Quiz: Name the plane

[Steve M]

Looking at the yoke it almost looks like the ailerons are controlled via a chain and sprocket or maybe a rubber belt? Judging from the protective cover I see. (Or a cable) 

[Hagar]

[quote][glow=yellow,2,300]Looking at the yoke it almost looks like the ailerons are controlled via a chain and sprocket[/glow] or maybe a rubber belt? Judging from the protective cover I see. (Or a cable)

[Steve M]

[quote][quote][glow=yellow,2,300]Looking at the yoke it almost looks like the ailerons are controlled via a chain and sprocket[/glow] or maybe a rubber belt? Judging from the protective cover I see. (Or a cable)

[Hagar]

I found a photo of a Sunderland yoke (called a spectacle or control wheel on this side of the pond) showing the sprocket.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/nudpp4Y_SP29P0T7YcCVbQ

[beaky]

[quote]YIP- that Du-Flunky is a genuine GRUMMAN Albatross ,, amphibiean plane .

[C]

[quote][quote][glow=yellow,2,300]Looking at the yoke it almost looks like the ailerons are controlled via a chain and sprocket[/glow] or maybe a rubber belt? Judging from the protective cover I see. (Or a cable)

[Steve M]

That explains some of those movie stars using all their strength to muscle an aircraft through a storm. No power steering. Thanks for the input Doug and C. I learned something today!

[Hagar]

That explains some of those movie stars using all their strength to muscle an aircraft through a storm. No power steering.

I suspect that was more for dramatic effect than realism. Unfortunately I was not allowed to touch the controls on the Sandringham for obvious reasons.

The history & development of aircraft control systems is an interesting subject in its own right. Flying large aircraft like the Sunderland* fitted with purely mechanical control systems could obviously involve more physical strength & effort than with servo-assisted or powered systems but that would depend on the individual design & the way it was set up. Some aircraft are better than others in this respect. All sorts of devices are used to reduce the control forces for the pilot, including bell-cranks, gears, levers, sprockets & chains, cables, push rods, pulleys, springs, balance weights, servo tabs etc. etc. This Wikipedia article explains the basics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_flight_control_system#Flight_control_systems

*The large rudder on some marks of the Sunderland was fitted with two trim tabs, the upper one acting as a servo tab (moving in the opposite direction to the control surface) to reduce control forces in the cockpit. This would obviously only be effective when the aircraft was in flight.

[Flying Trucker]

Excellent Link Doug...have a book in our library that gives all that information.  Must have a look at it again...

Thanks for posting that Link and jarring the old grey matter...

[C]

That explains some of those movie stars using all their strength to muscle an aircraft through a storm. No power steering. Thanks for the input Doug and C. I learned something today!

Of course the hilarity is that when certain types of flying controls were introduced, certainly those operating remote servo type controls (be if cable or more modern FBW), they then had to introduce an artificial "heaviness" to control systems!

[Steve M]

That explains some of those movie stars using all their strength to muscle an aircraft through a storm. No power steering. Thanks for the input Doug and C. I learned something today!

Of course the hilarity is that when certain types of flying controls were introduced, certainly those operating remote servo type controls (be if cable or more modern FBW), they then had to introduce an artificial "heaviness" to control systems!

That is so ironic, it's actually quite funny! Thanks for that, C.

[C]

That explains some of those movie stars using all their strength to muscle an aircraft through a storm. No power steering. Thanks for the input Doug and C. I learned something today!

Of course the hilarity is that when certain types of flying controls were introduced, certainly those operating remote servo type controls (be if cable or more modern FBW), they then had to introduce an artificial "heaviness" to control systems!

That is so ironic, it's actually quite funny! Thanks for that, C.