Elevator trim - AGAIN

Hi everyone.

 

Despite all the good advice I received when my aircraft were diving the problem I now have is that virtually all my aircraft elevator trim has a mind of it's own. As I said in some of my previous messages, with the trim set at zero, during the takeoff roll it moves up to around 13.5 deg and there seems nothing I can do to get it back down. Of course, the aircraft pitches up before stalling. I've read other forums and the advice is to check the A/P isn't on, that the trim is zeroed by Numpad 5, etc, etc, but nothing stops it. Seems like the problem is not uncommon. Some have suggested joystick problems and even FSUIPC, but all of these have been trashed.

 

Some, somewhere, MUST have the answer, because, at the moment, I can't get an aircraft off the ground.

 

Allan

Hello again.

 

Joy and jubilation. Belay the previous post, I think I've solved my problem. Haven't yet done any exaustive checks but I've had 2 uneventfull takeoffs.

 

I found that I had a button on my joystick assigned to elevator trim, which I thought I'd deleted previously. But the problem was in the way I grip my stick. I just managed to touch that button most of the time, but not always, which would account for the fact that I had the occasional good takeoff, but then couldn't repeat it.

 

Anyway, I still learned a lot from all your previous inputs, so thank you.

 

Allan

A/P on before actually flying?

That's the only reason other than `operator error` I can think of at the moment.

Outside of a yoke or stick and rudder, the most useful control is a trim wheel. In real or sim life the pilot will be using it constantly every flight. I use it on the final flare in the last 10 seconds of flight too because I use a stick instead of a yoke, leaving the other hand free. So right hand on stick left hand on trim wheel for pretty much the whole approach. And bless Airbus for the modern sidestick.

The trim wheel on the good old CH Products yoke, which doesn't actually alter the trim in the sim but just shifts the value of the yoke position (elevator) itself, is a great thing. Some complain that it is too gross for fine trim adjustments, which is true; but it is very handy when you need a significant trim change right now, such as at flare, or often when you extend/retract gear or flaps.

 

August

The trim wheel on the good old CH Products yoke, which doesn't actually alter the trim in the sim but just shifts the value of the yoke position (elevator) itself, is a great thing. Some complain that it is too gross for fine trim adjustments, which is true; but it is very handy when you need a significant trim change right now, such as at flare, or often when you extend/retract gear or flaps.

 

Just a FYI for that wheel's intended usage. Disregard if you already knew that.

 

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/63706-what-is-the-wheel-on-the-left-side-of-ch-yoke-assigned/?do=findComment&comment=448296

No. A/P engaged when in the climb.

Just a FYI for that wheel's intended usage. Disregard if you already knew that.

 

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/63706-what-is-the-wheel-on-the-left-side-of-ch-yoke-assigned/?do=findComment&comment=448296

 

I did know, and it's an interesting bit of history. Many of the PC, Apple II, and similar joysticks I used to use in the 80s and 90s had physical calibration sliders for the 2 axes of the joystick - same thing as the CH trim wheel basically. They were "intended" for to be set once and left alone as well, and on most games, there wasn't much other use for them. But on flight sims they have always been an alternative way to trim your plane!

 

August