Brief Description: Modifying the control stick design, part 2
Next, I need to introduce a 2nd bend toward the stick's top to realign the stick axis with my palm. Again, using my heat gun, I softened the PVC to accept the 2nd bend.
The next problem: The stock Vans straight sticks were unsuitable for this sort of bending, because the pipes wall's are so thin they are sure to kink under any bending. I took my template to Randy Richmond (a Vans-savy mechanic at my airport). He in turn took the template to Tom Meyer of Meyer Aircraft, Double Oak, TX. Tom had pipe of the right outside diameter and wall thickness. Using my templage, Tom created two identical stick blanks with precisely the right bend but also plenty of excess on each end. Perfect!
