Re: Triple throttle controls, allowing right or left hand on stick from either seat
Funny, that pivot bar you guys were talking about for the two separate throttle cables is exactly what I was thinking. That would be perfect to repurpose to two/three throttle control knobs, but then down to 1 split cable as mentioned.
Anyway, it was all just random thoughts on wanting to handle the stick with my right hand. Thanks for all the feedback guys.
Evan.
Re: Triple throttle controls, allowing right or left hand on stick from either seat
I learned how to fly in a J3 Cub. So left hand on throttle, right hand stick. 37 years later most everything I have flown (besides 30 hours in a Rans S7, 25 hours in a Pitts S2, and another 20 or so hours in a handful of other tandem aircraft) has been opposite, left hand on stick and right hand on throttle. It's my opinion to choose one or the other and stick with it, as going back and forth is a bit much for the average persons brain.
Not that most of us can't switch back and forth, but if ever in a tight spot with a high performance, less forgiving airplane, it's likely your hands may do the opposite of what you should have done. Better way to describe what I'm getting at; Imagine if every other automatic transmission car you got in had the accelerator pedal and the brake reversed? Can you imagine the accidents there would be?
I've always said that primary position in side by side airplanes should be to fly them from the right seat, so you could move into tandem seated aircraft without any issues with having to reverse your hand position. That way the only people that would have to learn to fly either hand position would be instructors. And then again maybe they should have mandated two throttles in every side by side airplane years ago? Tandems always have two.
If you dont want to engineer two throttles in your Kitfox, just learn to fly it from the right seat from the beginning. Lots of people fly from the right.
Re: Triple throttle controls, allowing right or left hand on stick from either seat
I agree that it would be unnecessary complication. Stock center throttle is perfectly adequate for 2 pilot operations in a Kitfox.
I have some experience with dual throttle in a Zenith 750 which had a center joystick. O200 Continental. Worked ok except center stick radio work was awkward. Friction adjustment on the opposite throttle worried me a bit that the other guy might lock it down leaving me in pickle but it never happened
I am not an instructor but I do occasionally fly from the right seat. I am more comfortable on the left. Not that I feel I will try to flare with the throttle or power up with the stick. There are numerous tactile differences in the throttle and the stick that for me keeps that from happening. The issue for me is that the visual cues for runway alignment are different.
Bottom line for me is that the stock setup is the perfect compromise of access from both seats, simplicity, light weight, number of examples flown, universality (think C172).