Get more out of your radio as Dag The Aviator takes us through using your radio’s mixing functions to improve your flying. Worth the watch, another great tutorial from Dag!

The post Radio Mixology 101 appeared first on Model Airplane News.

INSTALLATION 101

1 First, check that your servos are properly installed. Unless you’re flying a foamie or small electric in which the servos are glued into place, use the rubber grommets and brass eyelets that come with your servos. Install them so the wide brim of the eyelets are under the grommets (between them and the servo tray). Tighten the screws until their heads meet the brass bushing’s top edge. The rubber grommet will be compressed a bit, but that’s OK. The object is to have a secure, shock-mounted servo installation that won’t move when the servo arm is deflected. If the eyelet is installed with the wide end up, the grommets will be compressed so much that they won’t isolate the servo from the source of vibration.

DIRECTION CORRECTION

2 This is a crucial setup check and should be done before any linkages are hooked up. Does the control surface move in the correct direction relative to the transmitter’s stick input? Start with one servo and place the servo arm on the spline. Don’t concern yourself with whether it is exactly 90 degrees to the case. Turn on your transmitter and receiver and move the stick (top) that corresponds with that channel. If you see that the arm is moving in the wrong direction required for the correct control surface movement (middle), use the servo reversing menu and hit select “norm” to “rev” so the servo responds in the correct direction (bottom). Now go one by one through the remaining servos and correct their directions if necessary.

CENTERING THE ARM

3 First, all servos should be centered with the transmitter sticks and the control trim levers centered, then place the servo arm on the spline (mechanical portion). Move the arm’s position on the spline to get it as close to 90 degrees to the servo case as possible then, if necessary, use the sub-trim menu to adjust the arm’s position. Do the mechanical adjustments first; don’t rely on the subtrim function only. This can affect the servo’s overall control throws and end points.

For most elevator, rudder and aileron servos, the servo arm should be at a 90-degree angle to the case.

MECHANICAL HELP

4 Because the servo placement is usually pre-determined in an ARF, you need to mechanically (i.e. no programming) set the control linkage at 90 degrees to the servo arm. Determining which hole to use in the servo arm is simple: if you want more throw on the control linkage, place it in the hole farthest from the servo’s center; closer if less throw is desired. Different size models will have various linkage setup requirements, so consult the instruction manual for the proper linkage setup. With the linkage disconnected to the servo’s arm, there shouldn’t be any binding when you move it by hand.

SURFACE CONNECTION

5 The control surface’s linkage connection depends on the type and size model you’re flying. If you want to achieve maximum surface deflection, connect the clevis to the control horn using the hole closest to the surface. For large-scale and 3D airplanes, connect the linkage to the outermost hole (farthest from the surface) for maximum leverage; this also helps to prevent flutter. This photo (below left) shows threaded rods for control horns with plastic connectors to which the clevises attach. Note that they are at the end of the rod rather than close to the surface. It is usually best to have a straight line from the pushrod linkage’s fuselage exit to the hole in the surface’s control arm/horn. Sometimes a slight bend in the rod (top right) after it exits the fuselage is needed to relieve servo and linkage binding.

END POINTS

6 Depending on your brand of transmitter, you’ll see EPA, ATV or Trav. Adj. in your radio’s menu. EPA means end-point adjustment; Trav. Adj. is travel adjustment, and ATV is adjustable travel volume. These programs adjust how far the servo arm will move in either direction. Their default settings are usually 100 percent but can often be increased or decreased using the increase/+ or decrease/-keys. Use this menu when you have either too much or not enough control-surface travel when you try to match the manufacturer’s recommended settings.

Here’s an example. Your model’s elevator travel should be only 1 inch up or down, but when you move the radio’s elevator stick to its most forward and aft positions, the elevator moves 2 inches each way. While in this menu and on the channel you need to limit (in this case, elevator), pull the stick all the way back, hold it there and keep pressing the decrease/- key (lower left) until the deflection matches the 1-inch mark. Push the stick forward and do the same to achieve the correct amount. Note: if you had to reverse your servo’s direction, you might have to hit the increase key (lower right) to decrease the throw. If you need to increase travel, hold the stick in the mentioned positions and hit the increase key. Repeat this for your aileron and rudder deflections using side-to-side stick movements.

