Left Banking M20J and Rigging

**Ragsf15e** · December 16, 2024

13 hours ago, jamesyql said:

Winter got the better of my initial plans at a test flight and I had to scrub the flight. Finally got up today and pleased to report that after the static rigging issues were addressed with the travel boards my left bank/yaw is much less pronounced. Winds were strong and gusty today and I was working with my instructor on exercises so will need another flight or two before I decide to start tweaking trailing edge tabs. What a great community we have here.

Excellent! When you do check it on a smooth day, check it with the ball centered and different speeds/power settings. The rudder required changes over the speeds and power, and even with the ball centered, I could see it making some roll difference if you’re looking for it.

**PT20J** · December 16, 2024

It's also a good idea to check that the ball centers when the airplane is level. You can put a level across the seat tracks and adjust air pressure in the mains to get the airplane level laterally and then check that the ball is centered.

**Ragsf15e** · December 16, 2024

2 minutes ago, PT20J said:

It's also a good idea to check that the ball centers when the airplane is level. You can put a level across the seat tracks and adjust air pressure in the mains to get the airplane level laterally and then check that the ball is centered.

God point. If i look very closely, my “bubble” ball and the g5 electric version are slightly off when sitting on the ground. I would think installation would have to be almost perfectly aligned to make them extremely accurate.

**jamesyql** · December 18, 2024

It's also a good idea to check that the ball centers when the airplane is level. You can put a level across the seat tracks and adjust air pressure in the mains to get the airplane level laterally and then check that the ball is centered.

Thanks, yes this is great point. My mechanic levelled the plane on jacks and ensured the ball was centred as part of the rigging process.

**PT20J** · December 18, 2024

Probably obvious, but make sure the fuel tanks are balanced. To be sure, I’d start with full tanks.

**jamesyql** · January 3

Good news update.

Plane is flying appreciably straighter now that the flaps and rudder have been adjusted with the travel boards.

Slow flight and stalls have both been easier and more predictable. Cruise flight requires much less input.

Thanks for everyone’s input. Bottom line, if your Mooney is not flying straight or behaving well in a stall, it’s worth the hassle to source travel boards and get it done right. And for what it’s worth, my mechanic is not an MSC and was able to get this done in approximately a 9 hours of labour (first time doing Mooney rigging).

**DC_Brasil** · May 12

On 11/17/2024 at 10:52 PM, jamesyql said:

Nice googling!

So far I have come across:

https://knr-inc.com/shoptalk-articles.html?view=article&id=75&catid=25

https://knr-inc.com/shoptalk-articles.html?view=article&id=106&catid=25

https://themooneyflyer.com/issues/2017-OctTMF.pdf

https://www.themooneyflyer.com/issues/2012-JulTMF.pdf

Hello Everyone,

I would like to ask my fellow Mooney lovers for some help with this one. My plane and I are in Brazil and regulations here, albeit based on the FAA, have a few differences. One key difference is that our A&Ps are more limited in what can be done by themselves if outside a part 145 repair station. Also, I don't know if that's the case in the US but, individual repair stations have to be certified for each individual make and model they need to work on, case in which they have to acquire maintenance manuals and all the tooling that may be required for a make/model. Consequently, there is an investment from repair stations to be able to work an a certain plane type and they need to figure the financial returns.

That being said: we have very few Mooneys registered in Brazil (less that 25) and perhaps a dozen or so with valid airworthiness certificates. Consequently, today there are a handful of repair stations certified for Mooneys in the country, and most of them have mechanics that will very seldom actually get to work on the planes.

So, last annual I ask the shop to do the flight control rigging as the plane had a very pronounced right bank tendency. They "corrected" the problem and now the plane flies straight... or did they? Ahahahahah now it flies straight but with the right aileron up (yokes to the right in level flight) and the ball is also slightly right of center on the G3X. I have seen that there is a difference in alignment in the ailerons and also in the elevators -on the ground, I can see that the right elevator counterweight arm is about 0.2 inch above the horizontal stabilizer plane in comparison to the left side.

So I guess I am flying with a "speedbrake" on the right wing, and likely losing performance (see pictures below).

I even printed and translated all the articles on rigging that @jamesyql shared above.

So, what I want to ask is: could someone provide me with images for the steps taken during the flight control rigging? I would like to be able to take them to my mechanic shop and walk them trough the process and try to get the rigging done right.

Thanks everyone!

**PT20J** · May 12

It sounds like the elevators are misaligned and the shop compensated by tweaking the aileron and/or flap rigging. I’d get the elevators right and then repeat the rigging procedure.

MB65E · May 13

Why doesn’t a J model have a trim tab on the rudder? One really needs to bend the skin itself. Did the later F models have the trim tab?

-Matt

**PT20J** · May 13

1 hour ago, MB65E said:

Why doesn’t a J model have a trim tab on the rudder? One really needs to bend the skin itself. Did the later F models have the trim tab?

-Matt

Bending the skins is only for fine tuning after all the rigging has been set correctly.

Kytulu · May 28

A pilot friend of mine just bought a Mooney, and he is reporting a tendency to roll to the left. Being that the travel boards are apparently made of Unobtanium, can the rigging angles in the service manual be verified with a digital protractor?

**EricJ** · May 28

22 minutes ago, Kytulu said:

A pilot friend of mine just bought a Mooney, and he is reporting a tendency to roll to the left. Being that the travel boards are apparently made of Unobtanium, can the rigging angles in the service manual be verified with a digital protractor?

Yes.

1980Mooney · May 29

23 hours ago, Kytulu said:

A pilot friend of mine just bought a Mooney, and he is reporting a tendency to roll to the left. Being that the travel boards are apparently made of Unobtanium, can the rigging angles in the service manual be verified with a digital protractor?

Per KNR Shop Talk, they all roll to the left some eventually - the question is how quickly.

"The Wing Level Test: Now, using the rudder to keep the ball centered (if not already centered), release the control wheel and begin counting seconds. A properly rigged Mooney will start a very slow bank in about 5-8 seconds. This bank should not start as soon as you release the controls! Record the direction, time counted and severity of roll. Repeat this wing level test a few times to get a trend."

Before your "new Mooney owner" friend or his likely "new to Mooney" A&P starts diddling with any flight control rigging make sure that all the gear doors are closed up tight when retracted - nothing dragging or slightly in the windstream.

All our planes are old and flight control surfaces may have suffered damaging forces over time. These may be in the logs as repairs if severe enough. Others may be forces that twisted flight surfaces. A common one is the right flap slightly bent near the fuselage from people stepping on it by accident for example. See the comments below from KNR about "steps not in the maintenance manual" to verify that the inboard and outboard angles of all flight control surfaces are proper and symmetrical.

23 hours ago, EricJ said:

Yes.

The KNR Shop Talk articles on flight control rigging are great.

