Steering wheel for piston aircraft?

Just wondering,

1. how come it is so difficult to find a piston aircraft with
steering wheel controller?

2. Is it so expensive for manufacturer's to develop? or don't needed
it?

3. any idea why current best sellers like S*22 or C*400, didn't
choose this mechanism?

-- Junyoung Yun, September 3, 2009

Answers

http://terrafugia.com/ might be what you're looking for. They definitely give you a steering wheel.

Why do some newer designs have side yokes or side sticks? It frees up space on the instrument panel for displays and frees up space in the pilot's and passenger's laps for approach plates, small dogs, etc.

-- Philip Greenspun, September 4, 2009

From your follow-up posting below, I am inferring that you're talking about steering the plane on the ground, i.e., while taxiing. And you're not asking about what is in the pilot's hands, but the steerable nosewheel that heavier airplanes have (controlled by the pedals, not by the yoke, in any case). Why do most modern light airplanes have free- castering nosewheels and no steering gear? Because steering gear adds weight and isn't necessary. A student pilot in a Katana sometimes has trouble driving straight down a taxiway, but it isn't a safety issue.

-- Philip Greenspun, September 10, 2009

I think the questioner means "yoke" rather than steering wheel. I assumed it was to make panel layout cleaner, as well as not having something which consistently gets in the way of the pilot's kneeboard and plates.

Also, Phil, as far as I know, the Terrafugia is actually controlled via a center stick while in flight, which folds under the pilot's seat while on the ground.

-- Joshua Levinson, September 6, 2009

Thank you for your responds.

I thought both S*22 & C4*0 can make a turn when control stick moves, like cars. But it seems, it's not necessary since you have brakes.

Also, from homebuilt's forum... I have found that it might be dangerous to have them when landing.

-- Junyoung Yun, September 10, 2009

The only aircraft I know of that was steerable on the ground using the control stick / yoke is the Ercoupe. The SR22 is definitely not steered on the ground using its control stick. Most older aircraft are steered on the ground using the rudder pedals, which are also connected to the nosewheel of the plane. However, many aircraft manufacturers, including Cirrus, have decided that the added weight and complexity of this linkage is not needed, and instead the aircraft is steered on the ground by applying differential braking, as you noted.

-- Joshua Levinson, September 11, 2009