Brief Description: Mounted the autopilot pitch servo
After lots of head scratching and solicitations for advice, I decided to fabricate a mount for the autopilot pitch servo. This is the servo that is wired to the autopilot computer which controls the altitude of the aircraft. I received help from builders on Vans Airforce.net and from the folks at Trio (the maker of the autopilot). In the end, I decided to design my own mount to be simpler than those I have seen on the net. I started with some cardboard, which I cut to the proper size for a mounting plate to go over the floor ribs just forward of the elevator bell crank. I then moved the mounting plate and servo around until everything lined up so that the servo arm was oriented properly. I had to rotate the servo arm by removing 4 tiny screws, three of which buggered on me and I had to drill them out. I will order more screws from Trio. Once everything was lined up, I drilled the servo and mounting plate to the floor ribs. I then removed everything and installed nutplates to the bottome of the floor ribs so that I can screw the mounting plate and servo on. I then riveted the servo to the mounting plate, using AN 426-5 rivets (which I had to special order from Aircraft Spruce). Everything looks and seems to fit good. Later, I will finish the job by fabricating the little pushrod which connects the servo arm to the elevator bell crank.
Pitch servo, riveted to the mounting plate
The floor ribs just forward of the elevator bell crank (you can see the nutplates riveted to them)
The servo and mounting plate, screwed to the floor ribs
