controls damaged yet trim works

[jojovtx]

Was flying online in a 110C7 and lost my aileron controls to a flak burst. Was able to maintain use of aileron/roll via trim buttons. Maybe a bug or is it a feature?

[TUCKIE_JG52]

Same here, but on Bf110's elevator. Got it damaged and trim still work very effectively...

[Sauf]

I think its a feature, I lost elevators from a flak hit on the SYN server bout 3 weeks ago in a 109 and managed to make it back to France using the trim but yesterday got shot up by a spit and it didnt work at all. I put it down to trim being controlled by a secondry cable(?) to the stick and the spit damaging both, could be wrong but that was my take on it. Maybe Kurfurst or someone can shed some more light on the actual control setups in the 109/110.

[VO101_Tom]

Originally Posted by Sauf

... or someone can shed some more light on the actual control setups in the 109/110.

A drawing is from the Bf 109-E and Bf 110-B manual. The Trimm and the elevator have separate control.

[jojovtx]

Very cool that it is a feature. At the risk of sounding like a Fanboi we got to think that if they take the time to detail the trim control cable separately that it must be incredibly complex to make a single change to the code without effecting countless other details.

[IvanK]

In the case of the 109 the trim wheel moves the horizontal stab not a tab on the elevator surface itself. A damaged Elevator cable would result in most cases of the elevator surface "streamlining" itself. If that was the case and the Trim/stab controls were undamaged then pitch control via trim (via the stab) might still be possible.

[335th_GRAthos]

Originally Posted by VO101_Tom

A drawing is from the Bf 109-E and Bf 110-B manual. The Trimm and the elevator have separate control.

Impressive! Thanks for posting this information Tom!

Poor guys of the service team (counting the number of points they have to spread fat on...).

~S~

[pupo162]

yo ucna still trim out of a G blackout in Clod

[Strike]

As an aircraft mechanic I claim with great self-appointed justice and knowledge that this is indeed a feature! :p

As long as the elevator control cables/rods aren't jamming the elevator control surface, or it is stuck in any other way, the trim-surfaces should provide enough force on the elevator control surface to move it aerodynamically.

Some modern designs have "servo control surfaces" that are there as a relief for the pilot to lessen the force needed to deflect the controls.



Whilst some aircraft designs use this as a primary control feature, the same operational parameters could indeed be applied to the aircraft trim-tab such as seen on the 110 or the adjustable tailplane on the 109. Disadvantage is that the control method isn't very responsive and will vary with airspeed.

By the way, the anti-servo tab works the opposite way of the servo-tab to provide MORE force on the stick so that an aircraft with very light controls won't be too unstable for the pilot.