Can I slow down my flap actuation?

[DarylW]

Hey Guys
My AC 520 has a very twitchy flap actuation speed. Moving the control from the ‘up’ position into the neutral position is doable but I am never secure that I am in the neutral place… as I then slowly lower the control a bit more and feel resistance- that is where flap actuation starts… I just try and barely bump the flap control at that resistance spot and I can get 1/4 to 1/2 flap in the twitch of an eye….it seems to me I should be able to put some doo dad in line with the flap actuator circuit that would govern the hydraulic pressure enough to slow the ‘twitch’ down so that perhaps actuation took a few seconds …. any thoughts? thanks much Daryl W

[appleseed]

Hey Darryl,

Are you sure it is the flaps that are twitchy, and not the indicator?

[donv]

I was wondering about that as well. I know on the turboprops, it takes 10 seconds to from UP to half flaps. It's been too long since I've flown a piston Commander, but I vaguely recall something similar?

You might try having someone stand outside the airplane on the ground and time the flaps so you know how long to expect.

[DarylW]

well…. when I was doing touch and goes last week… its twitchy! for example ( I was on a 10,000 foot runway) as I was ‘going’ after ‘touching’… I was struggling to get the correct flap setting - so as my speed increased- I then got the
setting somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 and zoom up I went as if I had a manual flap handle…. it is nearly instantaneous

[donv]

The flaps on the 520 are hydraulic, are they not? If so, it's hard to imagine them moving all that quickly.

Or maybe they are electric or something?

[appleseed]

This is from a 500S service manual, but might be relevant.

[appleseed]

Dig 3-1

[DarylW]

I’ll look and see if there are control valves below the flap actuator! I don’t recall this to be true last annual…. hmmmm If I don’t have them - then that would be the answer!
thank you!

[Adam Frisch]

They're hydraulic. On mine they were "normal" speed, similar to the turbine, so there's gotta be an adjustment somewhere. I never kept my flap in the Neutral position because then they'd start to droop. Never could find a hydraulic leak - they just did that.

Daryl - have you looked at POH? If I recall correctly, full power, full flap, the damn thing stalls at 39kts! Mine was an absolute STOL ship when you pushed here around. Very Impressive. I miss my 520. It was a great little twin.

[DarylW]

thanks for your time Adam! I’ll have to crawl back there and check it out….