Bartman;532 wrote: A big question I've always had is how big can you go before you need multiple servos on your control surfaces?
I think it's pretty safe to say that 30 to 40CC planes (about 70 to 80" wingspans) are going to be fine with a single, metal gear servo on each control surface including the rudder. Keeping in mind that 3D flying requires more servo power than Sport/Scale flying (because of the extreme control throws), what is a reasonable rule of thumb for when it's time to put two servos together?
I'm a sport flying kind of guy so I've been able to get away with single servo control surfaces on a plane up to 70cc but I also understand that you hardcore 3D guys probably couldn't count on a plane to survive that long if you did.
Adding a quick explanation to this first post, control surfaces become increasingly harder for the servo to move as things like airspeed, surface size, and the amount of deflection go up. It's easy to move a small surface, on a slow plane, a small amount. A big surface though that's on a fast plane will need a ton of power behind it for an abrupt maneuver that requires a lot of surface deflection. It all has to do with the air pressure that is acting on the control surface as it's being deflected from its neutral position up or down into the airflow around it.
So, for a first time Giant flyer, what's a safe and reliable rule of thumb?
Bart