Brodhead Pietenpol Association

Original Posted By: Douwe Blumberg
Michael,Just looking at the photos of your rudder bar modifications, and I'm wonderingabout those pedals. First off, they don't look very robust. I'd be worried aboutbending them out of shape with the application of a little extra force -the kind of force that gets applied when things get a little hairy (e.g. gustycrosswinds.)Additionally, you say that the driving force behind your modifications was to avoidapplying unwanted forces on the rudder bar - yet the pedals as you have builtthem will now load the rudder bar eccentrically. There will be a momentimparted on the pivot bolt in the center of the rudder bar because the forcesapplied by your feet will be centered above the rudder bar. There really shouldn'tbe much worry about your toes applying downward forces on the bar, sinceyour toes won't be in contact with the bar (unless your feet are only 4" long.)Food for thought.Bill C.Read this topic online here:http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... ___Subject: Pietenpol-List: Rudder bar issues

Original Posted By: "Bill Church"
I checked mine and I had forgotten that I modified the extra support to tie inabove the rudder bar so the thru bolt is supported on both endsDouwe Sent from my iPhone________________________________________________________________________________Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Rudder bar issues

Original Posted By: "Jack Philips"
Douwe,That doesn't sound like a modification. It sounds like the arrangement shown inthe plans. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.Bill C.Read this topic online here:http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.p ... ttachments: http://forums.matronics.com//files/rudd ... __________

Original Posted By: owner-pietenpol-list-server(at)matronics.com
Correct, Bill. Mine has the single diagonal brace on the bolt above therudder bar. That was the only thing that kept the rudder bar in place andallowed for some rudder control, but didn't maintain the tension necessaryfor my tailwheel steering setup.Jack PhillipsNX899JPSmith Mountain Lake, Virginia-----Original Message-----

Original Posted By: owner-pietenpol-list-server(at)matronics.com
Mike,The rudder bar stayed on the bolt, as did the diagonal brace above the rudder bar. However, since the bottom of the bolt was separated from the bracket, the whole assembly could (and did) move around. My tailwheel steering cables attach to my rudder bar in addition to the rudder cables and the springs on the tailwheel pulled aft on the assembly a bit.I plan to put the second diagonal above the rudder bar as the existing one is, but run it to the left side to evenly counteract rudder bar forces.Jack PhillipsNX899JPSmith Mountain Lake, Virginia