I keep thinking about a better arrangement of the stick controls on my ES (no speed brakes) and I am concerned about the elevator trim being only electric.  First, I like Skip's idea of simple parallel wiring of the trim on both sticks - saves complexity and therefore should improve reliability.  I put both the aileron and rudder trim on the sticks, but given the opportunity again I think I would put only the rudder trim there.  The aileron trim is used seldom enough that a single switch on the dash might be all that is required.  Another concern I have relates to the coolie hat switches, which can be a single point of failure.  For instance, I suppose it is possible that one could drop something that could get wedged between the switch and the stick.  Anyway, the biggest concern is that elevator trim switches, conventional or coolie hat, seem to be on the "wrong" side of the stick half the time.  Example:  When you are pushing hard it is difficult to lift your thumb to move the switch (on a full-flap go-round I have to reach over and run the trim with my right hand).  What I propose is pair of momentary-contact SPST switches, push buttons or toggles, mounted on the top rear of the stick and another pair mounted on the front.  Each switch of each pair activates one side of the trim motor so it takes both switches to run the trim.  The nose-up trim is activated by the switches on the rear(while you are pulling back on the stick and your thumb is free to activate the rear-mounted switches) and the nose-down trim is activated by the switches on the front of the stick when your index finger is free.  This system would, in a way, be a quadruple- redundant system.  It always takes two switches to activate the trim either way and if both of those get stuck they can be countermanded by the other switches (resulting in a popped breaker).  Comments anyone?

Regarding the flap control, I suppose I have been flying Cessnas for too many hours, so I copied the cable-operated preselect concept but implemented differently from them.  The control is in the same place as on the Columbia, just to the right of the throttle controls.  Certainly not as handy to get at compared to mounted on the stick, but the selection of a given flap position takes only an instant, not a continued switch activation.  I don't have a flap position indicator.

Gary Casey
ES 224SG