[statppl]

Hi all,

My club has a brand new Tecnam P2002JF. It has an electric trim that I have found very difficult to use. Earlier I had manual trim (Grob 115B) and it was much easier to handle.

In Tecnam, one has to press the button for a while for it get the feeling. As the trim moves in steps, unlike manual continuous adjustment, I find it difficult to estimate the right setting. Does anyone here has faced similar expereince and got used to with time or found some tricks?

Cheers.

-- correcetd to the right section ---

[JonH690]

Hi Statppl,

I did most of my PPL training in the Tecnam and still fly it now (G-TECA from Wellesbourne).

I know what you are describing. Instead of a manual trim wheel where you could get a feel for it, the electric trim feels like it does it in steps.

The best way I found with this is to test different power settings to get it to sit straight and level. I found I was always fiddling to get me to stay at a certain height. Just adjust the throttle slightly and you will notice the difference when you look at your VSI if it is climbing or descending.

In the one I fly, only one or two notches forward (So the trim tab light goes up) is all that it needs when at the selected altitude.

Give it a go next time

[statppl]

Thanks JonH for your response. Holding the attitude is one problem and keeping the speed on final approach is another when I found manual trim easier. Now I am constantly fighting with the stick. Maybe, I am setting too much trim. Next time I will try just one or two notches and work with the throttle.
Thanks for the tip.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Disclaimer - I don't know the Tecnam, but I have flown plenty of other aeroplanes with an electric trim.

With a mechanical trim, it's very easy to get "lazy" and fly the aeroplane on the trim directly - we all do it, and we get away with it. That doesn't stop it being poor technique.

With any kind of trim, the right way to do it is to hold the right condition on the stick, and *then* to take the force out using the trimmer. So establish the condition you want on the stick, look out at the pitch attitude, then blip the electric trimmer until you have zero control force whilst maintaining the attitude you needed - then just a glance inside to make sure you've still got the right RoC/RoD/IAS as appropriate to what you're doing.

I would say that with these electric trimmer systems it's more important than with a mechanical system to establish the right trim condition early on approach - then as far as possible, leave the thing alone. This again is good practice with a mechanical trimmer as well, just you can get away with poorer practice there. The technique again is to establish the right attitude on the stick, then trim the force out.

G

[morticiaskeeper]

Electric trim is still something I find alien. On the Eurostar, using the right hand on the trim gave a reassuring "lightening" of the forces on the left hand.

With the C42, the electric trim is on top of the right hand stick, and I've never felt as confident with it.

Although, out of trim forces in a C42 are manageable, unlike the Eurostar.


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[LUFTY]

Hi statppl 

I have a Tecnam P2002JF and found the electric trim easy to use to be honest.

What I do however is blip it rather than hold it down to move the trim.

As others have said I tend to blip it two or three times which is normally enough to trim things off.

Using power settings makes a big difference to the trim requirements and also the rudder inputs required.

Let me know if you need any further information.

Best regards


Lufty

[Rob P]

We have electric trim and in my opinion it's a totally unnecessary complication that I really wish the builders hadn't installed. I can't see any advantage over manual trim and lots of disadvantages.

Rob P

[carlmeek]

The electric trim on the Tecnam is the same standard ray Allen motors on many other aircraft. It DOES NOT move in steps. I think you must be talking about the little green LED display that shows you where the trim is.

My advice is to not look at this trim indicator except before take off when you use it to set the correct position. In flight it must be trimmed by feel exactly as ghengis describes. Usually this means pressing the trim buttons very briefly, not even half a second at a time.