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Flap handle STC?

Common mod around here. What specifically don't you like about it?

Web

Pretty much the same thing Airguide described. With the short lever, when you're trying to dump flaps from full flaps, getting the little bugger to turn loose can require a REALLY hard pull, and the geometry really doesn't fit my shoulder well.

I've flown a lot of Cubs with standard levers, and in a lot of different situations, and never really had a beef with them. Pick your crosswinds, and you can work your leg around that lever.

Maybe it's just the way I'm articulated.....

MTV
 
I guess I don’t understand the problem. I have shortened handle on stock then airframe’s flaps. I feel a Short handle is necessary in a crosswind. If the flap handle is to hard to pull you are simply going to fast. Practice more slow flight and get comfortable going slow as it gives you more time to evaluate the landing area.
 
You make a good point, but like I said my seat is forward of normal, several thousand hours of flying slow trying to get in a alder patch with a 250 pound hunter in the back seat and hanging on the prop on a missed approach makes the short handle hard to drop one notch of flaps, just sayin!


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I found your seat forward comment interesting. In Cubs I have my seat slid back to the stops. I’ve never had any problem retracting flaps. I guess the world really doesn’t revolve around me. ;) With my wings? A longer flap handle is necessary to pull flaps. I’d like it longer but would worry about stress on the pulleys. Funny that I fly my 180 with the seat as far forward as it goes, which is limited by the seat cushion hitting the forward door post. That helps reach the flap handle in that plane but I do it for pedal feel.
 
I found your seat forward comment interesting. In Cubs I have my seat slid back to the stops. I’ve never had any problem retracting flaps. I guess the world really doesn’t revolve around me. ;) With my wings? A longer flap handle is necessary to pull flaps. I’d like it longer but would worry about stress on the pulleys. Funny that I fly my 180 with the seat as far forward as it goes, which is limited by the seat cushion hitting the forward door post. That helps reach the flap handle in that plane but I do it for pedal feel.

Stuart I am not smart enough to fly anything but a cub but I have had almost 50 years of fun flying one. By the way your cub builder at Birchwood is one of the best!


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I really dislike the standard 'long' handle for cub flaps.

My legs are short but I got the Clydesdale genetics for diameter. Not enough room for flap handle, full left aileron and my leg to work rudders without resetting the stick WAY over to the right.

My friends plane has the Keller flaps, and as I recall the short handle. seems very easy to release.

That said, I fly lots of Skywagon, and newer ones, which takes the same arm strength as a 1960's Ford truck without power steering.

The Maule is no picnic either working the flaps, but if they pull hard you are over speed...

Gizmos are gizmos. There is one for each of us to like- we are lucky folks still try to innovate.
 
I really dislike the standard 'long' handle for cub flaps.

My legs are short but I got the Clydesdale genetics for diameter. Not enough room for flap handle, full left aileron and my leg to work rudders without resetting the stick WAY over to the right.

My friends plane has the Keller flaps, and as I recall the short handle. seems very easy to release.

That said, I fly lots of Skywagon, and newer ones, which takes the same arm strength as a 1960's Ford truck without power steering.

The Maule is no picnic either working the flaps, but if they pull hard you are over speed...

Gizmos are gizmos. There is one for each of us to like- we are lucky folks still try to innovate.

I bought this cub ,my second one 40 years ago and turn 80 years this year, thousands of hours flying in Alaska flying Part 135 and part 91, most of my time is on the Alaska Peninsula . Wish I had those flaps years ago and I realize I am not as stout as I was years back. What ever works use it and thanks for not telling me to practice!


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I changed out to Airframes PSTOL flaps back in January of 2018, absolutely amazing flaps! As part of the STC there is an option for a shortened flap handle. I went with the shortened flap handle since in left crosswinds it seemed that I never had full aileron travel since my leg was pushed up to the flap handle. After I started using them the left aileron travel was much better as my leg was able to go over the flap lever, but it was very difficult to extend full flaps in anything over 55mph. So came up with a grip for the flap handle and had my mechanic fabricate it (Dan Byker, Hawarden Iowa). Definitely solved the problem. I use the palm of my hand - thumb palm to push the flap button and grab the grip with my fingers. Here are a couple pictures and the sketch I drew Dan Byker. My You Tube channel has a couple of PSTOL videos on it that document my conversion to PSTOLS http://www.youtube.com/@Cubonaut875/videos You might have to scroll down to find the PSTOL videos.

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I really dislike the standard 'long' handle for cub flaps.

My legs are short but I got the Clydesdale genetics for diameter. Not enough room for flap handle, full left aileron and my leg to work rudders without resetting the stick WAY over to the right.

My friends plane has the Keller flaps, and as I recall the short handle. seems very easy to release.

