Aileron control for RC convertions

[woundedbear]

I was just wondering about what is the best way to have aileron control for a Guillows 3/4''=1'.0'' (1/16th scale) RC conversions. Is it best to use one servo for each aileron, by making a Y harness to hook up the two servos? Or is it better to use a single servo and a strip aileron control system? Then there's the question about flaps, I have seen foamy brands like Durafly in their 1100 mm wingspan range that use something they call," slow servos ", for flap control. Are there similar servos in the micro servo sizes? Has anyone ever seen a 6 channel receiver that would be small enough and light enough for doing an RC conversion of a Guillows 1/16th scale model airplane?

[Bill Gaylord]

The easiest method is to simply use small servos in each wing. Something in the 2.5-3.5 gram range will actually fit, with the wing rib reinforced around the cutout, since the cutout will remove most of the rib. I quit using light ply for the screw attachment plates, and simply use hard balsa. The lamination effect of using CA glue to attach the hard balsa screw attachment block, will provide ample thread strength, granted you just bottom out the screw and don't keep torquing it.

Use 32 gauge wire extensions also. Standard 26 gauge really weighs. In more recent times I try to solder any extensions that are needed. The connectors are heavy, and also are a reliability issue. If the lead is not long enough, then simply cut it and solder in the added length needed.

All methods can work fine however, and have their benefits. Single servo with pre-shaped (done to reduce friction) .015" music wire "cable" setups are the lightest. Torque rods work fine also. I built a few of these models with .047" torque rod wire, which isn't terribly heavy. To the touch, they feel springy and sloppy, but are fine in flight.

I haven't seen "slow" servos commonly available for these models, although there are transmitters like the Taranis that I believe can do that, probably better with digital servos versus analog also. Personally as much as I like scale features, I'd consider that one to be a bit beyond necessary. Flaps either are set right or they aren't. The application speed shouldn't be much of an issue. Sometimes they work beautifully, other times there are pitch up issues. From the few flap setups I have, if you have any wing incidence "balloning" issue to begin with, then that's probably where you will have a flap ballooning issue.

There's lots of light 6ch receivers. The Spektrum compatible Lemon receivers are a good deal. Even years ago, the GWS Pico and Naro receivers were decent and light 72MHz receivers. The FW190 below has a 6 channel Naro receiver.

FWIW, the biggest concern I have is with building perfect airframes and being able to fly them. The gear really isn't my biggest concern. Optimal is nice, but it isn't what makes or breaks these models, unless it's really off. When I first started, I was really focused on gear. Now it's just some stuff that I toss into an airframe, of course with some concern about reliability, function and weight.

[woundedbear]

Thanks for the input Bill. I have a Tactic TTX 650 transmitter and a Tactic TR 625 receiver, I think they will work with any servos, but I could be mistaken about that. To tell the truth I wish I had bought the Tactic TTX 600 or maybe their TTX 610 instead of this TTX 650. But when I was at the nearest RC Hobby Shop," they were closing their doors for the last time ", and everything was 40% off. That's when I bought my first RC airplane it was the Flyzone Aircore and I got a good deal on everything I needed to get started in the RC hobby except the Transmitter. The guy who did all of the electric RC stuff told me to buy the best I could afford and recommended Tower Hobbies so I called up good old brother Randy. He surprised me with a 200 dollar gift card so I bought what everybody said was the best, that's how I got the Tactic TTX 650 and the TR 625. I found out the hard way sometimes to look before you leap. When I got the package I was so psyched up, then I got out the manual for this TTX 650 and realized I had bitten off more than I could chew. But now I've got it and will have to get some help understanding this thing. My friend who uses to live next door came by back this past summer and," he has been flying RC since he was 12 years old ". I had crashed that little red, white, and blue P-51 so many times, but I was surprised again. He had that little park flyer up so high I could hardly see it. He was doing loops, rolls, and hammerheads, he even had it doing inverted passes, "Oh yeah! that's why I was asking about building a Guillows 400 series P-51 with a symmetrical wing here a while back ". of course, Tower Hobbies stopped selling the Flyzone Aircore stuff so I'm stuck with a bunch of parts that can't be used with anything else," thanks a freaken lot Tower Hobbies! " The Guillows 400 series P-51 has a slightly wider wingspan than the Flyzone Aircore foamys did. So maybe I can build one as a 4 channel with the parts I have left. I wanted to buy a new Aircore airframe but before I had the money the vultures who buy up everything that gets discontinued in this hobby had everything in the Aircore line bought up! I think there are guys who are told when something is going to be discontinued by some insiders, I mean they work so fast! I was going to buy 2 sets of the Aircore part #(FLZA6427s) to use in converting a Guillow's 400 series P-40 and Spitfire. One Dude had 6 sets for sale but before the first of the month he had sold all of them! They were going for 7.50 each and they were all gone in about two days! SHOOT! the part #9FLZA6427s) were a pushrod set that would have worked so good with the 400 series planes, you got two long wires for the rudder and elevator and a very light." strip aileron control set ". Plus the lightest control arms that I know of and I missed them! Oh! Sometimes I really hate eBay sellers!