201407 Control Rigging

200010 Fight Control Rigging

Straighten Up & Fly Right

Flight Control Rigging

July 2014

This month’s ShopTalk will educate the reader on aircraft flight control rigging. We will show the reader how to evaluate their aircraft and verify the flight controls are properly rigged and how to correct most discrepancies. This ShopTalk is focused on Mooney airplanes, but much is applicable to Pipers. Both utilize engine mount offsets to compensate for engine torque and propeller wash and P‑factor. Cessnas utilize elevator and rudder offsets to balance these forces.

Technically and legally speaking, your plane was not certified by the FAA to be out-of-rig and there are no optional documents from any aircraft builder allowing you to fly that airplane in that condition. As we all know, during an annual, when your IA mechanic signs his or her name and certificate number in the airframe log book, that aircraft meets its type certificate data all the way back to when it was manufactured. This includes all supplemental data (STCs), and all optional approved items that may have been installed over the years (337s).

To be able to correctly do this job some special tools are required: airplane jacks, a digital level, Mooney rudder and aileron/flap travel boards, a straight three-foot bar to tape to the bottom of the control wheels and a ten-inch straight bar along with two C-clamps to clamp this bar across the pilot's rudder pedals and, of course, the correct maintenance manual for this aircraft. Please study the maintenance manual as the first step in this process. Some of the procedures mentioned in this articles are detailed in the manual. For instance, where do you measure that the airplane is level? By the way, most of this work must be done by an FAA certified airframe mechanic.

The Flight Test is a simple one but must be done in a specific order, one step at a time. This flight test must be done in an uncongested area, on a smooth day with equal fuel load in both wings. Any lateral imbalance in the fuel load or the cabin load will bias a roll towards the heavy side. If the plane is equipped with any Aerotrim trim tabs, before departure, visually verify the tabs are straight regardless of cockpit indicators. It requires straight and level cruise flight for 10 - 20 miles. The pilot will be concentrating on airplane operation so I strongly recommend utilizing a safety pilot to watch for traffic.

The Ball Test: In straight and level flight, select your usual cruise power setting and and stabilize the airspeed. Turn off the auto pilot and disable the Positive Control system (pull the button out of the yoke). With feet flat on the floor, hold the control wheel so the wings are level with the horizon. If there is rudder trim (not Aero trim) set it to the center of the rudder trim scale. In the turn & bank instrument, record the position of the ball with respect to the hash marks.

The Wing Level Test: Now, using the rudder to keep the ball centered (if not already centered), release the control wheel and begin counting seconds. A properly rigged Mooney will start a very slow bank in about 5-8 seconds. This bank should not start as soon as you release the controls! Record the direction, time counted and severity of roll. Repeat this wing level test a few times to get a trend.

While straight and level, ball centered, note the trailing edge alignment of the ailerons with respect to the flaps.

During landing, note the amount of elevator pitch trim and availability of elevator travel.

This completes The Flight Test.

Back at the hangar, review the flight test notes. If the ball was not centered during The Ball Test or the airplane's tendency is to roll positively to the same side during the wing level test then it is not properly rigged and it’s time to go up on jacks. Place the aircraft on jack stands with the nose wheel off the ground and free to move. Level the airplane for both axes.

Elevator pitch trim and travel limit was noted during the test flight. This is important but will not cause an out-of-rig condition that we focused on during our test flight. Elevator travel limits and pitch trim adjustments require an elevator/trim travel board. I rarely see these limits out of tolerance, but if the pitch limits are suspect, the trim/elevator travel need to be verified as correct (especially with the long nosed Mooney M20K,M,S,R,TN). Adjustment procedures are beyond the scope of this article.

Now that the airplane is up on jacks and level, the first item to look at is the turn and bank instrument. Is the ball centered between the hash marks? If not, then fix this first. If the airplane has an Electronic Flight Director, power it up and verify it is displaying level. A vacuum-driven horizon can be leveled if an external vacuum source is available. Never run the engine of an airplane while it is on jacks. Doing so could lead to an event that negates any efforts at rigging the flight controls, forever. If not able to calibrate a vacuum-driven horizon while on jacks, another leveling process will be addressed later in this article.

Using the ten-inch bar and C-clamps, the pilot’s rudder pedals are aligned with each other and clamped. Next, tightly tape the three-foot bar to the bottom of the control wheels so they cannot move. Remove the belly panel and locate, under the pilot's floor near the fuel strainer, the aileron/rudder interconnect springs. These springs should be stretched to the same length (typically 4.9 inches). If they are different lengths, adjust them to be equal.

Place the aileron/flap travel board across the wing at the correct wing station and verify that both ailerons are at the same degree of droop, 0 to 2 degrees. The ailerons will tend to rise during flight, so some droop is desirable. Adjust the ailerons to be equal and within tolerance.

Verify that the outboard flap stops are limiting the flaps and that the outboard flap angle is the same for each flap on our travel board scale. Adjust this before going any farther. For the controls surfaces (flaps, ailerons, elevator, rudder) there is one aeronautical engineering standard you must achieve: any control surface must be straight within 1 degree along the control for the plane to fly hands off correctly; no twist, no bends.

Now comes the part not in the maintenance manual. Using the digital protractor, measure all the outboard and inboard angles of the flaps and ailerons. Sight along the trailing edges to detect any bends and measure these also. Organize and record all measurements so they can be scrutinized from one wing tip to the other. Any flap or aileron that is twisted or otherwise bent more than 1 degree must be repaired. The flaps may be slightly lower than the ailerons as long as the flap angles (all four of them) are within1 degree of each other. If your Mooney flies slower than the book numbers it could be that full-up flaps are drooping and need to be adjusted up. I often observe, over the years, the inboard angle of the right flap is bent (twisted) down 2 to 4 degrees from people stepping on it.

When your Mooney was manufactured, all of its control surfaces were built in jigs that were recalibrated after ever so many manufacturing cycles. These surfaces have the same angle on the inboard side as the outboard side and all the way through the center, all within 1 degree. This is the structural standard that meets the FAA type certificate.

Another procedure not in the maintenance manual is to secure the elevators level using a clamp on the copilot's control shaft with the stabilizer trim in the takeoff position and measure the outboard and inboard angles on each elevator. As was done for the ailerons, verify that all four angles are within 1 degree of each other.

Check that the rudder is at 1 degree right on your rudder travel board. Due to normal play in the rudder linkages, set the rudder so it is no less than ½ degree offset when pushed by hand to the left and no more than 2 degrees when pushed by hand to the right. This will get the rudder as close to 1 degree right as possible. If the rudder needs adjustment (and most do), now is the time to set it correctly.

Unlike Cessnas with wing struts, Mooneys have no way to wash-in or wash-out the wing tips, so if the airplane wing has ever been pranged or re-skinned, it is imperative to verify that both wing tips have the same angle of attack at the end rib (not the fiberglass tip). Place your digital protractor at the same location from the leading edge on the outboard rib and verify that both wing tips are within 1 degree of each other. It is rare to see the wing end ribs out of rig, but a Mooney will not fly correctly if the ends of the wings are not within 1 degree of each other. Unfortunately, the only way to properly fix this is to re-skin the wing tip.

