Pilot RC 122" Extra 330SC

[Joe Hunt]

In a perfect world, I feel our control surfaces should just simply move by using "The Force"....not so much though.

Yes, I get you, eventually the manufacturers will need this to be plug and play for the masses, but still be 100% correct, accurate, best practice. Longer life on the servos and linkages, least failures of same, etc.

Not unless you have some programmers and some awesome features on your radio.

That's what I'm trying to say... I'm not using the radio or programmer. And, I end up with equal drag on each side of my airplane throughout the entire range of travel. Gotta love that. What's really awesome about the Hitec brushless servos is that they are perfectly linear out of the box, the first servo I've ever seen that is. What's so cool is that makes the protractor setup even more fun, because you don't have to do anything but set it up protractor style and then just adjust your sub trims. After that you can make your end points all the same and you're done! Very awesome!

 

[49dimes]

Really good info here and a great thread. FWIW.......What I would like to see ARF mfg's do is side mount the servos inside the wing. Single or multiple servos.

 

[Joe Hunt]

There are also people who choose to use 1" arms because they only fly a certain way, 1.5" on wings because it's typical, some use 1.75 on wings, and on the tail feathers anything from 1.5 to 2 is typical depending on flying style.

Yeah, that changes things a bit from my old thinking. Back before I took a break for 8 years, the servo arms were really all between 1 and 1-1/2" long. So, I could generally work with a manufacturer's hardpoint location, most of the time. Now, with a lot of planes being factory setup for more throw (and add to that servos that have less travel for the manufacturer to gain more resolution... I'm still trying to figure that one out, because less travel by definition means less resolution, haha) it's common to see 2" arms (we would have found that crazy 8 years ago, haha). IMAC guys should still be using 1" arms on their elevators, even 3/4" for max resolution, so there is no longer one ideal spot for the control horn. I used to say 1/8" off the servo body, but that is not the case for 1-3/4" to 2" arms. I started spacing AW metal control horns wide enough for conicals on each side of the ball joint and that's definitely the way all these fiberglass horned planes should come stock, because of these longer servo arms, definitely.

For this reason, many times I will CNC cut my own custom horns.

Can you move in next door to me here in Costa Mesa? I love your build threads, btw.

You will continue to find the Pilot planes are well built but ... has the horns in the wrong location.

Correct. And, the hardpoint is too small for me to work with for moving it. So it's either compromise, new hardpoint, or mount to the side of the control horn instead of the middle. I mounted to the side of the control horn on my H9 Sukhoi and it worked great. What's funny is the Pilot is even further from ideal which made it basically perfect for a side mount. My pivot point is exactly where I want it on this Pilot Extra.

 

[Joe Hunt]

I always say if you want to take a nap just go watch an IMAC flight. This stuff is all good and precise but it's just like IMAC to me. I applaud the work but way over thinking it for me. I just use SWB 2" arms on everything and go. The way I throw my sticks around not sure it would change anything on my flying or batteries But nice work Joe.

haha... I hear ya', I hear ya'. But, once the lightbulb goes off for people it's no big deal to always get your resolution, linearity, leverage, and geometric angles in a best practice result. It's been like selling maintenance on a house, though, not as easy as selling a shiny new granite countertop. I get it.

 

[Joe Hunt]

Well @Joe Hunt I don't know whether to thank you or curse you ... and then the light went off.

Yes, I've seen that happen with guys through the years, once that lightbulb goes off, they're set. It's not that difficult to do, and then finishing the plane is easier and faster, and flying it is better.

 

[Joe Hunt]

Absolutely, I'm not talking shaving corners as much as not taking the time to modify an ARF to get the "perfect" setup. .... There is nothing so wrong with the pilot planes that it will cause catastrophic plane failure, but it will make your servos work harder and possibly limit the throws available.

Agreed, and agreed. And, I have so far, been able to get all the various ARFs closet to excellent without modifying. On this Pilot Extra I was able to get the ball link pivot point =exactly= where I want it with no mods. I also agree that you can set it up per the manual and it will not fail. It would be better, though, if they moved it and made it wide enough to accept conicals on each side of the ball link.

 

[stangflyer]

Absolutely, I'm not talking shaving corners as much as not taking the time to modify an ARF to get the "perfect" setup. That's why we have matching in our TX's these days to make that final perfection an electronic adjustment instead of a mechanical adjustment. There is nothing so wrong with the pilot planes that it will cause catastrophic plane failure, but it will make your servos work harder and possibly limit the throws available.

Definitely hope the meaning or point here was not misplaced. Absolutely Terry didn't mean for it to sound as though you shave corners. Just meant... (and I'm sure we've all seen it) how many out there will just toss in a servo, screw it down and hook up a linkage then call it good. They never stop to take into consideration the things Joe's thread is bringing to light for so many out there to learn from. But I do also understand the logic behind it too. There is more time involved in doing it right, more cost outta pocket and not to mention, most don't understand it all anyway.

 

[Joe Hunt]

Definitely hope the meaning or point here was not misplaced. Absolutely Terry didn't mean for it to sound as though you shave corners. Just meant... (and I'm sure we've all seen it) how many out there will just toss in a servo, screw it down and hook up a linkage then call it good. They never stop to take into consideration the things Joe's thread is bringing to light for so many out there to learn from. But I do also understand the logic behind it too. There is more time involved in doing it right, more cost outta pocket and not to mention, most don't understand it all anyway.

Um.... exactly.

 

[Joe Hunt]

... most don't understand it all anyway.

Quique understands:

 

[Joe Hunt]

I've always loved QQ. My favorite quote from him was in an old interview from the 90's... when asked how he was able to do what no one else was doing he said in that QQ high pitched soft voice, "Well, first you must know what it is you are doing." Great advice for life. haha