74" Edge 540

[econpatric]

Do you think that the control horn is CA'd in? If so I bet the stuff SteveT is recommending would make it happen!

I've got some Mercury de-bonder and it doesn't seem to work-- even for cleanup .

 

[SteveT.]

Steve: I am wondering about the optional nylon canopy/hatch screws. Does a person need them for an electric setup, or is this a must either way? I didn't see anything in your article or the manuals I've looked through about it.

I blew the canopy off of my 71" Slick (electric) on it's maiden flight, so all of my larger planes now have screws in the canopy...

SteveT.

 

[econpatric]

haha... point taken! :veryshocked: Hope everything was in good shape upon landing.

 

[econpatric]

Is this normal? It seems that this linkage ends up really crooked on both wings... Should I move it in towards the spline? Measuring the distance form the aileron horn hole to the hinge gap, I'm at the right spacing. :sadface:

 

[hosam]

that is the way it is supposed to be.

 

[djmoose]

The key thing to know in this situation is that you don't want the pushrod to be PAST 90 degrees to the hingeline at either direction of full deflection.

It is totally cool for the pushrod to be at that angle when the surface is centered.

<BONUS...but not critical>
The other thing to note is that if you're striving for perfection, you don't necessarilly want the servo arm 90 degrees to the servo when centered. (that's a mistaken notion that works out most of the time because the hinge line is most of the time perpendicular to the servo...but more and more that's not the case in ailerons...especially when the aillerons are tapered.)

If you're programming your aileron servos and want equal throw in both directions without using endpoint reduction, you want the servo arm to be parallel to the hinge line when the surface is centered.

View attachment 4962

Is this normal? It seems that this linkage ends up really crooked on both wings... Should I move it in towards the spline? Measuring the distance form the aileron horn hole to the hinge gap, I'm at the right spacing. :sadface:

 

[Joe's Dad]

View attachment 4962

Is this normal? It seems that this linkage ends up really crooked on both wings... Should I move it in towards the spline? Measuring the distance form the aileron horn hole to the hinge gap, I'm at the right spacing. :sadface:

When the Servo/ aileron is centered there is not much force on the servo. When you deflect the surface you will see
the rod becomes closer to a straight line as the servo gets closer to full deflection. Which is where all the components are under the most stress.

Move the servo and watch how the rod lines up with the horn when you deflect the surface. They are designed so when the force on the horns is at its greatest, the horns and rods are in the correct geometry.

 

[econpatric]

Thanks a bunch you guys! This is my first real build of a quality airframe of this size, so it freaked me out a little to see this. What you are all saying makes good sense. Jim I see what you mean now about the rod moving to more of a straight line as the surface moves to full deflection. :thumbup: The light bulb is flickering!

Moose: In the photo the ailerons are not actually 'set up' yet, I just tried to get them in a spot to show how 'off' they were at 90*. After asking a question here, you, Joe Smith and many others filled me in on a ton of information about how to set up control surfaces. I used Joe's info to set up my 59" AJ Slick, I have never in my life had throws as accurate as they were using his method! I have to thank you as, to begin with, it was one of your posts at GiantScaleNews.com that brought this question up for me.

 

[FireyFate]

My 74" went to the drive in the other night opcorn:

Actually I was putting on a 20x11 Mejzlik prop and playing with KE mix... didn't feel like carrying it upstairs where I usually work on them.

 

[SteveT.]

haha... point taken! :veryshocked: Hope everything was in good shape upon landing.

Got the plane down without damage, but couldn't find the canopy, as it was very windy that day,it had headed north of our field not to be found by my son or I. About a month later (after buying a new canopy), I went out to the field, and a friend of mine came running up to me and asked if my canopy was orange, and I said yes...He then told me it was in our transmitter impound "shed" on the shelf. It seems he was at the field a day or two previously and a lady and her son, came walking up, and the boy had the canopy in his hands. My friend told them he knew who it belonged to, and the boy gave it to him.... Other than a bit of mud on it, and a bit of mold on the wood (it had rained), the canopy was fine, without a scratch on it.

SteveT.