The engine is the next item to be checked. Start by examining the engine mounts and shims for integrity - no sag. Engine sag is more common with Lycoming than Continental engines in Mooneys. Vertical and lateral engine offset varies among the Mooney model line, so matching the engine position with a properly installed cowling is a good way to verify alignment. If the cowling has been modified (improperly rebuilt), this easy method won't work. Accurately realigning an engine from scratch involves engineering drawings and plumb bobs - beyond the scope of this article and most airframe mechanics.

Just how much 1 or 2 degrees of engine misalignment has on the overall rigging is probably negligible, but again, does the aircraft meet its type certificate?

If the airplane has any fixed or movable tabs, make sure they are straight before the next flight test. So, why is the service manual missing all these items mentioned in this article? When the manual was written it was based on a low-time airplane, not a decades old, twice bent airplane with 3,000 hours on it. Even a well kept, no incident airplane can have a bent right flap from people stepping on it over the last twenty or so years.

Remove all the clamps and locks and verify that the ailerons have the proper travel up and down. Verify that the aileron stops are hitting at the correct travel, reset them if necessary. Verify that the rudder has its full right and left travel and it is hitting the stops on the nose wheel truss before the stops in the tail cone. Adjust the stops as necessary to obtain the correct limits.

Close up everything (except for the instrument panel, see next paragraph) and go over one more time all the things that were loosened. Make sure everything is tight. This is a good opportunity to inspect the landing gear components and operation. Before lowering the plane off jacks, retract the gear and verify that all the gear doors are tight and none are hanging out in the slip stream. A sagging gear door will cause the plane to yaw. Once you are satisfied with the gear door fit, lower the gear and take the plane off jacks.

If the gyro horizon hasn't already been leveled, it will be done out on the ramp, with the engine running for vacuum pressure. Be sure to have the proper tools and have the plastic panel cover removed. Taxi to a spot on the ramp where the airplane is laterally level by observing the ball in the turn and bank instrument which has already been calibrated in an earlier step. Insure the vacuum pressure is adequate and steady during the adjustment.

The last step before The Flight Test is to put the airplane back to an airworthy condition (instrument panel cover, inspection covers, control locks, etc.)

Now it’s time for some fun. Verify that the fuel load is even and repeat The Flight Test. If rudder was needed to center the ball (The Ball Test), then the trailing edge of the rudder must be bent the opposite way the rudder was pushed. For instance, if right rudder was used to center the ball then bend the entire rudder trailing edge to the left, viewed from the back looking forward. This will push the rudder to the right in flight. The degree of bend should be small.

From The Wings Level Test, if the plane tends to roll in one direction, an aileron trailing edge needs to be adjusted. For instance, rolls to the left are countered by bending the left aileron trailing edge up. This will push the left aileron down thus favoring a right roll. Yes, if the opposite aileron's trailing edge is already bent up a bit, it may be straightened (bent down) for the same effect. Always bend the entire trailing edge. A very small bend goes a long way, so do not be heavy handed with this adjustment. It may seem like bending a ¼ inch strip will be ineffective, but along the entire length of the control surface, that trailing edge is a huge trim tab.

Obviously, these adjustments of flight surface trailing edges might not be the exact amount to get the airplane perfectly in trim. When your Mooney is rigged correctly it should fly like it is balancing on a ball. It will eventually roll one way or the other but never the same direction every time and never immediately after you release the controls. In flight, when checking the airplane rigging, follow The Flight Test steps - don't shortcut the process. Remember, balanced fuel and cabin load. Once the rigging is close, it is probably within the FARs for a pilot to make small trailing edge adjustments (once back on the ground).

As always if you have any questions about this article, feel free to call my aircraft repair shop at 307-789-6866 or e-mail me at shoptalk@knr-inc.com. Archived ShopTalk articles may be found on our web site, www.knr-inc.com. Until the next ShopTalk, enjoy flying your Mooney.

Flight Control Rigging
ShopTalk - October 2000

In this month's Shoptalk, I will explain to pilots and owners my procedures for properly rigging the flight controls of your Mooney aircraft. I know there have been several articles in the Log concerning flight control rigging, but this one is going to explain systematically what you need to consider and why. You will be able to recognize any incorrect settings. Perhaps no other maintenance procedure requires the pilot's input as much as rigging the flight controls of an aircraft. Many mechanics are not pilots and probably no one knows your aircraft as you do. Knowledge will help make rigging your aircraft a cooperative venture between you and your mechanic. I might suggest that you discuss this article with him or her prior to beginning the project. Following these steps should be an easier way than following the service manual. Most of what is in the service manual are contained here, and it must be used as a cross-reference. At the end of this procedure, I will go into detail about the final flight tests and adjustments. This procedure applies to all metal Mooney airplanes.

Before starting, you must have the following as well as standard tools:

A set of appropriate jacks.
The service manual for your aircraft.
A digital protractor.
The travel boards for your aircraft.
Patience

Read this article to the end and understand the entire procedure. Heed the hints mentioned at the end of the steps.
STEP #

