RIGGING!

[Brian Scranton]

Funny--when I bought her last year she had a pretty solid right turn (RT) tendency so we dropped the right flap two turns and the RT tendency went away. However, this forced the right aileron to deflect upward by 1.5 inches or so (and the left down the same) causing quite a bit of drag...

So, I dropped the left flap a little (two turns) and the ailerons were now balanced but the RT tendency was back! With a nice solid yaw (ball to the left) to boot. Realized the right aileron had its trailing edge trimmed pretty substantially (bent down 5 degrees) so my A&P leveled that thing off...and he put a little right bend in the rudder trailing edge too proclaiming, this is how the Mooney test pilots do it on every bird...

Boom. Rigged. Straight like an arrow and now deflection. Picked up a few knots TAS as well.  

I asked him if he had ever seen the Mooney rigging boards. He said yes. Then he laughed. Then he went and bent. Old dogs...

 

 

[Browncbr1]

Check your rudder while the plane is on jacks..  Bungees may be fighting against the trim (bent trailing edges). 

[Brian Scranton]

12 minutes ago, Browncbr1 said:

Check your rudder while the plane is on jacks..  Bungees may be fighting against the trim (bent trailing edges). 

Surprisingly there was zero trim bend on the rudder's trailing edge--we put a slight adjustment into it and it made a noticeable difference. 

[Piloto]

Check for roll with flaps down. And adjust the inboard link if necessary.

José

[Dale Logsdon]

+1 for the old dogs.

[Brian Scranton]

10 hours ago, Piloto said:

Check for roll with flaps down. And adjust the inboard link if necessary.

José

Thanks Jose--did that! It's surprising what small differences make...

[MB65E]

I always try to take out flaps first. Glad you got it flying straight.

-Matt 

[flyhigh603]

                                                                         To correct for turning tendency I'm sure in the service manual your supposed to bend the trailing edges of the ailerons.My 66 M20C turned hard to the left when i got her , had a great mech look up the procedure. Brought it in to him and with some flat blade sheet metal pliers and 30 min she flew straight as an arrow. Mooney is very specific about which way the trailing edges are bent.They are never bent up !! but consult the actual service manual for the procedure.