My Chief has a different layout of the throttle and fuel controls than many Chiefs that I have now seen or seen pictures of and I would like to solicit member comment on it. The difference is that the throttle is installed in the bottom center middle port of the panel and the fuel on/off control is installed in the top center port of the panel. Just the opposite of what seems to be the most common layout. I have logs back to the origin of the airplane but cannot find any reference to a modification from the more common arrangement. the aircraft was restored in 2006 but, those entries also do not mention a " controls" change. I asked the local A&P about changing them back to a "throttle on top" layout and he reported no problem except that There was a possibility of a pilot Turing the Yoke to the right and possibly hitting a portion of his right hand presumably on the throttle with the Yoke. I looked at this myself and can see that it could be possible but don' t think it to be a real problem. Has anyone seen these controls laid out this way? Is there any reason you can see fo not reorienting them? Thanks?
Dale
Power Panel Layout for1946 Chief
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flyingfool
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Re: Power Panel Layout for1946 Chief
My Chief has standard throttle arrangement. The yoke itself will not be any problem. I do have a yoke mount for a handheld GPS. And if the throttle is full idle AND the yoke is in the FULL down AND the yoke is turned FULLY right aileron. The yoke mount will hit the throttle a smidgen in the last couple of degrees of full right aileron. This sequence is pretty rare situation. As any amount of power would push the throttle in enough to miss. And there is very few times I can think of where you'd have all three conditions of full idle, full nose down and full right aileron. The only scenario I can see that is doing a wheel landing with a strong right crosswind needing full right aileron and try to keep the tail up full down elevator.
Bottom line moving it back to original should be absolutely no problem. I also don't recall ever seeing any other chief with the arrangement you suggest. Not to say that it has not happened, just that I've never seen it.
My panel oddity comes from the fact that my carb heat and cabin heat are reversed from standard. The carb heat is on the left nearest the pilot. I actually prefer my layout better than the Aeronca standard. That way the mag switch, carb heat and throttle are on the pilot side to center. Cabin heat and passenger comfort (such as it is) is on the passenger side.
Bottom line moving it back to original should be absolutely no problem. I also don't recall ever seeing any other chief with the arrangement you suggest. Not to say that it has not happened, just that I've never seen it.
My panel oddity comes from the fact that my carb heat and cabin heat are reversed from standard. The carb heat is on the left nearest the pilot. I actually prefer my layout better than the Aeronca standard. That way the mag switch, carb heat and throttle are on the pilot side to center. Cabin heat and passenger comfort (such as it is) is on the passenger side.
Re: Power Panel Layout for1946 Chief
My Chief passed her annual today except that I required the throttle and fuel valve controls to be relocated per the original positions. (See my original post in this thread) The A&P doing the annual inspected them and feels that they were placed that way because the throttle cable is too long and that moving it might not be possible since it is already it is already coiled all over the place under the main panel. I asked him to disassemble these controls and if he found that this was a problem, to remove it and install the correct part. He agreed to proceed with this and tonight I am scurrying around to find the correct part. I have already e-mailed Wag-Aero and Aircraft Spruce. Would appreciate any help in finding this part or at least the correct P/N for it. This is an 11 AC with an A-65 engine. If you have any ideas at all please post or send me a pm. I want to get this all done in concert with the new annual
Dale
Dale
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Paul Agaliotis
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Re: Power Panel Layout for1946 Chief
Dale,
You might have a tough time finding the correct throttle cable. I think the originals were a 5/8" diameter thread and the replacements are all 3/4". Some people have changed the cable attach ring in the fuselage to accommodate the larger cables.
Paul
You might have a tough time finding the correct throttle cable. I think the originals were a 5/8" diameter thread and the replacements are all 3/4". Some people have changed the cable attach ring in the fuselage to accommodate the larger cables.
Paul
Mailing Adress : Paul Agaliotis 2060 E. San Martin, San Martin,Calif. 95046
Re: Power Panel Layout for1946 Chief
Paul,
You are right. I am having a hard time with this Throttle cable. I had my A&P take the sub panel apart and try to reorganize the two controls. The ultimate problem seems to be this: The throttle cable on my machine has a threaded section which is the exact diameter of the hole in the sub panel and a weldment on the structural tube which runs across the bottom of the main control panel were the fuel valve control is currently installed. Therefore, the throttle control assembly will not go through the hole presently being used for the control valve rod. Not only that, he says that to drill out the weldment to make it large enough to pass the threaded section would make it unacceptable from a strength point of view ! Further, the length of the threaded section on the existing Throttle cable is insufficient to penetrate the weldment enough to put a nut on it for retaining even if the weldment was bored out. Why did this happen ? I can only guess but suppose that someone had to replace the original Throttle assembly, discovered these same things and moved the throttle cable to the lower port in the sub panel.
In my pursuit of commercial parts thus far, Aircraft Spruce says "look at these catalog pages " and Wag-Aero says they don't carry this part for a Chief but they will try if I can get them the original P/N. This obviously means that I need the Throttle assembly P/N, a drawing(s) of it,
The main panel, the controls subpanel,, and whichever fuselage drawing showing the detail of the weldment part. Best of all would be an available original Throttle assembly from a Chief which has otherwise gone West. Any help from anyone is appreciated.
Dale
You are right. I am having a hard time with this Throttle cable. I had my A&P take the sub panel apart and try to reorganize the two controls. The ultimate problem seems to be this: The throttle cable on my machine has a threaded section which is the exact diameter of the hole in the sub panel and a weldment on the structural tube which runs across the bottom of the main control panel were the fuel valve control is currently installed. Therefore, the throttle control assembly will not go through the hole presently being used for the control valve rod. Not only that, he says that to drill out the weldment to make it large enough to pass the threaded section would make it unacceptable from a strength point of view ! Further, the length of the threaded section on the existing Throttle cable is insufficient to penetrate the weldment enough to put a nut on it for retaining even if the weldment was bored out. Why did this happen ? I can only guess but suppose that someone had to replace the original Throttle assembly, discovered these same things and moved the throttle cable to the lower port in the sub panel.
In my pursuit of commercial parts thus far, Aircraft Spruce says "look at these catalog pages " and Wag-Aero says they don't carry this part for a Chief but they will try if I can get them the original P/N. This obviously means that I need the Throttle assembly P/N, a drawing(s) of it,
The main panel, the controls subpanel,, and whichever fuselage drawing showing the detail of the weldment part. Best of all would be an available original Throttle assembly from a Chief which has otherwise gone West. Any help from anyone is appreciated.
Dale