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I am rebuilding a Stitts Playboy and would like some information on the elevator control circuit. I know that too much elevator movement has been shown to cause the tailplane to stall and the movement should be limited to 25 degrees up and down. On our aircraft there do not appear to be any stops to prevent movement of up to 40 degrees. Can anyone tell me where the stops are incorporated in the control system on the aircraft please?
Back in the early 1980s I rebuilt N38K, the prototype 2 place S3B. On the test flight I discovered the hard way that there was no up elevator stop! I had done a bit of slow flight and about 3 wheel landings but about 75' agl on final on my first attempt at a 3 point landing the nose pitched down! I recovered but was pretty shaken. Once I had extracted the seat from my posterior I figured out the lack of up stop. As I had been restoring from a pile of parts without plans or specs I hadn't checked full travel. I remember picking an angle from, maybe the Cub... and using it. I tried a stall at altitude and it worked without the pitch DOWN event so settled at that. I think your 25* ought to work but I suggest you make that stop adjustable and you do a full stall at altitude with that stop in place before you try a 3 pt landing. You are welcome to contact me directly at iterk@aol.com. Interestingly N38K is in storage within 5 miles of my current home in Jacksonville, FL! Damned thing seems to be following me. Maybe if I get a quiet spot after the 4 restorations in my shop (including a 1929 KR34C for US..) I'll talk the guy out of it and get it back in circulation.