Discus CS Rigging

[rfuller767]

I've been involved in a partnership with our Discus CS for 11 years
and the one thing I wish I could improve is the rigging. Both wings
rig fine until the last 1/2 inch. At that point it requires a
knolwedgable person on each wingtip generating small figure horizontal
eights until it randomly finds the right alignment with a reassuring
clunk. The hotter the day, the longer it takes. Even the first
(left) wing requires an unusual amount of pressure to overcome the
last half inch.

I had Monty at M&H try it and, of course, it worked perfectly for him
five times in a cold shop. I've added alignment marks to the first
wing spar and the fuselage with no discernable improvement. I've
greased the pins until the price of lithium grease has increased
noticeably on the open market.

Any clues? Tips? Techniques?

Rick "CL"

[whoo...@gmail.com]

767,
At the risk of embarrassing myself by offering ideas to an owner with
10 yrs more rigging than I under his belt..............

Yes, we struggled to the point of cursing for the first half dozen
rigs until we discovered the sweet spot.
Sounds like airbrake/water dump lever problem - it was that bad that I
eventually resorted to reading the rigging section in the manual ;)
Find the sweet spot, (for our CS a/brake about 1/4 open) and find a
way of holding it in place (I made a rigging tool)
Insert the port wing.
Insert pin 1/2 way and find a way to stop sideways movement, if the
slot in the seatback is sloppy then you may need to rotate the pin and
find something to gently hold it in place against the fuse
Insert the starboard wing with a gentle wiggle and reassuring clunk!

Rigs really easy!

[AJM]

Hi Rick,

As mentioned by the other poster, before starting to rig:

1) Make sure the water ballast dump actuator is closed in the cockpit
2) Make sure the airbrake actuator is not in the locked position. The
actuator should be 80 - 90% forward. Where the brakes would be
closed, but not locked.

One thing to check is to see if the ballast connection between wings
and fuselage need adjustment in the "closed" position. Look for how
the pin on the wing side matches up with the slot on the fuselage
side.

-Andy

[Mike the Strike]

The Discus 2 has identical problems. I have found that a final check
(wiggle) of the airbrake lever is often the key. It is also
surprising how little a fore and aft misalignment can make things
difficult - checking the location of the wing pins also helps.

Mike

[Yankee47]

Having owned Disci of all types (B, 2, Duo). I agree with Mike that a
wiggle of the air brakes and the stick seems to work wonders if the
final stages of assembly.

I have also had much success putting the right win on first. This
allows you to easily observe that the alignment of the left spar is
correct as you can view it thru an open canopy. This is especially
true with the Discus2 as the spars are black and cannot easily be seen
thru the canopy in bright sunlight. I pay special attention that the
gap between the right wing and the wing fillet is equal, then tape the
top of the wing to stop if pushing out when the left wing is inserted.

Experienced help is often the key as they can feel when the wings are
engaged and give it a professional shove at the right moment.

Colin

[whoo...@gmail.com]

767, just to be clear by " Find the sweet spot, (for our CS a/brake

about 1/4 open) and find a

way of holding it in place (I made a rigging tool) " I am referring to
the actuator lever in the cockpit and not the paddle!!

[rfuller767]

Thanks for all the recommendations. I'll try them next time I fly.

Rick "CL"

On Dec 12, 10:59 am, "Whoops...@gmail.com" <whoops...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> > Rick "CL"- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[cumulusrider]

Try this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Huk_WOxk1oc
:-) nigel

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Bob]

I use a Wing Rigger assembling/disassembling mine. The problem is
that the final seating of the stbd. wing wants to push the port wing
out 1/2 - 1". I've resorted to asking someone to stand at wing tip
and push on the port wing as I shove the stbd. wing home and it works
great. Hope that a determined search for the "sweet spot" will end
that. Tried fixing port wing in place with the pin using a wooden
wedge between pin and port fuselage but without luck

On Dec 9 2011, 5:37 am, "Whoops...@gmail.com" <whoops...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Mike the Strike]

Pretty normal procedure - I also use a Wing Rigger and like to use a
helper for the last half-inch.

if you really are on your own, I have found it helpful to leave both
wings out a short distance so that you can see the alignment of the
pins on the spar end. They don't have to be off much. I find if I
align these, give the airbrake lever a final wiggle, it will usually
snug home nicely. Quicker with a helper, though.

Mike

[Z]

I one man rig on a belly dolly with tip trestles using a piece of wood with a slot which jams between the main pin and the cutout in the upright of the forward fibreglass shelf.