TWO POSITIONS

7 With the flip of a switch, dual rate commands two different amounts of surface deflection when you move a transmitter stick. Generally limited to the elevator, rudder and ailerons, dual rate is great for test flights, takeoffs and landings. The first amount of high-rate deflection was set when you adjusted the control-surface travel to the manufacturer’s recommendations. On your transmitter, dual-rate switches correspond with the mentioned channels. When you set your travel volume/high rates, the switches were either up or down. How you set them is up to you; some folks like to flip the switches up for high rates and down for low. Others prefer the opposite. Go to the dual-rate menu in your transmitter and note the switch position; these are marked with either a 0 and 1 or a 1 and 2. These examples show 1 and 2. The factory-set percentages for each position is 100 (top left), so leave your preferred high-rate switch position at 100 and flip the switch to the low-rate position. Using the decrease/- key, lower the percentage rate until the surface deflection measurement matches the recommended low-rate amount (middle left). As you do this, hold the corresponding transmitter stick to its fullest forward or back, left or right position and watch the surface deflection decrease down the markings on the ruler held in your other hand (bottom left) to measure the deflection amount. Sometimes, a third hand helps with setting the low rate. Now hold the stick fully deflected and flip the corresponding channel dual-rate switch back and forth. You should see the control surface move to two different positions (top right).

STOP OVERCONTROLLING

8 Exponential (aka expo) decreases the sensitivity of the stick inputs around the center of its movement. Whether you’re flying 3D or just taking off or landing, this function is extremely helpful for the over-controlling pilot and I highly recommend that you use it until you perfect your technique. On some radios, this feature is found in the dual-rate menu. In others, you have to go to the non-basic menu to find it. It’s best to consult your radio’s manual if you can’t find it. Once found, the screen shows “expo” and a percentage amount, usually factory-set at 0 (top left). Select a specific channel on the screen and press the increase/+ key to dial in the amount of required expo (top right). Sometimes, manufacturers have it listed in the instructions (you see this especially in 3D airplanes), or the amount is left up to you. Before you decide, it is best to note the amount of stick movement with which you fly. For example, if you’re flying a trainer and move the sticks all over the place, you want to set those percentages on the high side-usually around 30 to 40. If you have a finite control of the sticks, 15 to 20 seems to work well. High-performance 3D aerobats can require 50 to 60 percent or higher.

Some surfaces may require a different percentage than others, which is fine. Note that expo is set for each dual-rate position, so you may need to adjust the expo percent for the low dual-rate setting as well (lower left and right).

TURNING HELP

9 What is aileron differential? Simply this: when you move the aileron stick, one aileron deflects at a higher amount of travel while the other one deflects at a lower amount. This helps to prevent adverse yaw, which is the airplane’s nose initially turning in the opposite direction of the turn input, thus resulting in a slip during the turn. Who should use it? Pilots whose left thumbs are not quite adapted to adding rudder input when initiating turns. It is particular useful when flying high-wing scale aircraft and trainers, as it visually smoothes out the turn. As with expo, aileron differential is either in the regular menu or the non-basic and is also based on a percentage amount. When you bring up the aileron differential screen, you see a 0 as the factory-set percentage. Use the increase/+ key to add the differential to your aileron’s deflection. A good starting amount is 25 percent. Try that for a flight or two; if you discover it needs to go higher, increase by increments of 5 until you achieve the desired results: a smooth, coordinated turn when you only use the ailerons to bank the model.

THROTTLE SETUP

10 First and foremost, you want the throttle linkage to run in as close to a straight line as possible from where the linkage attaches to the throttle servo’s arm to its connection on the carburetor barrel’s control horn. Sometimes, a straight line is not possible and the linkage might need a Z-bend, usually within the fuselage’s radio compartment. There shouldn’t be any binding in the linkage’s movement. If there is, you need to mechanically fix it before you set your throttle travel on your radio. Now go to radio’s endpoint adjustment menu and dial up the throttle channel. You’ll note that it reads 100 percent in either the throttle-up or -down position (top right). Here’s one way to achieve the correct high- and low-throttle settings. When connecting the throttle linkage to the servo arm, usually with an EZ connector or Kwik Link, push the linkage in the direction that fully opens the carburetor barrel. Remove the servo arm from the throttle servo, slide the connector onto the wire and reattach the arm so it is in the full-throttle position when the transmitter stick and trim are set as such (above). Tighten the small hex-head bolt and your high-throttle travel position should be set. If you hear the servo binding, lower the percentage on this position using the decrease/- key until the buzzing disappears. You may only need to drop a few percentages to achieve this. Next, lower the throttle stick all the way to see how far the carburetor barrel closes (top right). If it closes all the way, decrease the travel throw until there is an opening that will allow air into the carburetor (above right). Lower the throttle trim and note the position where the barrel completely closes. If it doesn’t, adjust this by decreasing the travel throw (left). Your engine should completely shut off when you lower the stick and then the throttle trim. The throttle trim need not go to its max lower limit to stop the engine from running. Your engine’s travel limits are now set.

