. I am both UK and US based, fly in both countries and was co-founder of Aerobility.
 
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