Book – ‘Airplane Rigging’ by David Russo

Description

David Russo is the author of the wildly popular book “Steel Tube Fuselage Construction Techniques” and his second book on aircraft rigging takes the same approach… fact-driven, to-the-point discussions with many clear drawings, diagrams, and photos to ensure understanding. While basic rigging info isn’t too hard to find, this book delves into the previously neglected finer points of the subject, which is important for fine-tuning any aircraft to maximize performance. While many think of “rigging” as setting the angles on the wings and tail, this book also covers rigging the engine, aeroelasticity and mass balancing, landing gear, propellers, and control systems. As the author states in the introduction, “slight changes in rigging are the main reason that two identical rental aircraft have a ten knot difference in speed or a 150 FPM difference in climb rate… even slight out of rig conditions can make instrument flight very tiring in small airplanes”. Since most aircraft builders or owners want to get the most performance and best control characteristics possible from aircraft, whether it’s a screaming aerobatic beast, a sedate family-hauler, or something else entirely, this book is well worth studying both during the construction process and after the aircraft is flying. Mr. Russo does a fine job of breaking what can be a very complicated set of issues down into understandable processes that any reasonably dedicated aircraft owner or airframe mechanic can follow to obtain the best possible performance from their airplane.

Written by Dave Russo, Copyright 2007. ISBN 0-9774896-5-5. Published by Aircraft Technical Book Company. 220 Pages, Softcover.

Chapters include:

Table of Contents 1. Airplane Geometry and Definitions Flight Control Systems Aircraft Axes Airframe Drawings Center Line Reference Datum Stations Buttock Lines Water Lines Airplane Components and Definitions Powerplant Fuselage Airframe Wing Wing Panel Wing Section Wing Planform Wing Root and Wing Tip Aileron Vertical Stabilizer and Rudder Horizontal Stabilizer and Elevator Stabilator Trim Tab Servo and Anti-Servo tabs Spoilers Empennage Control Surface Biplane Parts Airfoil Geometry Chord Line Mean Camber Line Symmetrical Airfoil Asymmetrical Airfoil Zero Lift Line Incidence Angle Wash-out Thrust Line Dihedral Control Deflection Decalage (Biplanes) Stagger (Biplanes) Gap (Biplanes) Mean Aerodynamic Chord 2. Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics Affecting Rigging Vectors Aircraft Movement Rotation Translation Straight and Level Flight Accelerated and Unaccelerated Flight Aircraft Coordinate Systems Body-Axis Coordinate System Wind-Axis Coordinate System Earth-Axis Coordinate System Moment Aircraft Control Control Force Control Effectiveness Control Response Control Power Control Authority Control Sensitivity Trim Trim and Stability Conventional Aircraft in Pitch Equilibrium (Longitudinal Stability) Slip, Skid, and Sideslip Inclinometer or Slip/Skid Indicator Coefficients Airfoils/Wing Sections Symmetrical Airfoil Asymmetrical Airfoil Lift Curve Slope Total Aerodynamic Force Lift Spanwise Lift Distribution Lift Curve Slope of a Whole Wing Drag Washout Effect of Aircraft Rotation on Lift and Drag Stall Deflection of Flaps on Wings Effect of Center of Gravity on Aircraft Performance Performance Aspects of CG Controllability and Stability Aspects of CG Effect of Propeller on Airplane Dynamics Yawing Moments and Sideslip Pitching Moments Rolling Moments Rigging for Propeller Phenomenon Yaw Pitch Roll Incidence Angle of the Wing Incidence Angle of the Horizontal Stabilizer Effect of Incidence Changes on Maneuvering Minimum Flying Qualities to Be Investigated After Incidence Changes of the Wing or Tail Stall of the Horizontal Stabilizer Bungee and Spring Centering Systems for the Elevator Control Circuit Biplane Aerodynamics Deep Stall Phenomenon 3. Rigging Tools Metrology for Rigging Accuracy, Resolution, and Repeatability Symmetric Distribution of Error Length of Straightedges Measuring Instruments Levels Protractors/Clinometers; Propeller Protractor, Protractor Head, or Angle Finder Trammel Bar Plumb Bob Adapters and Aircraft Specific Rigging Tools Dihedral Board Incidence Board Throw Board Neutral Board Control Locks Thrustline Measurement Tools Cable Tensiometer Wire Tensiometer Streamlined Flying Wire Tool Torque Seal Turnbuckle Holder Surveying Transit and Similar Equipment for Rigging Slip/Skid Indicator Yaw String Attitude Indicator Turn Coordinator/Turn and Bank Indicator/Turn and Slip Indicator Compass and Heading Indicator

4. Factors in Rigging Control Friction Control Cable Tension Adjusting Cable Tensions Control Wear or Sloppiness Control Stops Control System Operational Tests Per FAR 23.683 Gap Seals General Control Checks Hardware Encountered in Rigging Rod Ends Turnbuckles Clevis Forks Flying Wires/Tie Rods Check or Jam Nuts Stall Strips Fixed Trim Tabs Spades Vortex Generators Type Certificate Data Sheets Setting Up 5. Initial Rigging Setting the Fixed Surfaces Leveling the Fuselage Setting the Vertical Stabilizer Setting the Wing Setting the Thrustline Setting the Horizontal Stabilizer Setting the Slip/Skid Indicator Setting the Movable Surfaces Aileron and Elevator Elevator Trim Rudder Flaps Setting the Other Trims Bungee and Spring Centering Systems for Primary Flight Controls Aileron/Rudder Interconnect Wheel Fairings Wing Tips Setting Wire Tensions Landing and Taxi Lights Compass Testing the Rig 6. Correcting Rigging Problems Straight and Level Flight Bendable Trim Tabs Stalls Maneuvering Flight High Speed Flight 7. Vibration Elements of Vibration Amplitude Period and Cycle Frequency Classes of Vibration Natural Frequency Damping and Loss Factor Resonance Vibration of Rotating Parts Measurement of the Amplitude of Vibration Displacement Velocity Acceleration Relationship Between Displacement, Velocity, and Acceleration Relationship between Amplitude Measurement and Frequency Structural Fatigue Vibration Dampeners/lsolators Noise Aircraft Vibration Sources of Aerodynamic Vibration Aircraft Skin Cables, Hoses, Tubing, and Antennas Instrument Panels Engine Mounts and Suspension Systems Powerplant Vibration Engine Vibration Propeller Vibration Airframe/Powerplant Resonance Troubleshooting Powerplant Vibrations 8. Powerplant Rigging Propellers Setting Blade Angle Static Balancing Blade Tracking Dynamic Balancing Engine Idle Speed Mixture Controls Turbo/Supercharger Propeller and Propeller Governor Settings Adjusting Ground Adjustable Propellers for Performance 9. Aeroelasticity and Control Surface Mass Balancing Mass Balancing Static Mass Balancing Dynamic Mass Balancing Balancing Terminology and Mathematics Measuring the Balance and Attaching Weights 10. Landing Gear Rigging and Vibration Wheel Alignment Toe Camber Caster and Trail Rigging the Gear Landing Gear Problems Wheels and Tires Brakes Landing Gear Other Problems Preloading Wheel Bearings (Tapered Roller Bearings) 11. Biplane Rigging Level the Fuselage Wing Assembly Wing Rigging Rigging the Center Section Rigging the Wings Appendix A – Math for Rigging Finding the Chord of An Arc Trigonometric Functions References