The post Stay in Control 10 Top Radio Programming Secrets appeared first on Model Airplane News.

LET’S GET STARTED
First of all, when holding your radio during your flight, it’s a good idea to have the “standard” position on all switches be “away” from you. Another way to say this is to have the switches located on the top of your transmitter toward the back of the case and those on the front of the transmitter toward their top position. Establishing this allows you to always return to your most comfortable flying parameters should your flight get on the edge of your control abilities for whatever reason.

EXPONENTIAL
Simply stated, exponential in our radios gives stick inputs a softer “feel” around the center of stick travel. The greater distance we move the stick away from center, the less effect any programmed expo has.  Expo works in concert with rate settings and is another piece of the puzzle in getting your radio controls exactly the way you want them.

Sneaking up on how much expo to use is a good way to do it if you’ve never tried it before.  Entering a 10% value would be a good start. You will hardly notice that amount of input on the bench or in the air.  But once you figure out the procedure for setting it, there’s no mystery about going into the menus and increasing it to +15 or +20, or even more. Some of the best pilots use +70 or more on expo to fly 3D.  Most sport flyers will and should be in the range of +20 to +40. The type of aircraft you fly will determine how much expo you should use, if any. Even trainer aircraft and novice fliers can use some expo to advantage.

Have no fear of exponential. The softer feel around stick center will make you a smoother flier; just don’t overdo it. For most helicopters, it’s a must. For most sport aircraft and sport fliers, it really helps a lot in advancing your flying skills.

DUAL RATES
Dual rates are one of the neat features of our modern radios. The elevator dual rate switch is usually in the upper left front corner of the transmitter; the aileron switch is in the upper right front corner; and the rudder switch, if you have one, is in the upper right top. The purpose of these switches is to establish a limited servo travel position when the switch is moved to either of its two positions. For example, the switch “away” from you might give 100% servo travel, and if you click it toward you, your dual rate setting might provide 70% travel of that same servo (surface).

Here’s a specific example. Let’s say you are flying a tail-dragger and that you need to input small amounts of rudder on takeoffs. You might program your standard position rudder rate at 70% of available rudder throw (the switch would be away from you, toward the back of the transmitter). Your second rate might be 100% (or even more) so that when you want to fly aerobatics, clicking the switch forward will give you almost double the throw on rudder. The result of this setup is that your ground handling and basic maneuvers will be very smooth on your standard setting, but your rudder authority for maneuvers will be very powerful on your high rate setting. The amount of travel that you set needs to be adjusted after flight experimentation. As you know, servo arm and surface horn length are also factors that control surface deflection amounts. Programming “rates” are the final step in tuning your aircraft to your liking.

Dual rates are not to be ignored!  This feature is an important component provided by our modern radios that make us smoother, more accomplished fliers. They are easy to program, and even the beginner-level transmitters sport dual rates. Top shelf radios have triple rates! Several radios can combine all rates on one switch.  In my opinion, that’s a really nice feature that might be used after[ITAL] you program individual rates/switches and get them where you want them. Then, one switch sets all three surfaces to do either high or low settings, or any combination you want.

MIXING
Mixing presents more of a challenge. It also requires more patience to get it the way we want it, but the effort is worth it.

Most modern radios feature mixing circuitry. Some radios even have pre-programmed mixes.  One of the examples of how mixing can help make you a better pilot is the knife-edge mix between rudder and elevator. Knife-edge flight is a very cool maneuver, and really cool when you don’t have to constantly input elevator to hold the plane in position as it flies down the flightline on its side! So how is this accomplished?

Let’s start by assuming you have the rate switch the way you want it. That means it’s set to hold the nose of your aircraft up a bit and level with the ground as the plane flies by you rolled over on its side. You might have fine-tuned your “normal” rate setting to achieve this. Now let’s get more specific. Let’s say you are at the field, and the wind is blowing right to left. You are going to fly your knife-edge maneuver from left to right, into the wind. You enter by giving the aircraft right aileron, making it bank to the right a quarter turn, and left rudder to hold up the nose.  All is going well at first, but in a second or two you see the nose of the plane going off line and pulling toward the canopy as you fly by. You need to correct with a bit of down-elevator. After a few passes, you get the feel of what is required to make the knife-edge look good. But you are constantly correcting, and the flyby looks ragged when you over/under-correct. The solution to this condition is a rudder/elevator mix.

