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[Chuck]

Hello there,

 

I'm a new CTSW owner up here in NH, having purchased N159CT in Laconia a few weeks ago and hauling it back over here to the Upper Valley.  I'm keeping it just over the VT border at 2B9 - Post Mills Airport.  Since I got my ticket 8 years ago I've logged about 750 hours, almost all of which was in what I now refer to as my slow airplane - a 1941 Interstate Cadet.  Early in my pilot training I got a few hours in a CTSW and had always had it in mind as a good cross-country machine, so I was glad to finally find one.

 

This forum has been a great resource over the last few weeks as I've been educating myself on all things Flight Designs, and as I learn and fly more I keep coming up with more and more questions.  I'll start with an easy one - I've read a lot of the debate about -6 vs -12 degree flap settings.  On my plane the little LCD display reads -12 when I put the switch in the high-speed cruise position, even though the number printed on the sheet metal by the switch says -6.  I measured with an angle meter and I'm pretty sure it's actually moving them to -6 degrees in this position - does anyone know why the display would read -12?

 

Thanks in advance,

Chuck

[Duane Jefts]

20 hours ago, Chuck said:

Hello there,

 

I'm a new CTSW owner up here in NH, having purchased N159CT in Laconia a few weeks ago and hauling it back over here to the Upper Valley.  I'm keeping it just over the VT border at 2B9 - Post Mills Airport.  Since I got my ticket 8 years ago I've logged about 750 hours, almost all of which was in what I now refer to as my slow airplane - a 1941 Interstate Cadet.  Early in my pilot training I got a few hours in a CTSW and had always had it in mind as a good cross-country machine, so I was glad to finally find one.

 

This forum has been a great resource over the last few weeks as I've been educating myself on all things Flight Designs, and as I learn and fly more I keep coming up with more and more questions.  I'll start with an easy one - I've read a lot of the debate about -6 vs -12 degree flap settings.  On my plane the little LCD display reads -12 when I put the switch in the high-speed cruise position, even though the number printed on the sheet metal by the switch says -6.  I measured with an angle meter and I'm pretty sure it's actually moving them to -6 degrees in this position - does anyone know why the display would read -12?

 

Thanks in advance,

Chuck

Welcome Chuck. Wealth of knowledge on this site.

[GrassStripFlyBoy]

22 hours ago, Chuck said:

does anyone know why the display would read -12?

Guessing here, the boards have had some durability issues, possible someone replaced it with a unit from a bird that had -12 as the programming?  Scroll through the logbooks and see if the replacement is noted?

[Anticept]

The programming needs to be adjusted to show -6. What I can't remember is if we could toggle that with the programming switch or if it has to be adjusted in EEPROM (factory programming). Reach out to airtime aviation about it.

[Anticept]

Alright so looked through my flap stuff. You can change the displayed settings.

I need to know what flap controller you have. When you turn on the flap system, does it display u15 or some other number for a few seconds, or does it immediately go to the selected flap degrees?

[Chuck]

I just had a chance to get out and fly again today - it doesn't display anything at power-up, just goes straight to the indicated flap setting.  The previous owner had replaced the board at some point a few years ago and I still have the defective board that came out if that's at all helpful.

Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge!
 

[Anticept]

I can repair defective flap boards except when the microprocessor is damaged (it has onboard firmware).

You have the old style controller. There is a special pinout to enable programming. Do you have a microswitch and rocker switch that came with the aircraft?

[Chuck]

I did not receive any rocker switches or micro switches with the plane - I’ve got a box full of random electronic junk from past soldering projects though. I know there are some rocker switches in there, don’t know about micro switches.