Place airplane on jacks.
Remove belly panels exposing aileron/rudder inter-connecting springs and mechanism.
Level A/C on jacks. See your service manual for this procedure.
On the turn and bank indicator, make sure the ball is centered between the hash marks. Reset the turn and bank indicator in the panel if this ball is not centered. If the ball cannot be properly centered by adjusting the instrument then replace the instrument panel shock mounts. These rubber mounts are probably sagging or broken. Do not go to step 5 until the ball is centered between the hash marks when the aircraft is properly leveled.
Clamp the pilot's rudder pedals together. Be sure they are even. Install a straight bar across both control yokes to hold the yokes centered and together.
Measure the aileron interconnect springs for their length. Most are stretched about 4.9" long, but the important consideration here is that they are exactly the same length when the rudder pedals and control wheels are clamped together evenly. See your service manual for the exact spring length and readjust the springs until they are at this length. Do not go on to step 7 until this is completed.
Verify that the rudder is aligned straight and not deflected from the vertical fin centerline. If your airplane has rudder trim make sure it is set correctly as per your service manual before checking the rudder. On the TLS, the indicator is one notch to the left of the centerline when the rudder is actually straight.
Readjust your rudder to centerline with rudder pedals clamped together.
Install the aileron/flap travel board on the wing. See the service manual for the exact location of the travel board.
Set both ailerons for 2° droop as measured on the travel board when the control wheels are clamped together and level.
Set outboard flap limit bolts to 0° on the travel board for both flaps. Angles are the same for both flaps using a digital protractor and is the same as the inboard angle on each flap. Often, I find that they are not the same. If this is the case, then adjust the flap actuating rods to obtain the same angle inboard as outboard. This is very important; it is not discussed in any Mooney service manual I have ever seen. If the outboard angle is 15° but the inboard angle is 17° then the flap will cause extra lift on that wing and you will never get the airplane to fly straight. Do not go to step 12 until all four angles match within 1/2 degree.
Remove aileron and rudder pedal locks and clamps.
Using a wooden clamp, align and secure one side of the elevator with the horizontal stabilizer and verify that the other elevator is at the same angle using a digital protractor. This is the other area I frequently see out of rig. If one elevator is up 2° when the other is level, then the plane will want to roll because of the twist in the tail.
Using the aileron travel board, verify that the ailerons actually travel up and down the full and correct amount and that they hit the stops on each bell crank in each wing. Once you have set the stops properly and the ailerons are rigged at 2° droop (each aileron) you will find that the control yoke will turn the same amount from left to right.
Verify that the flaps go down the proper amount using the flap travel board. Refer to the service manual again to determine the degrees of travel.
Verify that the stabilizer trim travels the correct amount in the nose up and nose down positions using the correct travel board and figures from your particular service manual. This is critical on the TLS model. Verify the trim indicator is set properly for the tail position.
Adjust the nose gear stop bolts for the correct rudder travel. Frequently these bolts are bottomed out and will not touch the stops. With the new style nose gear truss the bolts are, in fact, the rudder stops. The clamps and brackets in the tail are no longer utilized for this purpose. If there is a rudder position indicator, make sure it represents the position of the rudder.
Verify that the elevator stops are set for the proper elevator travel. Readjust the clamps and brackets in the tail if there is insufficient elevator travel in either direction.
Re-bend all rudder and aileron trailing edges to straight. Sight along the length of the trailing edge. Carefully bend the tabs or the trailing edge until completely straight.
Verify on TLS models that the elevator tabs are bent down 7°. It is amazing how much extra nose up authority this little tab on the elevator gives the airplane. On all aircraft be sure left and right elevator tabs are the same. If different, a little roll force would be produced but worse, torsional stress would be induced in flight between left and right elevators.
Now is a good time to adjust the nose gear steering. Check the steering horn for excessive play and that it is adequately greased. Steering horns that are worn (I out and/or improperly shimmed are common problems. This has become a very expensive part of all Mooneys but it is important, so make sure that it is correct before going on to step 23. You can readjust the linkage between the steering horn and the rudder pedal torque tubes and some adjustments may necessary once the aircraft is back on its wheels.
Retract the landing gear and check the gear doors and fairings. Always take the opportunity when the aircraft is on jacks to observe a landing gear cycle. Misaligned gear doors cause excessive drag and can affect aircraft trim.
These two items must be performed in the correct order. Lower the gear and remove the airplane from the jacks. Fuel tanks should be balanced. Testing time! Be sure to take notes while taxiing and in flight.
Do some taxi tests. If the aircraft won't track straight with zero rudder deflection, you will experience excessive nose wheel tire wear and some directional control problems during landing. Crosswinds from one side will be more difficult to handle than from the other side (no, don't adjust the steering for your prevailing winds).
At normal cruise power, 65 to 75%, in calm conditions, level the airplane out and allow the airspeed to stabilize. Level the wings with the autopilot or P/C system off. Put your feet flat on the floor and verify the tum and bank ball is centered. If it is centered, skip to STEP 27.
Be sure the rudder trim is centered. If you must push the left rudder pedal to center the ball (remember "Step on the ball!"), the trailing edge of the rudder will have to be bent to the right. Remember to bend the tab from the NAV light all the way to the top of the rudder evenly. When the plane will fly with the ball centered, feet flat on the floor when the wings are level you can move on to step 27.
Again; normal cruise power, calm conditions, P/C system or autopilot off, rudder trim centered. With feet flat on the floor verify that the ball is centered. Level the wings and release the control yoke. Observe the position of the ailerons with respect to the flaps. Take notes. If one aileron rides higher then the other, equalize them by doing the following. On the low aileron, bend the trailing edge down. That will raise that aileron. Typically, both ailerons should ride slightly above the flaps. The aircraft at this point should fly straight and level. Recheck the ball. Step 26 and then this step may have to be repeated for fine-tuning the trim.

Some hints on bending the tabs: A little bend of 2 to 3 degrees goes a long way. Bend evenly the entire length of the trailing edge of the control surface. If you have an aftermarket Aerotrim system installed make sure the indicator pointer is centered and the trim tab is straight (faired).
If the aircraft flies straight with autopilot or P/C systems off, don't re-rig the airplane. If when you engage the P/C system, the plane rolls (with the P/C knob centered) then check the P/C servo rubber cups. Replace the cups as necessary and try again.
If the aircraft has a retractable step, have someone observe that the step retracts completely when the engine is running. If it does not retract, then the servo cup is not getting enough vacuum pressure or the cup is bad.
Again, be patient. After some additional flights, you may want to revisit steps 25, 26, and 27.

In conclusion, I will say that about every third airplane that comes into my shop is out of rig. When I ask an owner about it, a typical response would be, "It has always flown that way." That does not need to be. A little time, money and effort can put you back on the straight and level. Better fuel efficiency will offset the money spent. One final item: Is the engine properly shimmed in the engine mount? The Lycoming-engined Mooneys have two thicknesses of shims installed between the rubber engine mounts and the engine itself. An incorrectly shimmed engine will have an improper angle of thrust in relationship with the centerline of the fuselage. This is a very difficult item to resolve because every airplane was shimmed differently at the factory. Remember, all these planes are hand-built and no two are exactly alike. When referencing the Parts Book or Service Manual for the engine shim part number or location, you will only find, "AR" (as required). That's because Mooney uses an engine jig that is mounted on the firewall and the engine is shimmed to match the jig.

Edited May 29 by 1980Mooney

Kytulu · June 1

On 5/29/2025 at 7:00 PM, 1980Mooney said:

Per KNR Shop Talk, they all roll to the left some eventually - the question is how quickly.

"The Wing Level Test: Now, using the rudder to keep the ball centered (if not already centered), release the control wheel and begin counting seconds. A properly rigged Mooney will start a very slow bank in about 5-8 seconds. This bank should not start as soon as you release the controls! Record the direction, time counted and severity of roll. Repeat this wing level test a few times to get a trend."

Before your "new Mooney owner" friend or his likely "new to Mooney" A&P starts diddling with any flight control rigging make sure that all the gear doors are closed up tight when retracted - nothing dragging or slightly in the windstream.

All our planes are old and flight control surfaces may have suffered damaging forces over time. These may be in the logs as repairs if severe enough. Others may be forces that twisted flight surfaces. A common one is the right flap slightly bent near the fuselage from people stepping on it by accident for example. See the comments below from KNR about "steps not in the maintenance manual" to verify that the inboard and outboard angles of all flight control surfaces are proper and symmetrical.

The KNR Shop Talk articles on flight control rigging are great.

