Well, my little boy now have grown up. (His now about 195 cm = 6,4 foot at the age of 24)

I want him to piloting the Stinson, but today its inpossible. My "little" boys knees nowadays is up in the area where the controls are....

Therefore I need a smaller steering wheel.

The Stinson was builded 1947, in another time, with smaller pilots.

I guess its the same problem all over the world. Small airplanes, big pilots. .-)

Anybody comes up with a smart solution?

Several

1. Buy new aircraft your sick of the old clunker anyway

2. Put on a EZ-Flap handle where the yoke is

3. Get new smaller child and start over

4. Kick current child out, tell him to come back anytime so that he wont

5. Get girlfriend take her flying and leave kids at home

Maybe some high handlebars off a Harley. If you want the full effect take off the muffler and pull two plug wires too

The Cessna 170 with its original control wheels (fully closed loop) has a similar issue with leg clearance for larger pilots. The solution I've seen is to invert the control wheel on the column. This increases clearance under the control wheel, at least on the 170, because the control column (shaft) attaches off center. Rotate it 180 degrees and reattach (no idea how Stinson control wheels attach, the 170 are riveted on.)

You can see what I mean in this photo. Mine are oriented as they came from the factory. Some people "flip them over."

Saw a Stinson in McCall once that had a vertical pistol grip modification.
Sort of a stubby stick like some of the newer side sticks.

Saw another that had a "V" shaped pair of stubby vertical sticks

stinsoner wrote:Well, my little boy now have grown up. (His now about 195 cm = 6,4 foot at the age of 24)

I want him to piloting the Stinson, but today its inpossible. My "little" boys knees nowadays is up in the area where the controls are....

Therefore I need a smaller steering wheel.

The Stinson was builded 1947, in another time, with smaller pilots.

I guess its the same problem all over the world. Small airplanes, big pilots. .-)

Anybody comes up with a smart solution?

Cut down the yoke length - cut mine 3inches (from under panel to handle yoke) gives a lot more room. Push the elevator down and measure the dimension on yoke to panel - keep from hitting panel but cut out excess , Turn "D" up .

mr scout wrote:Several

1. Buy new aircraft your sick of the old clunker anyway
2. Put on a EZ-Flap handle where the yoke is
3. Get new smaller child and start over
4.. Kick current child out, tell him to come back anytime so that he wont
5. Get girlfriend take her flying and leave kids at home

You guys crack me up... but the pre-WW2 Taylorcraft actually had a 'stick" option that looked surprisingly like the previously stated suggestion of a vertical pistol grip, and very much like a certain flap handle extension

But none of those ideas is actually the right way to go IMHO.

It would seem that you could substitute a different yoke on the right side that is smaller, or modify your existing yoke. Since it is LIKELY that the Stinson was certified with the left yoke required and the right yoke optional... you can make a common sense case that (as long as the new right side yoke doesn't interfere with anything) you are no less safe than you would be with the original certified configuration. Now that's common sense, and you may or may not get someone on the other end that wants to do it on a common sense level.

All that being said, the REAL way to go about this smoothly is to have a DAR (Designated Airworthiness Representative) look at your proposed change and accept it on behalf of the government. In this case, you substitute a couple or three hundred dollars in fees for the designee for a couple or three thousand dollars worth of aggravation and delay. And your son gets to fly the Stinson much sooner.

First, find a Cessna, Piper, or whatever yoke that fits in there with your son and that he can fly the airplane with. Make it an airplane control yoke, so you're starting off with an airplane certified part. Like Zane and others have said, turn it upside down, or cut the bottom off it... whatever is needed. Once you're sure it works and clears his knees, then make drawings and measurements. The key is to show the DAR in clear photos and unquestionable measurements that the new yoke does not interfere with any control, upholstery, panel, etc. so it cannot cause any impediment to control of the aircraft. That will be his one and only legitimate concern. Then photograph it with your son in the seat, with both the original Stinson yoke "less safe configuration" and your proposed "new" yoke safer configuration.

If you find the right designee this will be a 30 minute approval process.

Stinsoner, how does the STA compare to the FAA when it comes to regulation of aircraft modification?

the Avion research yolk has a plate on the back with multiple holes so you can ajust it up or down. I dont know if there stced on the stinson but it would be worth a call.

1SeventyZ wrote:The Cessna 170 with its original control wheels (fully closed loop) has a similar issue with leg clearance for larger pilots. The solution I've seen is to invert the control wheel on the column. This increases clearance under the control wheel, at least on the 170, because the control column (shaft) attaches off center. Rotate it 180 degrees and reattach (no idea how Stinson control wheels attach, the 170 are riveted on.)

You can see what I mean in this photo. Mine are oriented as they came from the factory. Some people "flip them over."

Just so no one gets the idea you have to un-rivet the 170 control wheels to turn them over. Just take the bolt out behind the panel at the universal joint, turn the wheel 180 deg. and put the bolt back in. Takes about five minutes for both wheels.
I've seen several 170's done that way because of bigger pilots, or ones that wanted to use fancy knee boards.

bsdunek wrote:Just so no one gets the idea you have to un-rivet the 170 control wheels to turn them over. Just take the bolt out behind the panel at the universal joint, turn the wheel 180 deg. and put the bolt back in.

This is a very good point, and I feel like a dummy now. I've had my U-joints on the control column replaced too. You just have to spend a little time on your back looking up.

Thanks Bruce.

This is my workning station in the Stinson Voyager 108-1. I think I go for high handlebars off a Harley. Best choice...

You do understand that the high handlebars on a Harley are referred to as "Ape Hangers", don't you?

Your control wheels look like they'd clear the legs of a behemoth, what's the deal?

Unless he's got really long legs & really short arms, it seems lke the best way to go would be to figure out how to move the seat farther aft.

I thought the 'D' in the Stinsons yokes already pointed up... But there is still a pretty simple solution. The 'Tango' cubs were intended to be flown with a parachute on. As such they had a similar problem, and Pipers solution was a lower seat. You look like you have pretty cushy seats. Try removing all the cushion from your seat. If he is a really big kid you may have to actually lower the seat frame, but considering that your yokes aren't going to get any higher, this may be your only solution.

Take care, Rob

Change your ethnicity to something shorter and more downtrodden. Frikkin tall Swedes!

This won't help stinsoner, but is it legal to remove the right yoke for large passengers?

Small Tail Caddy wrote:This won't help stinsoner, but is it legal to remove the right yoke for large passengers?

I don't know if it's legal to keep the right yoke off, but I'm about to refinish my yokes (which are currently wrapped with electrical tape), and will have to remove them. I'm going to do the passenger side first (maybe today actually), and I won't be carrying any passengers while the yoke is off. The idea of having a steel tube pointing right at a passenger's chest in a plane that doesn't have shoulder harnesses just freaks me out. I don't think I could ever live with myself if something happened.

Small Tail Caddy wrote:This won't help stinsoner, but is it legal to remove the right yoke for large passengers?

That depends on whether the dual controls are standard and/or required equipment, or optional. Check the TCDS or factory equipment list for this info. Dual controls are optional for my C150. I removed those on the RH side (both yoke & pedals) so I could carry passengers over 5' tall without their knees and toes getting tangled up in the controls at critical moments.

Eric