Control stick soft grip

[Buckwheat]

Does anyone know where I can obtain new grips for my 7GCAA. Thanks Jim

 

[Old Blue]

If you're still looking try a Harley-Davidson motorcycle shop. Match up your stick diameter to their different handle bar diameters.

 

[Bob Turner]

What a good idea! You can search the Google forever and not find handlebar grips. Why soft? You do fly with thumb and forefinger?

 

[Old Blue]

The particular ones I got about twenty years ago are about a quarter of an inch thick, black soft rubber. Good grip. Mic button just barely fit in the thick material.

 

[Buckwheat]

Thanks Old Blue. There is a Harley shop not far fr

 

[Big Ed]

One caution about aftermarket grips. There was a post on Facebook a few weeks ago about a Decathlon that crashed because the wooden grip pulled off the stick. The pilot was taking off when it happened, just a few feet above the ground, and the plane nose dived into the runway before he could react. Poor guy had just bought the plane the week prior. Looks like the grip had been gradually sliding up until it was just barely on the stick. So if you get something not specifically made for the purpose, make sure the fit is correct and consider securing it. You don't want to have to explain your Harley grip to your insurance agent!

 

[Bob Turner]

Had to be something else wrong. In most of these airplanes you can let go of the stick almost anywhere without dying.

 

[Big Ed]

Had to be something else wrong. In most of these airplanes you can let go of the stick almost anywhere without dying.

He said it dove to the ground immediately, before he had a chance to grab the stick. I think he had it improperly trimmed. I trim my Decathlon to the R in "elevator" for takeoff, which is an inch behind the neutral mark. If trimmed to the tab, it would take a LOT of back pressure at slow speeds to keep the nose up.

 

[DanO]

I remember being very cognizant of this in the J3 I soloed in and flew for many hours thereafter. The rear stick had been shortened somewhat and a 'fighter-like" pistol grip had been installed. That J3 was a pain to trim in flight (the crank was nearly out of reach and the cable always slipped on the pulley) so it was always tempting just to set it some neutral position and yank and push the stick as necessary. Fearing the handle slipping off on landing I would always slow the plane down (to take pressure off the trim cable and reachhhh forward to turn the trim crank. Though my SD's trim is a bit sensitive in cruise, it is a treat to use during TOs and Lndngs.

 

[Bob Turner]

Our J3s can be flown in the pattern without touching the trim. I can let go almost anywhere without problems. As for the ACA airplanes, CIGAR TIPS has a T for trim. Set it for take off, of course, like Ed does.

 

[aftCG]

He said it dove to the ground immediately, before he had a chance to grab the stick. I think he had it improperly trimmed. I trim my Decathlon to the R in "elevator" for takeoff, which is an inch behind the neutral mark. If trimmed to the tab, it would take a LOT of back pressure at slow speeds to keep the nose up.

I saw that post and would have to agree that it was not trimmed properly for that to happen that way. Otherwise an inconvenience.
Solo in my Citabria I trim for the "v" in Elevator (the voice in my head calls out "v in 'vator"). With two on board the normal mark works well.

Our J3s can be flown in the pattern without touching the trim. I can let go almost anywhere without problems. As for the ACA airplanes, CIGAR TIPS has a T for trim. Set it for take off, of course, like Ed does.

Since I use 80 for climb and then throttle back to 1900 as I reach TPA (expected to be part way through crosswind) and fly the downwind at 80, I don't touch the trim until abeam the numbers, when I reduce power to 1100 and put in most of the remaining nose up trim (all of it if it's calm and I want my approach at exactly 60).

 

[Bob Turner]

Flew a particularly well balanced Super Cub 160 with flaps, my Dec, and the J3 today - total 18 landings. Never touched the trim after the initial setting in any of them. At least not in the pattern.