Gust lock

Any DA42 related topics.

Moderators: Rick, Lance Murray

User avatar
Colin
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2006
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:37 pm
First Name: Colin
Aircraft Type: DA42
Aircraft Registration: N972RD
Airports: KFHR
Has thanked: 319 times
Been thanked: 527 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by Colin »

My rudder has a sticker on it not to push. And when I wiggle it (ignoring the sticker?) it is as firm as my DA40's rudder was with the gust lock attached. Now I am trying to think of how to get the nosewheel off the ground to see if I could move the rudder easily with the nosewheel free.
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
User avatar
dselder1962
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 28, 2017 1:23 am
First Name: David
Aircraft Type: DA42-VI
Aircraft Registration: VHYDZ
Airports: YMMB
Has thanked: 26 times
Been thanked: 36 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by dselder1962 »

I've been wondering about these stickers. However the checklist says Tail: "Elevator & rudder (freedom of movement, hinges)) (as it does about the aileron and they have a sticker on them as well.) This seems to imply that you should move them when doing the walk round.
So what is the consensus: do we check freedom of movement or not by hand, or by controls?
My Cirrus had similar stickers on the rudder, but that just meant not to try to move the aircraft by pushing on this surface, you could check rudder movement by hand.
David
David
Based in Moorabbin, Australia. 8-)
Past Cirrus 20
Past Cirrus 22T
Present Diamond 42-VI
User avatar
neema
4 Diamonds Member
4 Diamonds Member
Posts: 285
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:43 am
First Name: Neema
Aircraft Type: DA62
Aircraft Registration: N617DC
Airports: KFAT
Has thanked: 40 times
Been thanked: 97 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by neema »

I think the "do not push" (or in my case, a hand with a strike-through over it) is indeed regarding movement of the plane. That said, I don't like the idea of pushing against the springs holding the rudder in place since it's tied to the nosewheel.
User avatar
Colin
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2006
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:37 pm
First Name: Colin
Aircraft Type: DA42
Aircraft Registration: N972RD
Airports: KFHR
Has thanked: 319 times
Been thanked: 527 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by Colin »

I wiggled it a little during my last pre-flight. It doesn't move much at all. I am sorry there is not some sort of disconnect to the nose wheel steering so that you could gust-lock the rudder while leaving the plane in its most towable state. But it is hard for me to picture it behind outside in wind that would move that rudder, it seems like it should be in a hangar if it's that rough out.
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
User avatar
carym
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 1021
Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2010 5:00 pm
First Name: cary
Aircraft Type: DA42
Aircraft Registration: N336TS
Airports: KTYQ
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 83 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by carym »

Colin,
The rudder gust lock also keeps the ailerons from moving. Since it doesn't take that much wind to "flap" the ailerons around, do you think that keeping the gust lock on will help prevent aileron damage during windy conditions. There have been times when I flew back to MN and had to leave the plane outside because there was no hangar space (or I didn't want to pay the extra for 2 day hangar renal) and it was windy (and snowy). I felt more comfortable with the gust lock in place, but maybe I was just fooling myself.
Cary
DA42.AC036 (returned)
S35 (1964 V-tail Bonanza)
Alaska adventure: http://mariashflying.tumblr.com
User avatar
Colin
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2006
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:37 pm
First Name: Colin
Aircraft Type: DA42
Aircraft Registration: N972RD
Airports: KFHR
Has thanked: 319 times
Been thanked: 527 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by Colin »

Oh, I am definitely in favor of the gustlock for ailerons, but I get that by just using the strap, no pipe to the rudder pedals.
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
User avatar
Karl
4 Diamonds Member
4 Diamonds Member
Posts: 317
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 3:58 am
First Name: Karl
Aircraft Type: DA40
Airports:
Has thanked: 68 times
Been thanked: 102 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by Karl »

Colin wrote:I wiggled it a little during my last pre-flight. It doesn't move much at all. I am sorry there is not some sort of disconnect to the nose wheel steering so that you could gust-lock the rudder while leaving the plane in its most towable state. But it is hard for me to picture it behind outside in wind that would move that rudder, it seems like it should be in a hangar if it's that rough out.
I agree Colin, if the wind is strong enough to move the rudder on a DA42 then it should be in a hangar.
I suspect the lock was designed for the DA40 and then just carried over to the DA42.

It obviously works but I am not a big fan of the control lock. By locking the controls at the control column any loads imposed on the flight controls are transmitted through all the controls, control rods and linkages.
I still prefer old style locks that go on the flight controls themselves. But that of course includes the inherent risk of someone leaving them fitted.
User avatar
CFIDave
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2678
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2012 3:40 pm
First Name: Dave
Aircraft Type: OTHER
Aircraft Registration: N333GX
Airports: KJYO Leesburg VA
Has thanked: 231 times
Been thanked: 1473 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by CFIDave »

DA62GustLock.pdf
(82.58 KiB) Downloaded 166 times
FYI: The DA62 has a different gust lock that, while attached to the rudder pedals and center stick, also has a separate strap to fit around the rails of the movable pedals. I'm still trying to figure out how to get all the straps to be the right lengths, and where (how high) to attach the lock to the center stick.
Epic Aircraft E1000 GX
Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
User avatar
cptndavid
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:59 pm
First Name: David
Aircraft Type: DA42
Aircraft Registration: N16FA
Airports: N87
Has thanked: 157 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by cptndavid »

I always thought the stickers were to indicate pinch points.
klang
2 Diamonds Member
2 Diamonds Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:24 pm
First Name: karl
Aircraft Type: DA42
Aircraft Registration: DGGWU
Airports: LSZC
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Gust lock

Post by klang »

The gust lock by design is not user-friendly. I hardly use it. Instead, I loop the RH seat belt around the control stick, such that elevator and ailerons are in neutral position. This is not rigid fixation but prevents deflection in gusting wind and it takes me a just two minutes to attach.
The rudder is of no concern because it does not move freely.
Post Reply