42
Left and right rudder knife-edges will require
slightly different levels of mixing because of P-
factor. Typically right rudder knife-edge flight
requires less up elevator mix that left rudder knife-
edge. The Tensor also has some proverse roll
coupling with rudder. This means that the airplane
will tend to roll in the same direction as the rudder
input. Use a linear rudder to aileron mix to reduce
this rolling tendency. The fences that extend the
side force generators through the wing are in place
to reduce and linearize the Tensor’s roll coupling.
At the bottom of a tight knife-edge loop one will
notice that the coupling will change direction if the
sideslip angle gets too large. This roll reversal is
gradual enough that the pilot can overcome it by
giving aileron in the same direction as rudder. This
little trick makes performing knife edge loops much
easier than trying to use a nonlinear mix to handle
the situation.
an asymmetric vertical tail configuration, the Tensor
has nearly equal vertical tail area above and below
the thrustline. As a result the Tensor needs no side
thrust to fly properly.
Rolling maneuvers are done with relative ease
with the Tensor. What you will find is that very
little if any rudder is needed during the knife-edge
portion of the roll to keep the nose from falling. This
is because the side force generators are literally
holding the nose up for you. This makes it easy to
perform normal aileron rolls, slow rolls, point rolls,
rolling circles and rolling loops while using very
little rudder input.
Knife-edge flight is also a strong point of the Tensor.
The side force generators allow it to fly very slowly
in knife-edge. The Tensor does have both roll and
pitch coupling that should be mixed out with a
computer radio. At the center of gravity position
specified in these instructions, the Tensor will tend to
pitch toward the landing gear both in left and right
rudder knife-edge flight. Simply use a linear rudder
to elevator mix to reduce this pitching tendency.
