HGFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 35 May | June 2018 I f you are not too fussy, then one of these may prove to be adequate. Otherwise, there is only one that can easily be fitted or removed with gloves on. It can be tied loosely (inside the hangar) or tightly, where the control bar will not move at all (for outside). In either case, it can be removed very quickly, if and when required. First buy one of the above bungee cords with a toggle ball attached. Now remove the bungee and discard it – you only need the ball. Next, you will need to buy one metre of 5mm bungee cord, of the type that can stretch to more than 100% of its original length. You may find that the bungee type securing your wing battens will satisfy this requirement. Then put the two ends of the bungee together and tie the knot about 100mm from the ends. Lastly, insert the bungee through the toggle ball. If you have difficulty with this, try using a piece of string or a small cable- tie to pull it through like a needle threader. To install, follow the photographs – I recommend you practise without gloves first. To secure the wing tightly: Stretch the bungee when installing, then for Figure 4 read ‘...go back around, the way you came twice ’, before hooking over the ball. Note: If the bungee cord is not stretchy enough then you will only be able to go round once, but this will still secure your wing and enable you to remove the control lock easily when required. I will bring some of these single-tie control locks along to future WM/Rotax Maintenance courses, if any trike pilot booked onto a course would like one, please let me know and I will make sure that I bring enough with me. They will be $3 each. Safe Flying. Over the years, I have come across different versions of control locks for trikes. Most have been of the bungee cord with a toggle ball variety, the sort that you can buy by the dozen for securing a tarpaulin or similar. by Kev MacNally The Ultimate Trike Control Lock Figure 1: This is what the finished product should look like Figure 3: Hook the free end of the bungee around the ball... Figure 5: Then, hook it over the ball. Your wing is now secure, but may still be moved from side to side Figure 2: Start as shown, by feeding the toggle ball around the compression strut and over the top of the basebar Figure 4: ...and go back around, the way you came Figure 6: To release, simply grasp the tails and pull upwards Photo: Kev MacNally