Thorp Air Command - T18.net

What are the advantages (real or perceived) of manual activated flaps and elevator trim versus electric?. Reliability and weight being the first two things that came to mind.

Tom

I really like the extra room created by removing the flap handle, trim system, and lowering the center tunnel.

Personally, I don't like waiting for flaps or wondering if it's all working correctly. Yank, feel the resistance, clunk into place -- an entire second, and I am at half flaps (or from half to full). No need to take my eyes off of more important stuff like pitch attitude, airspeed, glide path, traffic, etc.

Re trim, I was never a fan of electric for similar reasons, would rather turn a physical knob or rotate a wheel, but since N118BC came with electric elevator trim, it's what I've got. I would still prefer non-electric which is what my prior two T-18s had (none of which I built), but I've gotten used to it.

_________________
Philip Mandel
N118BC
S/N 957
Beaverton OR