Converting a plane to stick

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Tmpendergrass

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Tmpendergrass
Ok this is going to sound stupid but hear me out.

Is it possible to convert a Cessna/piper/mooney to having a joystick? I'm not talking about re rigging the controls to have a center stick come up from the floor, but just attaching a stick to the shaft in place of the yoke. (Similar to the Cessna 162).

Doing it practically would be easy enough but what paperwork/ STC hoops would I have to jump through?

Why am thinking of such a stupid idea?
In every 172 I've flown (from older stuff through G1000 sp) it has been impossible to get the seat low enough to not have the yoke it my leg when at full deflection. This is obviously somewhat disconcerting but I've always just delt with it. Having a stick instead would get rid of this problem entirely as well as having easier access to the panel.


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Tmpendergrass said:
Ok this is going to sound stupid but hear me out.

Is it possible to convert a Cessna/piper/mooney to having a joystick? I'm not talking about re rigging the controls to have a center stick come up from the floor, but just attaching a stick to the shaft in place of the yoke. (Similar to the Cessna 162).

Doing it practically would be easy enough but what paperwork/ STC hoops would I have to jump through?

Why am thinking of such a stupid idea?
In every 172 I've flown (from older stuff through G1000 sp) it has been impossible to get the seat low enough to not have the yoke it my leg when at full deflection. This is obviously somewhat disconcerting but I've always just delt with it. Having a stick instead would get rid of this problem entirely as well as having easier access to the panel.


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Click to expand...

You would be altering the flight controls of the aircraft. BIG PITA. paper work wise and a lot of testing.
 
That's a shame since this is essentially just putting a different style yoke in the plane.
 
I achieved much the same result by just draping my hand over the center of the yoke.

Worked especially well with the skinny yoke in my Tiger.

Does not address the knee problem, of course.
 
I think I'd just as well stick (no pun intended) with the yoke, in that configuration.
 
Probably would be easier to just buy a different yoke.

I know it's not unheard of to swap yokes between cessnas, maybe a thinner old style cessna yoke?

As for converting it to a stick I think he amount of PITA factor would be huuuuge
 
Just 3D print yourself a new one and find a wrench, carry it in your flight bag and swap it before and after flight. :rofl:
 
I would definately ask this over on the 172 forum: http://www.cessna172club.com/forum/

You never know, there may be some STC that already exists. I mean there's one to convert over to a Corvette V8. If that exists, anything's possible. They would know right away. :)
 
I believe that something close to what you are talking about actually already exists. Sadly, I neither recall the manufacturer nor the types it is / was available for.
The thing I remember looked like this type of yoke, with one side cut off:
Cessnaexperimental-Control-Yo-82a8382464d5cda274cd0e24ab71d9be.jpg


You might want to do some more digging if you are interested in it. I think I saw it on backcountrypilot, it is therefore quite likely that the discussion was about a 180.
 
Tmpendergrass said:
Why am thinking of such a stupid idea?
In every 172 I've flown (from older stuff through G1000 sp) it has been impossible to get the seat low enough to not have the yoke it my leg when at full deflection. This is obviously somewhat disconcerting but I've always just delt with it. Having a stick instead would get rid of this problem entirely as well as having easier access to the panel.
Click to expand...

Are you sure you have the seat down all the way? Do you have something attached to your leg?

Better question, have you tried a Cessna 182?
 
Sort of the same thread... in a Bo, is switching from dual to single yoke a paperchase, or is it considered the same control?
 
Tmpendergrass said:
In every 172 I've flown (from older stuff through G1000 sp) it has been impossible to get the seat low enough to not have the yoke it my leg when at full deflection. This is obviously somewhat disconcerting but I've always just delt with it. Having a stick instead would get rid of this problem entirely as well as having easier access to the panel.

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Click to expand...

I have the same problem, so it's not something you are doing wrong.

Oddly, the first Cessna I ever flew (back in 1963?) had dual sticks, and I didn't realize that was odd because everything I flew had sticks. Turns out the owner put dual F-6F sticks in his plane. He was a WWII F-6F/F-4U pilot, and aeronautical engineer and had certs in air frame and power plant, and just did it without bothering with the "damn government busybodies". You could get away with a lot more back then. He liked the feel, and wired everything to the buttons on the sticks. The sticks worked well and out lasted the owner by many years.

The second Cessna I ever flew, a couple of years later, cause me no end of consternation.
 
C162 Skycatcher has a stick/yoke "stoke".

I would guess it wouldn't be too hard to find some and put them on.
No idea what paperwork it would take to swap a yoke. Some say nothing others say field approval.



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I flew a pacer that had been converted to sticks with a field approval. All it did was make an airplane that was a PITA to get in and out of a bigger PITA to get in and out. Don
 
Just to clarify, I'm only talking about attaching a stick to the end of the shaft in place of the yoke. It would operate similar to the cirrus sticks only centered.




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rolivi said:
Sort of the same thread... in a Bo, is switching from dual to single yoke a paperchase, or is it considered the same control?
Click to expand...

Just a log entry to swap.

Say - just throw the yoke over to the right and fly with your feet and the center column! (Works ...)
 
Tmpendergrass said:
Just to clarify, I'm only talking about attaching a stick to the end of the shaft in place of the yoke. It would operate similar to the cirrus sticks only centered.
Click to expand...

When you change anything on a flight control system it is a major modification.
 
Brad Z said:
Are you sure you have the seat down all the way? Do you have something attached to your leg?

Better question, have you tried a Cessna 182?
Click to expand...

Some people cant see over the dash with the seat all the way down. Maybe he is short with fat legs...
 
Tmpendergrass said:
Just to clarify, I'm only talking about attaching a stick to the end of the shaft in place of the yoke. It would operate similar to the cirrus sticks only centered.




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Click to expand...

Load a 172 to gross weight and fly it in an unusual configuration that loads the controls. Like a go-around with aft trim and full flaps. Can you apply adequate pressure with that 162 handle? Add a crosswind gust or two in there. How you doing?

Stupid idea.
 
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