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From: cfiaime@ihnp4.UUCP (Jeff Williams)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: stick vs wheel
Message-ID: <639@ihnp4.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Aug-84 10:17:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihnp4.639
Posted: Thu Aug 23 10:17:18 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Aug-84 04:37:02 EDT
References: <119@tekred.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 44

The stick is, indeed, the more natural control.  However, way
back when (like in the mid to late 30's), the marketing types
looked at the light plane and decided to make it look more like
an automobile.  Hence, you find the Aeronca K with an outsized
airspeed indicator that looks like a car speedometer.  The Piper
Cruiser had the chrome trim on the panel, just like the 1938
Plymouth.  The marketing types also asked for wheels rather than
sticks.

As an aside, on the airline type aircraft of the 20's and 30's,
a wheel was needed so that two hands could be used on the controls.
Some of the big airplanes had very heavy controls.  Only recently,
have the manufacturers of big airplanes gone back to powered controls
and sticks as a test (Airbus 300 test) or for special purpose
aircraft (B-1 series).

In 1939 to 1942, Funk advertised their control wheel setup as
"airline style control wheels."  The other manufacturers soon
followed with "automobile style" controls.  Remember, this was
also the time of the Ercoupe, Skyfarer, and several other 2-control
"drive like a car" aircraft.

Wheels sold better than sticks, so the light aircraft that could
have used sticks had wheels.  Several people have converted 
Taylorcrafts and Funks to stick controls, but the modification is
rather rare.  

Several side-by-side aircraft use sticks rather than wheels.  These
include the Luscombe, CAP-10 (French), Grob Motorglider (German),
Valmet PIK-19 and PIK-23 (Finnish), as well as the afore mentioned
B-1.  (This is not by any means an all inclusive list.)  One problem
with a stick in a side-by-side airplane is that of throttle placement.
Traditionally the throttle is on the left side of the cockpit, but
on a side-by-side it is in the center.  This forces the pilot
to use the left hand on the stick which is considered "backwards."
Several designs use dual throttles so that each pilot uses the
right hand on the stick.

The wheel vs. stick is an interesting subject, to say the least.

		Jeff Williams
		AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, Ill
		ihnp4!cfiaime