What you need to do is program about 5% of down-elevator to automatically input into your aircraft when you hold rudder. Since you don’t want this to happen all the time when you use rudder, you put the mix on a switch on the transmitter. Now, just before entering knife-edge, you hit the switch, roll a quarter turn, and when you enter your rudder command, the elevator deflects downward to whatever value you have entered in the mixing program. Five percent is a good starting point, but it may take more or less, and sometimes it may even take a “negative” mix, meaning the plane was moving toward the landing gear, not the canopy.  In that case, you program up-elevator mixed with rudder. It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t.  The best advice is for you to read the manual that came with the radio, and try it on the bench, then out at the field.  I like to take some written notes also, so when I get to the field I can remember what I did, and how to add or subtract more input if necessary.

There are many mixes you can use. Flap/elevator is a common one, and so is aileron/spoilers.  Give mixing a try; like rates and expo, you are going to like it when you get it right.

Most important, any radio inputs or changes should be done by you, the modeler, owner, and flier of the radio and aircraft.  It’s OK and even preferred if someone with experience is looking over your shoulder, giving instructions or making suggestions, but don’t let them make the changes. Hands-on experience is a basic tenet of effective learning.

We have these features and many more in our radios. It might be time for you to give them a detailed look, with the goal of making your flying the best it can be.  Master your radio; don’t let it master you!

By Tony Ianucelli

The post Fly better with dual rates, expo & mixing appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Hobby King’s RC832 5.8GH plug and play FPV set comes with everything you need except a monitor.

There are several sources for aftermarket FPV equipment, and here is an excellent 2.4GHz setup using mixed and matched brand products.

Video Camera

Available in all shapes, sizes and price points, whichever camera you get will have to be wired to your airborne power source and the FPV transmitter. Note Spektrum’s ultra micro FPV camera to the left comes with a built-in transmitter and antenna.

Most of the compact lightweight cameras used in FPV setups come with inexpensive plastic lenses. Once your system is set up, you may have to focus the camera so you have a sharp video image. Most have a removable/adjustable lens, and to focus it you have to loosen a set screw and then carefully screw the lens in or out to bring the video image into focus. It is also here where you can improve your optics, as there are replacement lenses available made of glass and with different viewing specs. For the best experience, use a wide-angle lens.

Airborne Video Transmitter

Transmitters for FPV systems are relatively small and compact. Some quads come with the equipment integrated while others can be upgraded with aftermarket add-ons. Transmitters produce a lot of heat, so be sure to install them where there’s proper airflow to cool them down.

This the part that converts what the camera sees into a video signal that can then be transmitted down to the FPV ground station. The camera is connected to the transmitter with a wire lead and it is important to match the wires properly. With a plug and play setup, you simply plug the connectors together. For a mix and match, the color of the wires becomes very important. The wiring for FPV is the same as with all electronics. The black and red wires are the ground (−) and power (+) wires respectively. The other wires leading from the camera will be yellow (video signal) and if there is a fourth (white) wire, it will be the audio signal.

Ground-based Video Receiver

Your ground station can be anything from a set of goggles that have a built-in receiver to a table top supporting the FPV receiver of your choice. Various antenna arrangements are used and here you can also fine-tune choices for the best signal reception possible.

This is the matching part to the transmitter that receives the video signal transmitted from the FPV-equipped aircraft. It too is equipped with one or two antenna, and they should also be connected. Once the video transmitter and camera are powered, some transmitters will automatically lock on the video signal while others have a switch for selecting the clearest, strongest signal. Some cameras/transmitter may also have channel select switches. Matching the channels provides the best signal reception.

Monitor

When it comes to seeing what your FPV camera is looking at, you have a lot of choices. Standard at monitors are very popular and like the smaller one to the left, can plug into your ground-based receiver. The larger one below with dual antenna is a combination of monitor and receiver. It even has built-in rechargeable batteries!

The ground-based video receiver will have an output jack that plugs into a standard AV (audio/video) cable. The cable connects the monitor to the receiver unit. Again, you have to match the colors of the jacks, yellow for video and white for audio if your FPV camera/transmitter is equipped with a microphone.

FPV Goggles

The ultimate in “geek swag,” FPV goggles are the coolest way to experience FPV video. The white Cinemizer OLED goggles from Zeiss (left) are top of the line headgear. The Fat Shark goggles above, are less expensive and are available in complete packages. Notice its mushroom antenna, the goggles have a built-in FPV receiver.

Here’s a close up of the optics in the Zeiss goggles. The are very high quality and the focus is adjustable.

A popular alternative to the flat monitor, are one-size-fits-all FPV goggles. These come in varying levels of quality and they provide a virtual experience of the video viewed directly with split images, one for each eye. Basic goggles have fixed focus and most cannot be used by people who wear glasses. It is best to wear contact lenses as the goggles do not fit over glasses.

