Roger,
I am willing to stand corrected but my understanding is that the
balancing should be done with the torque tube "in situ" and with the
rest of the control system connected.
The control system forward of the torque tube horn will have a bearing
on the overall balance of the pitch installation. Disconnecting this
IMHO will give a less than optimum setup.
Carl Pattinson
G-LABS
3. While the tailplanes and torque tube were out of the aircraft I
decided to do a check of the mass balance and was surprised to find the
assembly 78g too heavy at the weight end. I genuinely thought I had
achieved a good re-balance in situ after mod 70 but the friction in the
control system was enough to mask the imbalance. How many more Europas
are like this and might it have contributed to the accident?
Since correct mass balance is so critical and removal of the torque
tube (albeit a pain) takes less than a day's work, it might be worth
doing this at the same time as mod 73 - giving the advantage of peace of
mind and also being able to use your own torque tube for a better layup
than wrapping tape around plastic pipe as some have suggested?
Hope this helps!
Roger Mills
Roger Mills
07921140616
|