Yoke alignment?

Pedals2Paddles

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Pedals2Paddles
Hands off, a 172 flies straight and level perfectly. But the yoke seems to not be aligned properly. Hands off straight and level, the yoke is sits turned to the left about 15-20 degrees. Is that something that can be fixed internally? It seems like something you could detach, rotate to the correct position, and resecure?


<< Sent from my mobile device at 0agl >>
 
any halfway decent Airframe guy should be able to center a yoke...
 
It depends why it is that far out of alignment and where the turnbuckles are adjusted now. If you don't have a zipper in the headliner, it's gonna probably require dropping it.
 
any halfway decent Airframe guy should be able to center a yoke...

That would be easy to do if the yoke is not aligned with the ailerons, this aircraft may be out of rig and the yoke may need to be 15-20 degrees off level to make the aircraft fly straight.

try this, on the ground, align the ailerons with the wing tips and flaps see if the yoke is level.
 
It depends why it is that far out of alignment and where the turnbuckles are adjusted now. If you don't have a zipper in the headliner, it's gonna probably require dropping it.

No NO no, the ailerons are adjusted by lengthening or shortening the rods that attach the aileron to the sector in the wing.
 
That would be easy to do if the yoke is not aligned with the ailerons, this aircraft may be out of rig and the yoke may need to be 15-20 degrees off level to make the aircraft fly straight.

try this, on the ground, align the ailerons with the wing tips and flaps see if the yoke is level.

Yup, ground test is good.

Other question, how would aircraft fly hands-off if the yoke needed to be 15-20 degrees off level to make the aircraft fly straight? A friend of mine has a 172 with this particular affliction...
 
Yup. Ailerons are right where they belong. Just the yoke seems to be out of alignment. How does that work? What is involved with fixing it?


<< Sent from my mobile device at 0agl >>
 
Yup. Ailerons are right where they belong. Just the yoke seems to be out of alignment. How does that work? What is involved with fixing it?


<< Sent from my mobile device at 0agl >>

Better question is, "When and how did the yoke get so far out of alignment?"

I'd be very nervous until this was investigated.
 
No NO no, the ailerons are adjusted by lengthening or shortening the rods that attach the aileron to the sector in the wing.

But only after the cables, yoke and belcranks have been properly rigged.
 
No NO no, the ailerons are adjusted by lengthening or shortening the rods that attach the aileron to the sector in the wing.

The best I recall there's 3 or 4 points of adjustment, and if you don't have the cable rigging correct, you'll not get anything else correct.
 
I just had a similar conversation with my neighbor the other day. His cars steering wheel wasn't straight after an alignment so he pulled it and repositioned it. Now fully F'd I had to help him out. I put everything back to factory and adjusted the tie rods to set toe and steering wheel alignment, wah la, perfect.

Point is, seek out a rigging expert, there is a even a special certification, and get it fixed right.
 
I just had a similar conversation with my neighbor the other day. His cars steering wheel wasn't straight after an alignment so he pulled it and repositioned it. Now fully F'd I had to help him out. I put everything back to factory and adjusted the tie rods to set toe and steering wheel alignment, wah la, perfect.

Point is, seek out a rigging expert, there is a even a special certification, and get it fixed right.

He should have taken it back to the alignment shop, you do that at the tie rod ends.
 
He should have taken it back to the alignment shop, you do that at the tie rod ends.

Did I say something different? The alignment shop just set the toe without setting the steering wheel straight. He didn't want to pay another $90, so he "fixed" it himself.

Sounds like someone "fixed" the OP's plane in the same manner, that's why I suggested a rigging shop to make sure its right.
 
But only after the cables, yoke and belcranks have been properly rigged.

That is why we use rigging pins to see where any cable adjustment is made.

knowing what we do now a complete rigging check is needed, Step one, square one, by the book.
 
Hands off, a 172 flies straight and level perfectly. But the yoke seems to not be aligned properly. Hands off straight and level, the yoke is sits turned to the left about 15-20 degrees. Is that something that can be fixed internally? It seems like something you could detach, rotate to the correct position, and resecure?


<< Sent from my mobile device at 0agl >>

My 180 used to be just like that for the first several years I owned it. My mechanic never noticed it until I mentioned it. I stepped outside to make a couple of phone calls, came back in, it was fixed. I didn't pay any attention to what he did. Talk to your maintenance shop.
 
The aircraft is out of rig. You cannot arbitrarily determine the cause to be the centering of the yokes without performing the rigging procedures. For a quick ground check of aileron rigging you should have the following with the yokes centered:

Control wheel chain ends equidistant from center of sprockets
Aileron bellcrank stop bushings centered in slots
Ailerons neutral with trailing edge of flaps
30 - 50 lbs tension on carry through cable

If that is all satisfactory then check rudder rigging

Cessna wings also have adjustable incidence through an eccentric bushing at the rear attach point.
 
The aircraft is out of rig. You cannot arbitrarily determine the cause to be the centering of the yokes without performing the rigging procedures. For a quick ground check of aileron rigging you should have the following with the yokes centered:

Control wheel chain ends equidistant from center of sprockets
Aileron bellcrank stop bushings centered in slots
Ailerons neutral with trailing edge of flaps
30 - 50 lbs tension on carry through cable

If that is all satisfactory then check rudder rigging

Cessna wings also have adjustable incidence through an eccentric bushing at the rear attach point.

BTDT. Lost track of how many times long ago.
 
Our brand new Challenger 300 came with
The yokes 7 degrees off level. You would have
Thought somebody should have checked that!
Dave
 
IIRC it starts with getting the yoke centered, then rigging from that point outward to end at the ailerons. While keeping the yokes centered the whole time.
 
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