There are also high-quality goggles that, much like a set of binoculars, have adjustable eyepieces for focus and pupil position for each eye.

There are also combo sets for both goggles and monitors that combine the viewing part of the system with the receiver all in a single unit. They have an antenna jack, and some also have rechargeable battery packs incorporated into them as well so all you have to do is put them on and turn them on to see the FPV video image.

Power

Power systems for your FPV system, as well as the wire leads and connectors, should all be compatible. Of course you will also need a battery charger for the battery pack(s) you use for power.

Once again, if you use a plug and play package you don’t have to worry about getting your setup up and running. Most airborne units can be run with a wire harness plugged into between your aircraft’s battery pack and speed control. You can also supply a separate battery pack to power your FPV equipment if your aircraft can handle the additional weight. In general, additional weight means less flight duration. You don’t need to include a power switch, just plug in the battery to turn on your system.

The post Anatomy of First Person View (FPV) — What’s needed for that “from the cockpit view”. appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Servos come in a wide variety of sizes and power ratings, and you need to match them to the size and performance of your airplane. In general, the larger and more powerful your airplane is, the larger and more powerful your servo needs to be. Large airplanes require more strength to move the control surface, so they usually require large servos. Also, in the case of high-performance 3D airplanes and pylon racers, which fly at very high speeds, you need servos with the power to properly control the model. It is not always the size that matters. Some mini servos can produce more torque than a standard-size servo; this is especially true when comparing analog servos to digital servos. When it comes to power, the servo’s torque output and the type of gear train that it has is far more important than its size.

The function you are asking the servo to do is another consideration. Throttle servos and servos that activate switches and valves for retractable landing-gear systems need not be powerful. To save space, you can use mini servos to do the light-duty work. When it comes to aerobatics, travel performance is also important. A powerful servo that can move a big rudder on an aerobatic plane needs to have precise travel and centering functions for the optimal performance of the airplane.

“For complicated projects, like jets, you want the most reliability in torque servos for the flight-control surface.”

John Diniz
Spektrum brand manager

Spektrum brand manager John Diniz notes, “First, it comes down to the size of the aircraft, then the output needs. With a 3D aircraft, you will need speed along with torque. I fly sailplanes, which have very thin wings, so I am looking at the best-performance servo that can fit in a small space. For complicated projects, like jets, you want the most reliability in torque servos for the flight-control surface. But on the accessory, you want the smallest, lightest servo that will work. It is just a hierarchy of what am I putting it in, what do I want it to do, what does it need to do, and how precise does it need to be to get the job done.”

THE DIGITAL ADVANTAGE

Digital servos are quickly becoming the standard offering from most manufacturers.

There is no physical difference between the two types of servos: analog and digital. The servo cases, motors, and gear trains are exactly the same, and both have the same feedback potentiometer. The digital servo’s microprocessor circuit, which interrupts the incoming signal, is what makes the difference. A conventional analog servo compares the receiver’s command to the actual position of its output shaft each time a new pulse command is received. The pulse rate for an analog servo is anywhere from 40 to 50 times per second, depending on the brand of radio and the number of channels being transmitted. The digital servo’s microprocessor monitors the position of the output shaft more frequently, typically 300 times per second (or roughly six times faster than the standard analog servo). And it is this rapid updating that gives digital servos their quicker response times compared to analog servos.

Rapid updating also creates stronger servo-holding power. When a force is applied to a digital servo’s output arm, it sends corrections six times faster, developing maximum torque to resist the servo arm’s load. Analog servos do not develop maximum torque until their output shaft has been displaced several degrees from their desired position. In this case, the advantage of the digital servo is greater centering precision and power.

Hobby People product manager Craig Kaplan has this to say about digital servos: “In most cases, digital servos will outperform analog servos in multiple ways. Digital servos center better, provide better torque throughout the movement of the servo, and also have better holding power over analog servos. Some radio manufacturers insist digital servos be used as analog servos, but they are not compatible with the newer, faster-processing radio systems.” John Diniz agrees, “Digital servos are now the standard.”

DISADVANTAGES?

There is only one disadvantage to using digital servos: power consumption. Digital servos transmit power to the servomotor more frequently, and therefore, the power consumption is greater. It is important to use larger-capacity receiver battery packs when using digital servos. It is recommended to use one that is at least twice the size of your normal battery capacity. If you use a 1000mAh pack, switch to a 2500mAh pack when using digital servos.

“Digital servos center better, provide better torque throughout the movement of the servo, and also have better holding power over analog servos.”