201407 Control Rigging

200010 Fight Control Rigging

Straighten Up & Fly Right

Flight Control Rigging

July 2014

This month’s ShopTalk will educate the reader on aircraft flight control rigging. We will show the reader how to evaluate their aircraft and verify the flight controls are properly rigged and how to correct most discrepancies. This ShopTalk is focused on Mooney airplanes, but much is applicable to Pipers. Both utilize engine mount offsets to compensate for engine torque and propeller wash and P‑factor. Cessnas utilize elevator and rudder offsets to balance these forces.

Technically and legally speaking, your plane was not certified by the FAA to be out-of-rig and there are no optional documents from any aircraft builder allowing you to fly that airplane in that condition. As we all know, during an annual, when your IA mechanic signs his or her name and certificate number in the airframe log book, that aircraft meets its type certificate data all the way back to when it was manufactured. This includes all supplemental data (STCs), and all optional approved items that may have been installed over the years (337s).

To be able to correctly do this job some special tools are required: airplane jacks, a digital level, Mooney rudder and aileron/flap travel boards, a straight three-foot bar to tape to the bottom of the control wheels and a ten-inch straight bar along with two C-clamps to clamp this bar across the pilot's rudder pedals and, of course, the correct maintenance manual for this aircraft. Please study the maintenance manual as the first step in this process. Some of the procedures mentioned in this articles are detailed in the manual. For instance, where do you measure that the airplane is level? By the way, most of this work must be done by an FAA certified airframe mechanic.

The Flight Test is a simple one but must be done in a specific order, one step at a time. This flight test must be done in an uncongested area, on a smooth day with equal fuel load in both wings. Any lateral imbalance in the fuel load or the cabin load will bias a roll towards the heavy side. If the plane is equipped with any Aerotrim trim tabs, before departure, visually verify the tabs are straight regardless of cockpit indicators. It requires straight and level cruise flight for 10 - 20 miles. The pilot will be concentrating on airplane operation so I strongly recommend utilizing a safety pilot to watch for traffic.

The Ball Test: In straight and level flight, select your usual cruise power setting and and stabilize the airspeed. Turn off the auto pilot and disable the Positive Control system (pull the button out of the yoke). With feet flat on the floor, hold the control wheel so the wings are level with the horizon. If there is rudder trim (not Aero trim) set it to the center of the rudder trim scale. In the turn & bank instrument, record the position of the ball with respect to the hash marks.

The Wing Level Test: Now, using the rudder to keep the ball centered (if not already centered), release the control wheel and begin counting seconds. A properly rigged Mooney will start a very slow bank in about 5-8 seconds. This bank should not start as soon as you release the controls! Record the direction, time counted and severity of roll. Repeat this wing level test a few times to get a trend.

While straight and level, ball centered, note the trailing edge alignment of the ailerons with respect to the flaps.

During landing, note the amount of elevator pitch trim and availability of elevator travel.

This completes The Flight Test.

Back at the hangar, review the flight test notes. If the ball was not centered during The Ball Test or the airplane's tendency is to roll positively to the same side during the wing level test then it is not properly rigged and it’s time to go up on jacks. Place the aircraft on jack stands with the nose wheel off the ground and free to move. Level the airplane for both axes.

Elevator pitch trim and travel limit was noted during the test flight. This is important but will not cause an out-of-rig condition that we focused on during our test flight. Elevator travel limits and pitch trim adjustments require an elevator/trim travel board. I rarely see these limits out of tolerance, but if the pitch limits are suspect, the trim/elevator travel need to be verified as correct (especially with the long nosed Mooney M20K,M,S,R,TN). Adjustment procedures are beyond the scope of this article.

Now that the airplane is up on jacks and level, the first item to look at is the turn and bank instrument. Is the ball centered between the hash marks? If not, then fix this first. If the airplane has an Electronic Flight Director, power it up and verify it is displaying level. A vacuum-driven horizon can be leveled if an external vacuum source is available. Never run the engine of an airplane while it is on jacks. Doing so could lead to an event that negates any efforts at rigging the flight controls, forever. If not able to calibrate a vacuum-driven horizon while on jacks, another leveling process will be addressed later in this article.

Using the ten-inch bar and C-clamps, the pilot’s rudder pedals are aligned with each other and clamped. Next, tightly tape the three-foot bar to the bottom of the control wheels so they cannot move. Remove the belly panel and locate, under the pilot's floor near the fuel strainer, the aileron/rudder interconnect springs. These springs should be stretched to the same length (typically 4.9 inches). If they are different lengths, adjust them to be equal.

Place the aileron/flap travel board across the wing at the correct wing station and verify that both ailerons are at the same degree of droop, 0 to 2 degrees. The ailerons will tend to rise during flight, so some droop is desirable. Adjust the ailerons to be equal and within tolerance.

Verify that the outboard flap stops are limiting the flaps and that the outboard flap angle is the same for each flap on our travel board scale. Adjust this before going any farther. For the controls surfaces (flaps, ailerons, elevator, rudder) there is one aeronautical engineering standard you must achieve: any control surface must be straight within 1 degree along the control for the plane to fly hands off correctly; no twist, no bends.

Now comes the part not in the maintenance manual. Using the digital protractor, measure all the outboard and inboard angles of the flaps and ailerons. Sight along the trailing edges to detect any bends and measure these also. Organize and record all measurements so they can be scrutinized from one wing tip to the other. Any flap or aileron that is twisted or otherwise bent more than 1 degree must be repaired. The flaps may be slightly lower than the ailerons as long as the flap angles (all four of them) are within1 degree of each other. If your Mooney flies slower than the book numbers it could be that full-up flaps are drooping and need to be adjusted up. I often observe, over the years, the inboard angle of the right flap is bent (twisted) down 2 to 4 degrees from people stepping on it.

When your Mooney was manufactured, all of its control surfaces were built in jigs that were recalibrated after ever so many manufacturing cycles. These surfaces have the same angle on the inboard side as the outboard side and all the way through the center, all within 1 degree. This is the structural standard that meets the FAA type certificate.

Another procedure not in the maintenance manual is to secure the elevators level using a clamp on the copilot's control shaft with the stabilizer trim in the takeoff position and measure the outboard and inboard angles on each elevator. As was done for the ailerons, verify that all four angles are within 1 degree of each other.

Check that the rudder is at 1 degree right on your rudder travel board. Due to normal play in the rudder linkages, set the rudder so it is no less than ½ degree offset when pushed by hand to the left and no more than 2 degrees when pushed by hand to the right. This will get the rudder as close to 1 degree right as possible. If the rudder needs adjustment (and most do), now is the time to set it correctly.

Unlike Cessnas with wing struts, Mooneys have no way to wash-in or wash-out the wing tips, so if the airplane wing has ever been pranged or re-skinned, it is imperative to verify that both wing tips have the same angle of attack at the end rib (not the fiberglass tip). Place your digital protractor at the same location from the leading edge on the outboard rib and verify that both wing tips are within 1 degree of each other. It is rare to see the wing end ribs out of rig, but a Mooney will not fly correctly if the ends of the wings are not within 1 degree of each other. Unfortunately, the only way to properly fix this is to re-skin the wing tip.

