Jump to content

Flap board clicking


Stuart

Recommended Posts

The flap board in our club's CTLS has started clicking in the center console. Everything still seems to work as it should but the relays click in 0 and 15 degree position.

 

We've replaced this board before and it very expensive. Over $900 if memory serves. I'd really like to avoid that if possible.

 

Has any successfully dealt with this issue?

 

Stuart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New boards are $1,300.

 

I can help with diagnostics if you can provide a video feed.

 

PM me if you want alternatives, I've already talked to FD USA about using dynon equipment to monitor flap positions and a manual position switch in the cockpit. They like the idea, but they said Germany won't even bother with engineering unless it's practically handed to them on a platter (which I can do). It's still not going to be cheap to convert, but for $1,300 for a replacement to get rid of those troublesome boards, it might be worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The sound is definitely a relay clicking. Dave A. at FD suggested a minor adjustment to a pot on the board but it didn't make a difference.

 

Matt told me something over $900 for the board. Ours is a 2008 model so there may be a difference.

 

Anticept, I'm interested in alternatives but the club isn't flush with cash. This is the plane that's suffered through some rough handling by student pilots. You've read about it in other forum posts. They would be interested but would probably want wait for the board to fail.

 

I'll get a video next time I'm at the hanger and attach it to this thread.

 

Thanks for the help gentlemen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I finally got out to the airport to get a short video of behavior.  You can easily hear the clicking.  Also, you can see that it's limited to clicking in the zero degree position.

 

The video is mp4 and can't be attached.  It is shared via Google Drive here...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwFU43Dani3BbVM5YTU4TFZ4clk/edit?usp=sharing

 

Stuart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finally got out to the airport to get a short video of behavior. You can easily hear the clicking. Also, you can see that it's limited to clicking in the zero degree position.

 

The video is mp4 and can't be attached. It is shared via Google Drive here...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwFU43Dani3BbVM5YTU4TFZ4clk/edit?usp=sharing

 

Stuart

That's not a relay problem, that's a sensing problem. The board thinks it isn't able to hold the 0 position and is constantly trying to seek 0. Reprogram the 0 position and it might go away (you have the new flap board style by the way, where the relays are on the controller). If it doesn't, then you likely have a deadzone on the potentiometer and need to replace it. The worst case is the microchip or some other component other than the relays have gone bad on the board, but that is unlikely.

 

I say it isn't a relay problem because there are only two relays on either style of the controllers (one for up, one for down). If it was a relay problem, you would find it difficult to move the flaps in one or both directions, and the clicking would exist on all settings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why only when he goes from non zero to zero?  Do the flaps move at all?  Do they return to zero and make the noise?

The flaps operate normally. There is no sing of anything wrong except for the clicking.

 

.

That's not a relay problem, that's a sensing problem. The board thinks it isn't able to hold the 0 position and is constantly trying to seek 0. Reprogram the 0 position and it might go away (you have the new flap board style by the way, where the relays are on the controller). If it doesn't, then you likely have a deadzone on the potentiometer and need to replace it. The worst case is the microchip or some other component other than the relays have gone bad.

Sounds encouraging! I'll take a look at reprogramming the 0 position in the next few days and let you all know how it goes.

 

Stuart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You should have gotten these two switches with the plane and they are not connected. If you don't have them you can get them from FD or just make a set. Then they just plug onto the back of the flap board.

Great. I'll take a look through thing at the hanger. We probably have them then. I'll send another update once we've reset the zero position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

We finally took the opportunity to try resetting the zero point on our flaps yesterday. It looks like the instructions in the maintenance manual may not be complete. We connected the switches to the board but whenever we try to move the flaps with switch 2 they simply return to the set position as soon as we release the switch.

 

It seems like there must be a "programming mode" that I havent found how to turn on. Does anyone know how to do this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Thanks to Roger Lee for spending some time on the phone today trying to talk me through re-calibrating our flap positions.  We weren't able to get our board in to the programming mode.  We seem to have a configuration that's some how different from normal.

 

I've posted some photos to show our flap board.  Maybe the pictures will help solve the mystery...

 

The file se are the connectors I have to connect the adjustment switches.

post-873-0-29635500-1413165531_thumb.jpg

 

Three wires are for the rocker switch and clearly marked but SW1 and SW2 are marked but not sure how they're used...

post-873-0-66320500-1413165538_thumb.jpg

 

Roger had me looking for a connector behind the board.  Never could find one.  Here are two views of the edge of our board.  Maybe you can see a connector that I've missed...

post-873-0-78336500-1413165544_thumb.jpg
post-873-0-32641100-1413165551_thumb.jpg

 

See anything I missed Roger?

 

Stuart

 

post-873-0-29635500-1413165531_thumb.jpg

post-873-0-66320500-1413165538_thumb.jpg

post-873-0-78336500-1413165544_thumb.jpg

post-873-0-32641100-1413165551_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The connector on your board has a cover on it, probably to prevent inadvertent shorting. It is smack in the center of your second and third photo, and has that pasty glue on it to help hold it down. It's the row of pins covered by the segmented black cover, right side of the board when looking at the back of the board with the rotary switch's solder points at the bottom.

 

You have the new style programming board, and thus it is programmed differently. I'm sure roger has the new instructions though, as it's not like it came out yesterday (it's ~2011, maybe '12 that the new model came out).

 

I too have the instructions for the new board system, if they are needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I got the instructions from Flight Design and we did the re-calibration yesterday. Unfortunately, no change. It's still always clicking in the zero position and a few clicks in 30 then they stop. By the way, while the relays are clicking we never hear the flap motor energize. There is no motion of the flaps while the relays are clicking.

 

Next step?

 

Stuart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It probably doesn't have time to start moving if it is switching rapidly. Try calibrating 0 and 30 flaps to the stops, and set 15 to what should be 0. Then run through them. The idea is to see if the same behavior is exhibited because of flap setting (board failure), or physical flap position (potentiometer failure).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I know you are talking about the flap board clicking, but I hope everyone lubes the two flap rods back in the luggage compartment every annual. These get dry and cause dry metal to metal rubbing which in turn puts undue stress on the flap mechanism and causes noises, slows deployment and could burn out a servo motor. Lubing these rods can keep some of your problems at bay.

 

Ian,

It is possible that some of this noise is being caused if they rods are dry. This is any easy check to help rule out any causes. Try lubing those rods with some silicone. Once lubed from both sides run the flaps full up and down. If it takes care of the problem your done if not at least this is ruled out and you can move on to the next check.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Roger, we've been thru this before regarding lubing parts.  You recommended Inox and I've been using this on my CT.  Is the silicone lube you talk about here a "grease" or the regular liquid silicone spray?  I hesitate to use spray silicone on anything due to the problems one has with painting surfaces that have been contaminated with the silicone over spray. How about using Inox on the flap rods? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...