Windy tie down

[tailwind]

I got caught at another airport, tied down on the ramp with winds @ 24 gusting to 35 knots. My flaps would pull down and snap back up, ailerons flipped up and down, rudder the same for 8 hours as I decided that it was not worth the effort or risk moving the plane or try to fly out. We were finally able to get out with winds 14 gusts to 22 knots. After climbing to 3000 we made a beautiful 2.5 hr night flight back home.
I have some ideas to stop the flaps and ailerons from moving during such times but I thought it would be good to see what others are doing. Any ideas???? Pictures would also be helpful. Ounce I have made a decision and built the stops I will post pictures of what I have done.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

Jared did this with his:

http://bearhawkblue.com/flap-locks/

But most of the ones that I've seen consist of a couple of round aluminum plates, some foam rubber, and a long screw/bolt with a wing nut like this one on Mark's:



The same has been done on both the rudder and elevator as well.

~Chris

[jaredyates]

Mine have worked well, but Dan Shilling, who parks his airplane outdoors all the time, uses a more robust padded aluminum plate with a big radius, maybe 10 inches. That large plate spreads the load out more evenly and is probably a better solution if you foresee the need to use them often. I wanted something that would travel a little bit lighter and smaller since I'm usually parked indoors and only use them occasionally. As you've found, you pretty much have to make some sort of locks for the flaps if you are going to venture far from home. As for the ailerons, I just loop the seatbelt around the control stick and snug it up. Obviously you want to be sure to do this with the seatbelt most often used by the flying pilot, to help mitigate the risk of forgetting to unbelt the controls before the next takeoff. This is less of a concern on the 4-place than it is on the LSA and Patrol. I have not yet come up with a lock for the rudder. As long as the tailwheel is not in swivel mode, the rudder is dampened by the steering springs and the return springs. Parking with the nose into the wind also helps when it is possible to do so.

[tailwind]

Thanks gentleman, your ideas mirror those of my own now I need to get something built.

[alaskabearhawk]

This is the control lock that Dan Shilling did for his control stick. He removes it before flying.

[Chris In Milwaukee]

That's a wonderful approach! I love it.

[Battson]

I use big padded locks externally as well as an internal rubberrised control lock to absorb force, We sometimes see some very strong winds parked outside in the mountains, and I don't like the idea of all the controls fighting against an internal lock on the joystick, so I use both internal and external.

[alaskabearhawk]

The time for parking the BH outside is getting closer so I’ve been looking at gust lock options for the control surfaces. I’ve seen the great options for the flaps, but was wondering about options for the rest of the controls besides tying the stick back with the seat belt and another external lock for the rudder. I came across this from Anti-Splat Aero for the RV world and thought it could be adapted for the BH. Thoughts?

https://antisplataero.com/product/ultimate-gust-lock/

[Nev]

I use external control locks similar to Battson. On the wings they are installed between the flaps and ailerons, which lock both together. The aileron reflex helps to lock them firmly in place and keeps the flaps locked firmly in the retracted position. I also have them for the rudder and elevators.

The BH control surfaces are quite large, so I prefer the external rather than internal - just my personal preference. Photo below shows the empennage locks.

D6A97150-C928-41C1-9674-DAFB76E2775B.jpg

[jaredyates]

Something I hadn't thought about until Nev said it, but if you install the locks on the interior, then all of your cables and mechanisms are subject to wind loads. Of course with the flaps your locks have to be outside since they are only actuated in the down direction. That's something interesting to think about.

[alaskabearhawk]

Well, the controls have loads in flight so I’m not sure if it’s really an issue. Most smaller Cessnas just have a drop pin through the yoke. Cessna Bird dog has a stick lock, along with other aircraft types. If the controls don’t move then there isn’t a lever to do any damage. Besides, I have wing and stab covers. Unless the external locks are of a low-profile design it won’t be long before a hole is worn through the covers. Having the aircraft in a hangar isn’t an option.

[Nev]

Control Stops

An additional consideration with using an internal control lock is whether the control stops can be damaged. It's less likely where the controls are locked in their center position internally with the yoke control locks common on Cessna, Grumman, Piper etc and any cable stretch isn't likely to allow full movement at the surface. However if using a seat belt to hold the control stick full aft then any external movement of the elevators (for instance) will already be in contact with the elevator stops and could potentially damage them.

[alaskabearhawk]

As always, that is excellent information Nev. That's what attracted me to the AntiSplat Aero gust lock. All the controls are at their neutral position when it's engaged. An added bonus is the chances of taking off with a gust lock installed is pretty minimal, except for the flaps. They would still need an external lock.