Thread: Failed Flap Control System

My friends CTSW flap electrical servo control system has failed - in other words he is grounded and needs to fault find/repair before he can fly again.
The flaps are locked in the zero position, when requested the LED flashes indicating that the controller expects the motor to be operating the flaps to a different position, but they fail to operate.

Upper and lower limit switches work fine, there is no fault with the circuit.

There are two circuit boards....one is the relay board mounted on the inside of the firewall and this seems to operate correctly, fault finding the actual DC servo motor control is much more complcated without understanding the circuit better.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I am having trouble trying to get a replacement circuit boards from the UK dealer.
Does anyone know where I can buy the LED display/servo control board - probably the most complicated electrical component on any CT?

Thanks in advance

Steve

Hi Steve,

I know of two others with 2005 CT's that are having an issue. One in South Carolina has a bad board and the other in Texas has a bad relay switch.

Until you can fix it so the preselect works, can you operate the flaps in the over ride position at 9 o'clock? One click down from 9 motors the flaps down, one click up from 9 motors them up. If this works, and if you do this, return the switch to 9 when you are not moving the flaps. this ensures that the motor is actually off and not continuing to run and burn itself out when the flaps are all the way up or down. Mine does shut itself off but apparently that is not always the case.

Hi Steve

I have a similar problem. I think it is firewall relay board.
This happened at the end of the flying season last year. What I did is took the 2 wires that bring the current to that board and sent them to a two way switch and then direct to the motor.
It works fine except that I didn't know ''exactly'' what position the flaps are. So, I made some 'marks' on the left side hinge bracket and ''calibrated'' it with a digital level.
I ended the season like that and it worked fine. Just have a look at the flap hinge to make sure they are where I want.
NOW, I still have to trouble shoot the system and probably get another board

Originally Posted by beauciel

...I still have to trouble shoot the system and probably get another board

Good luck with that one Jaques I had a simsliar problem about 15 months ago with a faulty PIC and found that FD wasn't able to supply a copy of the program, the PIC ( about U$10) or a replacemant board so I had to update to the current ( at the time) system which incorporates both boards into a single panel mounted control with a little rewiring .

My guess is FD had a falling out with subcontractor supplying the components or they went out of business.

Peter

Peter..

yep..I remember your 'venture' about the flaps.
But I don't see why FD would not supply a new board....unless the ones now used are very different. This , I don't know
Could Reger Lee or else step in and advise.. There is no other CT around to look at.

Jaques,

You are correct mate the new board is totally different . IIRC the polarity of the relays may have been reversed too reversed IIRC.

So you have to pull ( isolate) the relay board ( MT-16?) from the firewall.

I have some photos of the new one beside the old one some where at home- I will search for it and post it if found

Peter

Gentlemen,

Thankyou so much for all your comments and especially Jacques for the pdf which you would have thought the UK dealer may have thought to send me! : )
I will use the fault finding chart to play again at the weekend and see if I can make more sense of the board that has failed.

Best Regards
Steve