That said, I fly lots of Skywagon, and newer ones, which takes the same arm strength as a 1960's Ford truck without power steering.

The Maule is no picnic either working the flaps, but if they pull hard you are over speed...

Gizmos are gizmos. There is one for each of us to like- we are lucky folks still try to innovate.

I shortened my flap handle years ago, cut it down to where the two screws were originally. After I could put my leg over the flap handle and have full left aileron. Bonus, I can dump the flaps to half with my leg. After the pstol flaps it’s a lot harder to pull them, but not terrible if you slow down. 60mph for the first and short final for full flaps.


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After flying a number of carbon and experimental supercubs, I'm now 1000% convinced this is the correct place for them. I can see if you've been doing it old school for so long it's second nature, but ergonomically speaking overhead is the way to go. Especially if you are actively working the flaps on the takeoff roll and right after touchdown. Reaching down is way less preferable to keeping your head up and grabbing right there. I can't see that it's in any way less safe, and to the contrary much safer than having to reach down and maybe even bend over and turn a bit to reach the flap handle - which a lot of us have to do.

Overhead flaps is the future. I'm pretty sure all the experimental fuselage makers are predominantly building them that way. I was at Univair just a few months ago - and they too are building fuselages with provisions for overhead flap handle.
 
After flying a number of carbon and experimental supercubs, I'm now 1000% convinced this is the correct place for them. I can see if you've been doing it old school for so long it's second nature, but ergonomically speaking overhead is the way to go. Especially if you are actively working the flaps on the takeoff roll and right after touchdown. Reaching down is way less preferable to keeping your head up and grabbing right there. I can't see that it's in any way less safe, and to the contrary much safer than having to reach down and maybe even bend over and turn a bit to reach the flap handle - which a lot of us have to do.

Overhead flaps is the future. I'm pretty sure all the experimental fuselage makers are predominantly building them that way. I was at Univair just a few months ago - and they too are building fuselages with provisions for overhead flap handle.

Well, you’d better plan on wearing a helmet EVERY time you fly. That handle could do some serious damage to your face in an accident. I agree on ergonomics, but safety trumps ergonomics in my world.

MTV
 
It's a choice for stuff near your head in a Cub. I destroyed a Grimes red panel light once when the plane rolled down wing up in a left turn, plane moved - I briefly stayed in place until my shoulder hit the side panel. My David Clark helmet took the head hit.

Gary
 
There’s a whole lot in that area that will tear your face up even without the flap handle there. I am not buying the argument that the overhead handle is a safety issue. I also strongly disagree that the old floor position is safer given the bending you (or I do anyway) in critical phases of flight. In a sideways impact your gonna hit the window frames, the breaker panel, the door frame diagonals, fuel lines, etc. That handle ain’t gonna be any worse than all the other stuff there.

Wearing a helmet is a good thing anyway.

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Well, you’d better plan on wearing a helmet EVERY time you fly. That handle could do some serious damage to your face in an accident. I agree on ergonomics, but safety trumps ergonomics in my world.

MTV
 

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There’s a whole lot in that area that will tear your face up even without the flap handle there. I am not buying the argument that the overhead handle is a safety issue. I also strongly disagree that the old floor position is safer given the bending you (or I do anyway) in critical phases of flight. In a sideways impact your gonna hit the window frames, the breaker panel, the door frame diagonals, fuel lines, etc. That handle ain’t gonna be any worse than all the other stuff there.

Wearing a helmet is a good thing anyway.

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Look at a photo with flaps deployed.....

I'm 5 feet 8 inches, if I secure the seat belt and shoulder harness as tight as they should be, my head isn't likely going to hit the wing root. But, that flap lever with flaps down is RIGHT beside your head. Any side load impact......

A friend died in a Cub accident. One of the proximate causes of death was a Garmin GPS mounted to the windshield post. His helmet didn't help in that case.

MTV
 
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I’ve flown 6 or 7 of these, both cubcrafters and even homemade variants. I just don’t see a safety concern. There’s all kinds of metal on both sides in the wing root and door and window frames that will wreck your head in every cub.

here’s a back seat view from another member here.

https://youtu.be/YQI_YY25r9Y
 
Or we could all put on a Pillsbury Dough Boy outfit, helmet, face mask, 5 pt. harness..........and take all the fun out of this. It's an individual decision.
 
I choked on my coffee when I saw the references to EzFlap. We had our own donnybrook around here with that fellow. First advertiser that I have ever had that demanded I remove posts about his product.

Personal preference for me is standard flap handle. I’ve flown lots of the overhead versions. We had one break off in a Legend cub here, but that might have been more due to brute force and operator error.

If you don’t like reaching down for flaps don’t get a skywagon [emoji3]

sj
 
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