Ruddervator | Forums

[RPMcMurphy]

Would somebody here please post a diagram with an explaination of how a ruddervator works, such as in a V-tail designed aircraft. I am interested in your views of the precise mechanism of the mixer.

[RPMcMurphy]

Would somebody here please post a diagram with an explaination of how a ruddervator works, such as in a V-tail designed aircraft. I am interested in your views of the precise mechanism of the mixer.

[erco415]

I work for a Beech dealer, I'll try and find a picture for you. As for the ruddervators themselves, operation is really quite simple. When the pilot commands pitch, both ruddervators move together, up or down, much like conventional elevators. Commanding yaw, the ruddervators deflect opposite, that is, one up and one down, to produce the yaw force. A combined pitch/yaw input results in one ruddervator doing most of the work. Here's a short explanation. It's going to be next week, but I'll try and find a picture of the mixer for you.

[RPMcMurphy]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by erco415:
I work for a Beech dealer, I'll try and find a picture for you. As for the ruddervators themselves, operation is really quite simple. When the pilot commands pitch, both ruddervators move together, up or down, much like conventional elevators. Commanding yaw, the ruddervators deflect opposite, that is, one up and one down, to produce the yaw force. A combined pitch/yaw input results in one ruddervator doing most of the work. Here's a short explanation. It's going to be next week, but I'll try and find a picture of the mixer for you. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks in advance erco, I am looking forward to that.

[raaaid]

dont do birds use this mechanism?

must be the best one this makes you guess when nature choses it

[Treetop64]

@Erco415:

Have you heard anything recent about the oscillations the old Vs used to have? A friend wants to fraction a plane and she's interested in a Bonanza. Is that an old problem solved or should she keep an eye out for signs when she sees it?

Thanks.

[erco415]

Ah, might you be referring to the 'Bonanza Boogie'? If you are, I personally don't think it's much of an issue. A lot depends on what vintage V she's looking at. The earliest airplanes, with their 'flatter' V, seemed to suffer from this the most. Later models with a steeper V didn't suffer much, if at all from this. In the V-tails I've flown, it wasn't any issue at all. If a particular airplane is a little 'tender', holding a little rudder, putting the ball ever so slightly out of center, seems to cure the problem. Some V-tails had yaw dampers installed which, of course, completely solves the problem.

With any V-tail it's very important to check the ruddervators for corrosion (magnesium skins, you know) and to make sure that when the aircraft was last painted that they did a proper balancing job on the ruddervators. These are two big potential problem areas.

All that being said, I would be very happy to own any model of the V-Tail Bonanza family- great airplanes!

I did find a diagram of the Bonanza control mixer. Once I get it scanned in, I'll post it here.

[Treetop64]

Yep, it's the "boogie". The plane of interest is a dual yoke so it would be a late model. The Vs are very beautiful aircraft. Hope I get around to flying one eventually.

Thanks!

[TX-EcoDragon]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by erco415:
Ah, might you be referring to the 'Bonanza Boogie'? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The early v-tail design are surely the most prone to this, but I've also flown the straight tail A-36, C-33A, and B-33 and found that all do it to some degree.

[erco415]

Here's the shot of the control differential:



I'm told it can be a real bugger to rig right.