The engine is the next item to be checked. Start by examining the engine mounts and shims for integrity - no sag. Engine sag is more common with Lycoming than Continental engines in Mooneys. Vertical and lateral engine offset varies among the Mooney model line, so matching the engine position with a properly installed cowling is a good way to verify alignment. If the cowling has been modified (improperly rebuilt), this easy method won't work. Accurately realigning an engine from scratch involves engineering drawings and plumb bobs - beyond the scope of this article and most airframe mechanics.

Just how much 1 or 2 degrees of engine misalignment has on the overall rigging is probably negligible, but again, does the aircraft meet its type certificate?

If the airplane has any fixed or movable tabs, make sure they are straight before the next flight test. So, why is the service manual missing all these items mentioned in this article? When the manual was written it was based on a low-time airplane, not a decades old, twice bent airplane with 3,000 hours on it. Even a well kept, no incident airplane can have a bent right flap from people stepping on it over the last twenty or so years.

Remove all the clamps and locks and verify that the ailerons have the proper travel up and down. Verify that the aileron stops are hitting at the correct travel, reset them if necessary. Verify that the rudder has its full right and left travel and it is hitting the stops on the nose wheel truss before the stops in the tail cone. Adjust the stops as necessary to obtain the correct limits.

Close up everything (except for the instrument panel, see next paragraph) and go over one more time all the things that were loosened. Make sure everything is tight. This is a good opportunity to inspect the landing gear components and operation. Before lowering the plane off jacks, retract the gear and verify that all the gear doors are tight and none are hanging out in the slip stream. A sagging gear door will cause the plane to yaw. Once you are satisfied with the gear door fit, lower the gear and take the plane off jacks.

If the gyro horizon hasn't already been leveled, it will be done out on the ramp, with the engine running for vacuum pressure. Be sure to have the proper tools and have the plastic panel cover removed. Taxi to a spot on the ramp where the airplane is laterally level by observing the ball in the turn and bank instrument which has already been calibrated in an earlier step. Insure the vacuum pressure is adequate and steady during the adjustment.

The last step before The Flight Test is to put the airplane back to an airworthy condition (instrument panel cover, inspection covers, control locks, etc.)

Now it’s time for some fun. Verify that the fuel load is even and repeat The Flight Test. If rudder was needed to center the ball (The Ball Test), then the trailing edge of the rudder must be bent the opposite way the rudder was pushed. For instance, if right rudder was used to center the ball then bend the entire rudder trailing edge to the left, viewed from the back looking forward. This will push the rudder to the right in flight. The degree of bend should be small.

From The Wings Level Test, if the plane tends to roll in one direction, an aileron trailing edge needs to be adjusted. For instance, rolls to the left are countered by bending the left aileron trailing edge up. This will push the left aileron down thus favoring a right roll. Yes, if the opposite aileron's trailing edge is already bent up a bit, it may be straightened (bent down) for the same effect. Always bend the entire trailing edge. A very small bend goes a long way, so do not be heavy handed with this adjustment. It may seem like bending a ¼ inch strip will be ineffective, but along the entire length of the control surface, that trailing edge is a huge trim tab.

Obviously, these adjustments of flight surface trailing edges might not be the exact amount to get the airplane perfectly in trim. When your Mooney is rigged correctly it should fly like it is balancing on a ball. It will eventually roll one way or the other but never the same direction every time and never immediately after you release the controls. In flight, when checking the airplane rigging, follow The Flight Test steps - don't shortcut the process. Remember, balanced fuel and cabin load. Once the rigging is close, it is probably within the FARs for a pilot to make small trailing edge adjustments (once back on the ground).

As always if you have any questions about this article, feel free to call my aircraft repair shop at 307-789-6866 or e-mail me at shoptalk@knr-inc.com. Archived ShopTalk articles may be found on our web site, www.knr-inc.com. Until the next ShopTalk, enjoy flying your Mooney.

Flight Control Rigging
ShopTalk - October 2000

In this month's Shoptalk, I will explain to pilots and owners my procedures for properly rigging the flight controls of your Mooney aircraft. I know there have been several articles in the Log concerning flight control rigging, but this one is going to explain systematically what you need to consider and why. You will be able to recognize any incorrect settings. Perhaps no other maintenance procedure requires the pilot's input as much as rigging the flight controls of an aircraft. Many mechanics are not pilots and probably no one knows your aircraft as you do. Knowledge will help make rigging your aircraft a cooperative venture between you and your mechanic. I might suggest that you discuss this article with him or her prior to beginning the project. Following these steps should be an easier way than following the service manual. Most of what is in the service manual are contained here, and it must be used as a cross-reference. At the end of this procedure, I will go into detail about the final flight tests and adjustments. This procedure applies to all metal Mooney airplanes.
Before starting, you must have the following as well as standard tools:

A set of appropriate jacks.

The service manual for your aircraft.

A digital protractor.

The travel boards for your aircraft.

Patience

Read this article to the end and understand the entire procedure. Heed the hints mentioned at the end of the steps.
STEP #

Place airplane on jacks.

Remove belly panels exposing aileron/rudder inter-connecting springs and mechanism.

Level A/C on jacks. See your service manual for this procedure.

On the turn and bank indicator, make sure the ball is centered between the hash marks. Reset the turn and bank indicator in the panel if this ball is not centered. If the ball cannot be properly centered by adjusting the instrument then replace the instrument panel shock mounts. These rubber mounts are probably sagging or broken. Do not go to step 5 until the ball is centered between the hash marks when the aircraft is properly leveled.

Clamp the pilot's rudder pedals together. Be sure they are even. Install a straight bar across both control yokes to hold the yokes centered and together.

Measure the aileron interconnect springs for their length. Most are stretched about 4.9" long, but the important consideration here is that they are exactly the same length when the rudder pedals and control wheels are clamped together evenly. See your service manual for the exact spring length and readjust the springs until they are at this length. Do not go on to step 7 until this is completed.

Verify that the rudder is aligned straight and not deflected from the vertical fin centerline. If your airplane has rudder trim make sure it is set correctly as per your service manual before checking the rudder. On the TLS, the indicator is one notch to the left of the centerline when the rudder is actually straight.

Readjust your rudder to centerline with rudder pedals clamped together.

Install the aileron/flap travel board on the wing. See the service manual for the exact location of the travel board.

Set both ailerons for 2° droop as measured on the travel board when the control wheels are clamped together and level.

Set outboard flap limit bolts to 0° on the travel board for both flaps. Angles are the same for both flaps using a digital protractor and is the same as the inboard angle on each flap. Often, I find that they are not the same. If this is the case, then adjust the flap actuating rods to obtain the same angle inboard as outboard. This is very important; it is not discussed in any Mooney service manual I have ever seen. If the outboard angle is 15° but the inboard angle is 17° then the flap will cause extra lift on that wing and you will never get the airplane to fly straight. Do not go to step 12 until all four angles match within 1/2 degree.