Insert the port wing and put the main pin in just far enough to avoid interfering with the starboard spar when it comes in and then push the piece of wood down between the pin and the cutout. This prevents the port wing backing out.

[Charlie Papa]

When I co-owned a CS, I used tape applied to the left wing (first
installed), over the gap along the top surface would keep the right
from pushing out the left.

I now have a 2cT, and continue to use this method, even though the 2c
rig like a dream.

Charlie Papa

[Yankee47]

Charlie Papa knows the secret…That tape on the top surface works like
a charm. It has the added benefit that 1 surface of the wing is
already half taped when you get around to this part of the assembly.

Colin
Discus2b "Y"

> > wing backing out.- Hide quoted text -

[Bob]

I will try the tape on day one of the 2012 season. Sounds like a
winner
Bob

[mark]

I use an eccentric alignment pin, from Cobra, that works great to pull
the wings together for that last 1/2 inch.

[Alfonso Ossorio]

A breaker bar. I think Schemmp makes a nylon one that is cammed a slight rotation throught the spar holes pulls them together. I use a tapered brass bar. Use somthing = to brass or softer in the spar holes and it's a snap.

Al

Sent from my iPhone

[Morgan Hall]

There is a guy, Steve I think, posting on R.A.S about an alignment pin he sells. 

http://www.z5mfg.com/ 

I don't know if it is the right size for a Discus, but it works fantastic on an ASW-20.   $80 and very nicely machined out of delrin plastic I believe.  If you need this kind of tool, he's the guy to connect with.  I'm sure if needed he'd create a Discus sized version.  He has been very helpful to a number of ASW-20 drivers and it's really made assembly of my 20 a lot easier.  I haven't thought to check it in the Duo, but as long as the wings are positioned properly, the Duo snaps together easily.  OK, heavy, but smoothly how about.

Morgan

[Rick Fuller]

Mark,

 

Which tool did you purchase?  I don't see one listed for the Discus. Was it the one for the Ventus on the Cobra site? 

 

Many thanks,

 

Rick

[Mark Akerley]

Hi Rick, I sent a note directly to Ulrike Reisse at Cobra, u.re...@cobratrailer.com, asking for an eccentric assembly tool for a Discus CS, and it was delivered in about a week - Great folks to do business with.  With this tool and my Udo self assembly dolly its actually easier to rig solo than with help, although a few minutes longer. Mark --- On Thu, 3/29/12, Rick Fuller <rfull...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Bob]

I'd appreciate it if you could post a picture of this tool, and describe how you use it.
Thanks.
Bob

[Rick Fuller]

Thanks, Mark.  I sent him an email asking about it.

 

When you've got about a 1/2 inch to go, have you discovered where things are hanging up at that point?  I've looked evrywhere.  In my experience over 11-12 years, it seems like the wing pins are searching for the correct alignment as opposed to a binding problem.  In this case, do you think the tool will help?

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

[whoo...@gmail.com]

No.
Open the water
Open the brake lever
Wiggle the stick
Port wing in , (check spar looks reasonably symmetrical on starboard
side) and tape it up (thanks charlie papa)
Put stb wing in
Give the stick a wiggle (and maybe the brake, till you know the sweet
spot) and, push in the tip, you'll here a clunk as the air-brakes
bounce.
Fit the pin

Go enjoy!

On Mar 30, 10:02 pm, Rick Fuller <rfuller...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks, Mark.  I sent him an email asking about it.
>
> When you've got about a 1/2 inch to go, have you discovered where things
> are hanging up at that point?  I've looked evrywhere.  In my experience
> over 11-12 years, it seems like the wing pins are searching for the correct
> alignment as opposed to a binding problem.  In this case, do you think the
> tool will help?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rick
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Friday, March 30, 2012 10:49:46 AM UTC-4, mark wrote:
> >   Hi Rick,
>
> > I sent a note directly to Ulrike Reisse at Cobra,

> > u.rei...@cobratrailer.com, asking for an eccentric assembly tool for a

> > Discus CS, and it was delivered in about a week - Great folks to do
> > business with.  With this tool and my Udo self assembly dolly its actually
> > easier to rig solo than with help, although a few minutes longer.
>
> > Mark
>

> > --- On *Thu, 3/29/12, Rick Fuller <rfuller...@gmail.com>* wrote:

[Bob]

Today I rigged my CS using the tape on top of the port wing and it worked like a charm. Thanks.
Bob