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National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Technical Notes - Maximum Forces Applied by Pilots to Wheel Type Controls

Measurements were made of the maximum push, pull, and
tangential forces that could be_applied to airplane wheels
type controls-for a wide range of fore—EnESEft pesitions
of the wheel. The measurements were conducted with sever—
al sizes of wheels and several heights of the center of the
wheel above the seat. Various one— and two— hand grips with.
pilots both secure and free were studied for each of the
two pilots used in the investigation.

During 1934, measurements were made at Langley Field
of the maximum fore—and~aft and lateral forces a pilot
could exert on a control stick. These results are pub—' _
lished in reference 1. Because of interest in the forces * L
on wheel~type controlS, the measurements reported in ref-
erence l have been extended to include the forces. both
fore~and~aft and tangential, that a pilot can exert on
wheel-type controls.

The apparatus used for making the measurements con~
sisted of a model cockpit with pilot's seat, control wheel,
and rudder bar. The forces were indicated by‘afi"1mes
strain gage and a flexible beam, as described in reference
1, with the exception the at a special fitting Was designed
to give both push and pull and. tangential forces as applied
at the rim of the wheel. This apparatus is accurate to -3
pounds. Figure l is a photograph of the set-up for measur~
ing push and pull forcesh showing the belts used for sects:
ing the pilot in the seat. Figure 2 is a photograph cf the
set—up for measuring tangential forces; it also shows the
belts used for securing the pilot in the seat. Figure 5
is a photograph shoWing details of_the set—up for measur~
ing tangential forces.

The tests were conducted with the cockpit attitude
normal or level and with the pilot.sitting on a parachute,
placed in a bucket—type pilot?s seat, The pilot’s feet
were placed Comfortably upon the'rddder bar, which was free
to rotate but was normally held in a neutral position. No
other restriction was placed upon the use made of the rud-
der bar while applying forces to the wheel. For all test
conditions, measurements were made for a range of fore—and
aft positions of the wheel.