[davidchoate]

In the April issue of Fly RC magazine there is a good article on concealed aileron/ control surface systems. One way is RDS Rotary Direct System, and anotherWhich mounts the servo right against the aileron wall, and has limited movement. But is good if you want total scale appearance. i.e. no linkages hanging out of the Plane.

[woundedbear]

Man, I wish I could afford to subscribe to that magazine and Electric Flight too, but I went and subscribed to Discover magazine and Finescale Modeler, their both good magazines and I do build plastic display models too and being able to keep up with the new scientific discoveries is always been something I've been into. I remember when Popular Science was the what's new magazine, the last time I picked one of those up at the bookstore at the Mall, it was way over my head! Speaking of the Mall here in North Carolina we had the Four Seasons Mall, OakHollow Mall, and Randolph Mall, now OakHollow Mall is empty, and Randolph Mall has lost JC Pennys, Belks, and it looks like Sears will be gone soon. Yep! The internet has changed things, make's me think about something I recall from my Sunday School lessons, you won't be able to buy, sell, or trade unless you take a mark on your forehead or the palm of your hand and the weather will get strange, kind-a-spooky isn't it?

[Bill Gaylord]

Man, I wish I could afford to subscribe to that magazine and Electric Flight too, but I went and subscribed to Discover magazine and Finescale Modeler, their both good magazines and I do build plastic display models too and being able to keep up with the new scientific discoveries is always been something I've been into. I remember when Popular Science was the what's new magazine, the last time I picked one of those up at the bookstore at the Mall, it was way over my head!

Ditto. The I stopped getting Pop-Sci a decade ago or more. Their newer generation seems to be on the "dazzle them with brilliance and baffle them with..." style of article writing, versus good technical writing for the technically inclined, but stated in reasonable layman's terms. Lost the appeal that it had when I was younger.

Concealed linkages are enjoyable to setup. Used the scheme on the Guillow's PBY elevator. Better idea of components in the Saro A1 photos.

[davidchoate]

I love that hidden control surface stuff. I agree about the current periodicals. I have a box of pld MAN and model Builder magazines from the early 80's, and they are packed with Plans, and building articles. But the one or two articles still left in the new ones are worth reading. And I agree about the lack of technical explaination. As it is now even if they must appeal to the RTF people to stay afloat; I have to assume that sooner or later that Rtf's need repair, or maybe even a modification that would warrant an interest in the RTF community about electric motors, batteries, ESC's, and etc... I am disappointed to say that I have not learned anything in that area that I could not get from the wrapper and manuals that come with RC electrical components. The subscription price is so low that I do find Fly RC to be worth the $10 a year. If they ever Drop the build article (Masters Workshop) by Bob Benjamin I would not renew. And they put Him always last page. Just before the Advertisement Index. Makes Me Sad sometimes.

[ksmith0068]

I've done a handful of conversions but all of mine were on the 1000 series so space wasn't too much of a problem.

Something I figured out pretty quickly was that there are commercial RTF kits in many of the same models as the kits. The first build I did was the P40 and I stumbled across a whole bunch of spare parts from the RTF kit at my local hobby store. I was able to buy everything I needed and use the RTF design as reference for the balsa RC conversion. I have seen parts for the P51, the P17, and so on....

[davidchoate]

On My first RC conversion attempts I did the same thing. Knowing nothing about electric power systems at the time I just copied a similar RTF models systems. But I still failed due to My inability at the time to build a precise and light airframe. But anyone just getting started. Do not be put off by failures. It is really part of the learning process. Besides; I would have to rent a Storage Locker to keep My Planes in had I not Crashed to dust all My failed RC conversion attempts. Took Me 3.5 years to achieve a success. And a lot of help from the people on this Forum. I hope that some day that the manufacturers of motos will some how standardize the nomenclature for motor size, weight, power, and etc. It's like deciphering some kind of secret code when selecting a motor that You are looking for for your Plane. The Watts seems to be the only constant among them.