Craig Kaplan
Hobby People product manager

HIGH-VOLTAGE SERVOS

The new HV (High Voltage) servos can run directly off of lithium-polymer (LiPo) batteries.

The benefits of high-voltage (HV) servos come from being able to run them off an unregulated lithium-polymer (LiPo) battery pack. This eliminates the need for a voltage regulator, which can be a failure point. Also, LiPo packs provide a more consistent voltage level throughout discharge as compared to nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) packs, where voltage drops off continually from the start. LiPo packs provide better servo performance throughout the entire flight.

Craig Kaplan states, “High-voltage servos can [provide a] benefit in many ways but may not be required or compatible with some equipment. High-voltage servos are meant to operate directly from a 2S (7.4V) LiPo pack (or even higher in some cases). While the servo can accept the higher voltage, your receiver may not. Additionally, some ‘non-HV’ servos may out perform HV servos, so it’s good to spend some time researching what is best regarding your own radio equipment.” Because of the popularity of HV servos and LiPo packs, most of the major radio manufacturers are now making their new receivers compatible with HV servos.

PROGRAMMABLE SERVOS

Programmers like the Hitec HFP-25 make it easy to customize your servos.

Though digital servos have a lot to offer with regard to precision, power, and performance, some digital servos allow you to reprogram their microprocessors. Hitec RCD offers digital-servo programmers that work with their digital servos and give you the ability to change the travel direction, servo speed, neutral point, and endpoints of the servos. On some digital servos, you can also program overload protection and resolution-mode setting.

The advantage of programming the servos themselves is that you will need less equipment inside the aircraft, thereby saving weight. Let’s say that you need dual flaps or dual elevator surfaces for your plane. To operate with the same mechanical advantage, one servo needs to rotate clockwise while the other rotates counterclockwise. By using a servo programmer, each digital servo could be programmed with the proper rotation, identical deadband width, neutral points, and endpoints. These two servos can then be plugged into a Y-harness into a single receiver channel without any computer radio mixing required.

“Programmable servos’ biggest advantage is making two different servos digitally identical. This really comes in handy when you are using multiple servos on the single control surface.”

Shawn Spiker
Hitec RCD sales manager

This same programming advantage can be used when “ganging” digital servos together for a single control surface. Each of the servos can be fine-tuned to have identical movements. This allows the servos to be slaved together for a comment task, without them fighting each other at the neutral-point and endpoint positions.

Shawn Spiker, Hitec RCD sales manager, explains: “The biggest advantage is making two different servos digitally identical. This really comes in handy when you are using multiple servos on the single control surface. If you need to slow a servo down for a certain application, you can program that into the servo itself even if your transmitter does not have that capability.”

S.BUS AND XBUS

The Bus systems are unique in that the servos (or converters) can be programmed to listen to the commands of only one channel. This allows a single wire to carry the signal protocol for all channels, and each programmed servo, when plugged into this cable, will listen only to the channel for which it is programmed. These systems also allow two-way communication, so it is easy to set up telemetry from sensors on the aircraft. In Bus systems, individual servos can also be programmed with different settings in much the same way as programmable digital servos.

S.Bus servos can be programmed from the transmitter, a computer with a USB plug, or from an easy to use programmer like this one.

With regard to the XBus system, JR Americas brand manager Len Sabato says, “Installing the new JR XBus is like installing your own unique local area network. The Serial Data System allows for independent digital channel assignment and adjustment of up to four servos per channel.”

“A warbird that has two different flap and aileron servos will usually have four different wires coming out, which need to go into the correct channels on the receiver. With the S.Bus system, there is only one wire coming out.”

Dan Landis
Hobbico product manager

Dan Landis, Hobbico product manager, puts it this way: “The main benefit to using the Futaba S.Bus system is simplicity to all of your wiring. A warbird that has two different flap and aileron servos will usually have four different wires coming out, which need to go into the correct channels on the receiver. With the S.Bus system, there is only one wire coming out that can be plugged into any open plug along the system. By having one lead, you just plug it in; it is faster and easier and works every time.” He goes on to say, “Another advantage is power distribution: You can separate and have different batteries on different hubs so that all the servos are not drawing off of one flight battery pack. For example, I can set my elevator to draw off of one battery, the rudder off another, and the right and left wing can each have their own battery. The receiver now has its own separate battery.”

BOTTOM LINE

As you can see, there are lots of things to consider when it comes to choosing servos. The norm for most RC pilots today is to use digital servos because of their falling prices and all the inherent advantages that they have over the older, slower analog ones. But you need to evaluate your model and its intended purpose and performance. As a start, ask your flying buddies what they recommend, then go to the local hobby shop and see what’s available. Large or small, fast or slow, the servos that you need to use are the ones that are best suited to get the job done to achieve the optimal performance for your aircraft.