Remove aileron and rudder pedal locks and clamps.

Using a wooden clamp, align and secure one side of the elevator with the horizontal stabilizer and verify that the other elevator is at the same angle using a digital protractor. This is the other area I frequently see out of rig. If one elevator is up 2° when the other is level, then the plane will want to roll because of the twist in the tail.

Using the aileron travel board, verify that the ailerons actually travel up and down the full and correct amount and that they hit the stops on each bell crank in each wing. Once you have set the stops properly and the ailerons are rigged at 2° droop (each aileron) you will find that the control yoke will turn the same amount from left to right.

Verify that the flaps go down the proper amount using the flap travel board. Refer to the service manual again to determine the degrees of travel.

Verify that the stabilizer trim travels the correct amount in the nose up and nose down positions using the correct travel board and figures from your particular service manual. This is critical on the TLS model. Verify the trim indicator is set properly for the tail position.

Adjust the nose gear stop bolts for the correct rudder travel. Frequently these bolts are bottomed out and will not touch the stops. With the new style nose gear truss the bolts are, in fact, the rudder stops. The clamps and brackets in the tail are no longer utilized for this purpose. If there is a rudder position indicator, make sure it represents the position of the rudder.

Verify that the elevator stops are set for the proper elevator travel. Readjust the clamps and brackets in the tail if there is insufficient elevator travel in either direction.

Re-bend all rudder and aileron trailing edges to straight. Sight along the length of the trailing edge. Carefully bend the tabs or the trailing edge until completely straight.

Verify on TLS models that the elevator tabs are bent down 7°. It is amazing how much extra nose up authority this little tab on the elevator gives the airplane. On all aircraft be sure left and right elevator tabs are the same. If different, a little roll force would be produced but worse, torsional stress would be induced in flight between left and right elevators.

Now is a good time to adjust the nose gear steering. Check the steering horn for excessive play and that it is adequately greased. Steering horns that are worn (I out and/or improperly shimmed are common problems. This has become a very expensive part of all Mooneys but it is important, so make sure that it is correct before going on to step 23. You can readjust the linkage between the steering horn and the rudder pedal torque tubes and some adjustments may necessary once the aircraft is back on its wheels.

Retract the landing gear and check the gear doors and fairings. Always take the opportunity when the aircraft is on jacks to observe a landing gear cycle. Misaligned gear doors cause excessive drag and can affect aircraft trim.

These two items must be performed in the correct order. Lower the gear and remove the airplane from the jacks. Fuel tanks should be balanced. Testing time! Be sure to take notes while taxiing and in flight.

Do some taxi tests. If the aircraft won't track straight with zero rudder deflection, you will experience excessive nose wheel tire wear and some directional control problems during landing. Crosswinds from one side will be more difficult to handle than from the other side (no, don't adjust the steering for your prevailing winds).

At normal cruise power, 65 to 75%, in calm conditions, level the airplane out and allow the airspeed to stabilize. Level the wings with the autopilot or P/C system off. Put your feet flat on the floor and verify the tum and bank ball is centered. If it is centered, skip to STEP 27.

Be sure the rudder trim is centered. If you must push the left rudder pedal to center the ball (remember "Step on the ball!"), the trailing edge of the rudder will have to be bent to the right. Remember to bend the tab from the NAV light all the way to the top of the rudder evenly. When the plane will fly with the ball centered, feet flat on the floor when the wings are level you can move on to step 27.

Again; normal cruise power, calm conditions, P/C system or autopilot off, rudder trim centered. With feet flat on the floor verify that the ball is centered. Level the wings and release the control yoke. Observe the position of the ailerons with respect to the flaps. Take notes. If one aileron rides higher then the other, equalize them by doing the following. On the low aileron, bend the trailing edge down. That will raise that aileron. Typically, both ailerons should ride slightly above the flaps. The aircraft at this point should fly straight and level. Recheck the ball. Step 26 and then this step may have to be repeated for fine-tuning the trim.

Some hints on bending the tabs: A little bend of 2 to 3 degrees goes a long way. Bend evenly the entire length of the trailing edge of the control surface. If you have an aftermarket Aerotrim system installed make sure the indicator pointer is centered and the trim tab is straight (faired).
If the aircraft flies straight with autopilot or P/C systems off, don't re-rig the airplane. If when you engage the P/C system, the plane rolls (with the P/C knob centered) then check the P/C servo rubber cups. Replace the cups as necessary and try again.
If the aircraft has a retractable step, have someone observe that the step retracts completely when the engine is running. If it does not retract, then the servo cup is not getting enough vacuum pressure or the cup is bad.
Again, be patient. After some additional flights, you may want to revisit steps 25, 26, and 27.

In conclusion, I will say that about every third airplane that comes into my shop is out of rig. When I ask an owner about it, a typical response would be, "It has always flown that way." That does not need to be. A little time, money and effort can put you back on the straight and level. Better fuel efficiency will offset the money spent. One final item: Is the engine properly shimmed in the engine mount? The Lycoming-engined Mooneys have two thicknesses of shims installed between the rubber engine mounts and the engine itself. An incorrectly shimmed engine will have an improper angle of thrust in relationship with the centerline of the fuselage. This is a very difficult item to resolve because every airplane was shimmed differently at the factory. Remember, all these planes are hand-built and no two are exactly alike. When referencing the Parts Book or Service Manual for the engine shim part number or location, you will only find, "AR" (as required). That's because Mooney uses an engine jig that is mounted on the firewall and the engine is shimmed to match the jig.

I am the new-to-Mooney A&P/IA, which is why I am here to source this awesome information!

We spent a few hours today fixing some of the things found during the pre-buy inspection, and making a list of parts to order to fix the rest.

I definitely don't want to go mucking about with flight control rigging without verifying that adjustments are neccessary. I've already been down that road with a 172S that started with adjusting the rudder cable rod ends, later proceeded to replacing one rudder return spring, which resulted in readjusting the rod ends and bending the trim tab.

The pilot mentioned that just keeping his foot on the rudder negates the roll. To me, after reading the info in your post, it seems that it is either doing the "Mooney Roll," or a very slight adjustment of the rudder trim tabs will solve the issue if it is not doing the Mooney Roll. I plan to discuss with him exactly what it is doing, or going up with him to observe the roll, so see if any adjustment is even neccessary.

Side question: Why do Mooneys roll to the left?

1980Mooney · June 1

2 hours ago, Kytulu said:

I am the new-to-Mooney A&P/IA, which is why I am here to source this awesome information!

We spent a few hours today fixing some of the things found during the pre-buy inspection, and making a list of parts to order to fix the rest.

I definitely don't want to go mucking about with flight control rigging without verifying that adjustments are neccessary. I've already been down that road with a 172S that started with adjusting the rudder cable rod ends, later proceeded to replacing one rudder return spring, which resulted in readjusting the rod ends and bending the trim tab.

The pilot mentioned that just keeping his foot on the rudder negates the roll. To me, after reading the info in your post, it seems that it is either doing the "Mooney Roll," or a very slight adjustment of the rudder trim tabs will solve the issue if it is not doing the Mooney Roll. I plan to discuss with him exactly what it is doing, or going up with him to observe the roll, so see if any adjustment is even neccessary.

Side question: Why do Mooneys roll to the left?

I can’t answer the question regarding the roll tendency

Since you are the new to Mooney A&P, Are you aware that there is a downloads section that has most of the service Manuals, parts, catalogs, POH’s and sometimes other documents in the “Downloads Section“?

https://mooneyspace.com/files/

You didn’t mention the year of the J that you’re working on. That can be helpful when you’re asking for advice here. My J model does not have a trim tab on the rudder. Be really careful about bending the trailing edges of any of the flight control surfaces – never use pliers or vice grips. I found that I can adjust the trim on my rudder by simply flexing the trailing edges with my thumb a little bit.

Edited June 1 by 1980Mooney

Kytulu · June 1

2 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

I can’t answer the question regarding the roll tendency

Since you are the new to Mooney A&P, Are you aware that there is a downloads section that has most of the service Manuals, parts, catalogs, POH’s and sometimes other documents in the “Downloads Section“?

https://mooneyspace.com/files/

You didn’t mention the year of the J that you’re working on. That can be helpful when you’re asking for advice here. My J model does not have a trim tab on the rudder. Be really careful about bending the trailing edges of any of the flight control surfaces – never use pliers or vice grips. I found that I can adjust the trim on my rudder by simply flexing the trailing edges with my thumb a little bit.

I found the download section. I'm working on an E model.

1980Mooney · June 1

2 hours ago, Kytulu said:

I am the new-to-Mooney A&P/IA, which is why I am here to source this awesome information!

We spent a few hours today fixing some of the things found during the pre-buy inspection, and making a list of parts to order to fix the rest.

I definitely don't want to go mucking about with flight control rigging without verifying that adjustments are neccessary. I've already been down that road with a 172S that started with adjusting the rudder cable rod ends, later proceeded to replacing one rudder return spring, which resulted in readjusting the rod ends and bending the trim tab.

The pilot mentioned that just keeping his foot on the rudder negates the roll. To me, after reading the info in your post, it seems that it is either doing the "Mooney Roll," or a very slight adjustment of the rudder trim tabs will solve the issue if it is not doing the Mooney Roll. I plan to discuss with him exactly what it is doing, or going up with him to observe the roll, so see if any adjustment is even neccessary.

Side question: Why do Mooneys roll to the left?

1980Mooney · June 1

Just now, Kytulu said:

I found the download section. I'm working on an E model.

Oops….that was the title of the topic. My bad.

1980Mooney · June 1

8 minutes ago, Kytulu said:

I found the download section. I'm working on an E model.

Manual or electric (Dukes actuator) landing gear?

Kytulu · June 1

9 minutes ago, 1980Mooney said:

Manual or electric (Dukes actuator) landing gear?

Manual gear. We haven't put it up on jacks yet, as the airplane did not come with the jack pads that go in the tiedown bolt holes.

1980Mooney · June 1

12 minutes ago, Kytulu said:

Manual gear. We haven't put it up on jacks yet, as the airplane did not come with the jack pads that go in the tiedown bolt holes.

I have used these for 25+ years. I leave them on. The space for a tie down chain is tighter than the standard rings but I like it.
https://lasar.com/tie-downs/tie-down-jack-point-combo-ss-tie-down-wing

Standard jack pads/points

https://lasar.com/tie-downs/jack-point-010000-000

Edited June 1 by 1980Mooney

1980Mooney · June 1

14 minutes ago, Kytulu said:

Manual gear..

Here is a pragmatic article on the Manual (Johnson bar) gear from KNR Shoptalk

https://www.knr-inc.com/shoptalk-articles.html?view=article&id=41&catid=25

1980Mooney · June 1

21 minutes ago, Kytulu said:

Manual gear. We haven't put it up on jacks yet, as the airplane did not come with the jack pads that go in the tiedown bolt holes.

It looks like Texas Air Salvage has a pair of the Lasar Comb- tiedown/jack points that actually came off of an M20E…

https://www.texasairsalvage.com/main_view.php?editid1=296005

Bentonck · June 15

On 5/12/2025 at 7:03 AM, DC_Brasil said:

I would like to ask my fellow Mooney lovers for some help with this one. My plane and I are in Brazil and regulations here, albeit based on the FAA, have a few differences. One key difference is that our A&Ps are more limited in what can be done by themselves if outside a part 145 repair station. Also, I don't know if that's the case in the US but, individual repair stations have to be certified for each individual make and model they need to work on, case in which they have to acquire maintenance manuals and all the tooling that may be required for a make/model. Consequently, there is an investment from repair stations to be able to work an a certain plane type and they need to figure the financial returns.

That being said: we have very few Mooneys registered in Brazil (less that 25) and perhaps a dozen or so with valid airworthiness certificates. Consequently, today there are a handful of repair stations certified for Mooneys in the country, and most of them have mechanics that will very seldom actually get to work on the planes.

So, last annual I ask the shop to do the flight control rigging as the plane had a very pronounced right bank tendency. They "corrected" the problem and now the plane flies straight... or did they? Ahahahahah now it flies straight but with the right aileron up (yokes to the right in level flight) and the ball is also slightly right of center on the G3X. I have seen that there is a difference in alignment in the ailerons and also in the elevators -on the ground, I can see that the right elevator counterweight arm is about 0.2 inch above the horizontal stabilizer plane in comparison to the left side.

So I guess I am flying with a "speedbrake" on the right wing, and likely losing performance (see pictures below).

I even printed and translated all the articles on rigging that @jamesyql shared above.

So, what I want to ask is: could someone provide me with images for the steps taken during the flight control rigging? I would like to be able to take them to my mechanic shop and walk them trough the process and try to get the rigging done right.

Thanks everyone!

Sorry I hadn't replied before but I haven't been on the forum as much as I used to be. I own PT-ALN which is based out of Campo de Marte (usually) ... where are you having the rigging alignment done? You are right, there aren't a ton of people who work on Mooney's and some of them are better than others. Who is working on the rigging for you? My plane has been mantained at Top Aviation in SDEN and Alisson does a great job. You might want to check with him and see if he can work on the rigging for you.

**DC_Brasil** · June 18

On 6/15/2025 at 2:49 PM, Bentonck said:

Sorry I hadn't replied before but I haven't been on the forum as much as I used to be. I own PT-ALN which is based out of Campo de Marte (usually) ... where are you having the rigging alignment done? You are right, there aren't a ton of people who work on Mooney's and some of them are better than others. Who is working on the rigging for you? My plane has been mantained at Top Aviation in SDEN and Alisson does a great job. You might want to check with him and see if he can work on the rigging for you.

Thanks for answering!

I'll PM you se we can talk a little further. It will be great to have some assistance in this matter.

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