The post RC Plane Assemby Tips from the Pros – Matching Servo Size and Performance to your Airplane appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Flysky i6

6 CHANNELS

The i6 front looks clean and uncrowded, yet all of the sticks, programming keys, knobs, and toggle switches are within easy reach. This transmitter is a bit smaller than others, is lightweight, and feels balanced and easy to grip. The Flysky i6 has all of the standard programming and an easy to use menu system. $89.99; diamondhobby.com

6 CHANNELS

Graupner MZ-12

6 CHANNELS

The Graupner name has always been synonymous with quality and the MZ-12 fits right in that group. This transmitter has 20-model memory, and it’s a high-contrast, 8-line blue-illuminated graphic display is easy to see in any light and perfect for reading the telemetry data in bright sunlight.
$149.99; openhobby.com

Futaba 6J

6 CHANNELS

Futaba’s FHSS technology is fast, so the 6J is a very fast entry-level system. In addition, it has 15-model memory and throttle and pitch curves for airplanes and helis. Heli pilots will appreciate the electronic swash ring as well as four swashplate options. Most of the 6J’s mixing functions can be assigned to any switch you prefer. $165.99; futaba-rc.com

Spektrum DX6

6 CHANNELS

This radio started it all and the new redesign has a ton of great features. This radio has programmable voice alerts for telemetry data, so when the alarm goes off you don’t have to take your eyes off of the plane. Have a lot of planes? This transmitter can handle 250 models. $179.99; spektrumrc.com

JR XG6

6 CHANNELS

All of the JR brand transmitters have a nice look and feel very comfortable in your hands; the XG6 is a lightweight feature-packed radio worthy of the JR name. This 6-channel radio comes with integrated telemetry with receiver voltage and up to five optional additional functions. $199.99; jramericas.com

Hitec Eclipse 7 Pro

7 CHANNELS

With numerous upgrades and added features, this Pro radio is a great value. It has 16-model storage, intuitive control switches, and a good selection of telemetry functions. It has programming for fixed wing, glow, gas or electric planes, helicopters, and sailplanes. $239.99; hitecrcd.com

Hitec Flash 7

7 CHANNELS

The Hitec Flash 7 can store up to 20 models and has full telemetry capability. This transmitter is great for planes, gliders and helicopters with select programing for each type. The push button/jog dial-programming interface makes data entry very easy.
$179.99; hitecrcd.com

Tactic TTX850

This radio is full of features at the right price and we found it easy to program for any aircraft, airplanes, helis and multirotors. With a 30-model memory, the TTX850 can easily take care of all your planes. The transmitter has a large LCD screen that includes backlighting and adjustable contrast for easy viewing.
$179.99; tacticrc.com

10 CHANNELS

FlySky i10

This cool looking 10-channel transmitter has 20-model memory, USB charging for its LiPo transmitter battery pack, and multiple touch screens for adjusting the transmitter setup and functions. The transmitter has an ultra-thin case profile, 10 switches and three dial knobs. $209.99; diamondhobby.com

Turnigy TGY-i10

10 CHANNELS

This very economical 10-channel radio is lightweight and has a touchscreen that you use to program it. The screen has a number of icons for different programing menus, to select one just press and adjust. It also has telemetry options and is easy to use. Price $169.12; hobbyking.com

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There is a certain order to trimming a plane and that can vary a little from pilot to pilot. Most pilots will concentrate on the elevator trimming first to keep the plane flying a level path. This is especially important if the plane wants to dive, then elevator trimming becomes the primary important trim for the pilot. In most cases you will be trimming the ailerons along with the elevator to keep the wings level. Once both these control surfaces are trimmed to a comfortable standard you can begin trimming out the rudder.

Now some pilots will not even bother going past the elevator/aileron trimming step, and never bother to trim the rudder at all. But it is very important to trim out the rudder for nice straight and level flight. Rudder trimming starts by performing figure eights in the sky and watching to see how the plane reacts. If you are making a left turn and the plane wants to climb during that turn you will need to add left rudder. If the plane wants to dive then you will have to add right rudder. Now when you are turning the plane to the right if the plane wants to climb you will have to add in right rudder, likewise if it tends to dive trim in left rudder. Continue flying the figure-8’s until your plane performs nice smooth turns through the right and left banking.

Keep in mind that throughout this whole process you will most likely have to add in small increments of both elevator and aileron trim. Generally when you are trimming out one control surface it will affect the others. So just take your time and realize that trimming out a plane can be an ongoing project. This can be especially true if your first flight is on somewhat of a windy day. Always take wind into consideration when trimming your plane that is not to say you shouldn’t trim out your airplane on a windy day.  But just understand that it may need some slight tweaks the next time you fly on a calm day.

Try trimming out your planes following these suggestions and I am sure that you will find your plane flying a little better. A properly trimmed out plane is always fun to fly and is always worth the time invested to get it right. Enjoy.

The post Rudder Trimming appeared first on Model Airplane News.

Here are three simple ways to wrangle in those wild wires floating around inside your aircraft. From left to right: cable tie available in different sizes, Velcro cable ties and just some good old-fashioned electrician’s tape.

Tidy Strips, available from Model Aviation Products (modelaviationproducts.com), are perfect for cleaning up wire (and air lines) in aircraft. These strips can be cut down and glued to the side of the fuselage. The one on the left is perfect for servo wires and the one on the right is great for retract air lines or 16- to 14-gauge battery wires.

WHETHER THEY’RE ELECTRIC, glow, gas or turbine powered, one thing all planes have in common is the fact that there is wire traveling from point to point inside. These could be servo wires (from servos to receiver), power wires (from battery to ESC to motor), flight battery wires (from switch to receiver) or power wires going to electric retracts (which is what any true E-pilot would use). Add to that the fact that some 2.4GHz receivers have extra wires going out different remote antennas, and it becomes clear there’s a lot of wire inside our aircraft. No matter what you fly, there will come a point when you have to do something with all the wires going to and from things. I found that out when I decided to convert a B-17 to all electric; let me tell you, there were a ton of wires to deal with!

This month I’d like to share with you some of the things I use to wrangle in all the wires we have with any electric conversion (or any large RC aircraft).

WHY WRANGLE?

I have had many people say to me, “Why even bother? They won’t hurt anything.” While that may be true for a while, that’s not the case in the long run. When they’re left untethered inside the aircraft, wire will bounce around and tug on the ends. This will eventually cause wear points on the plastic covering and expose the wire. This continuous movement will also weaken at points that are not moving, such as at the plug or connector’s point. I don’t know of anyone who would want a power wire breaking free during a flight. Another thing to consider is that an aircraft has limited space; those free range wires can get tangled up in moving servo arms.

The other issue people bring up is that if the wires are tied down and they crash the aircraft, the wires will get pulled out of the servo and make them completely un-useable. My advice to you on that is: don’t crash.

WHAT TO TIE UP

Basically any wire that runs through the fuselage or wing of the aircraft or anything that can move around during flight, should be tied down. For larger electrics, there are wires coming from the ESC, motor and batteries to add to all the servo wires. Planes with multiple motors will add to the crowded wire grouping and you’ll almost always have “Y”- harnesses that are much longer than they need to be. With all the “Y” harnessing I had to do, there were a lot of extra wires on my B-17. If room is tight and you have to have multiple batteries because one large one will not fit, that will add to the wire population in the fuselage. Let’s not forget charging and balancing plugs on the battery packs; they also have wires attached that need to be wrangled. Non-electric planes (glow and gas), especially as they get bigger, have a lot of wires running around in the fuselage. Our electric aircraft will have many more wires added to the mix and do require some consideration on how to keep them in line and tied down.

RESTRAINING THE WILD WIRES

These sticky back plates use cable ties to keep bundles of wire in line. Place them wherever you need them inside the plane. I use an extra bit of epoxy around the edges to make them a permanent bond. The one on the left I pur-chased from an electrical supply store and the one on the right is from a home improvement store.

If you don’t like using cable ties, these clips make it easy to remove the wires when needed. Both are available from electric stores like Radio Shack. I use an extra bit of epoxy around the edges to make them a permanent bond.

Directing plugs and wires through cutouts like this is a perfect way to keep wires under control inside the aircraft. Most new kits have similar cutouts that allow you to guide the wires around the inside of the fuselage.

My good friend and regulator contributor, Jason Benson, turned me on to expandable braided sleeve covering. This is sold through electrical outlets and stores and is perfect for keeping groups of wires together on long runs, such as dual elevator servo wires running from the back of the plane to the front. As you push through the larger plug, the material expands and contracts for a nice tight fit on the wires.

There are many ways to keep your aircraft wires in line and many of the available products for this are highlighted in the photographs throughout this article. But other methods for keeping your wires together could include something as simple as bunching them up and tying them to each other. This alone will keep the wires from flying around in the aircraft. You could us small strips of tape, wire ties, twist ties, or any other simple way to keep them together.

The post Wires out of control? Try this! appeared first on Model Airplane News.