(Hot-Rod
Spicy Wings... pg3)
Wings
Examine the photos carefully for the following instructions
to install the aileron actuators.
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Cut the ailerons
free from the wing and sand away the molded ‘dent’
to get clearance (as you did with the elevator). Use a piece
of 3/8” brass tubing (sharpened on the inside edge) to
cut half a circle out of the wing. This is where the 3/8”
diameter coil will seat. |
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Then cut another half-circle out of the aileron – but
this hole must be slightly enlarged to allow clearance around
the coil. A piece of sandpaper wrapped around the brass tube
will suffice for this job. As you make these cuts keep in mind
that the coil must be centered over the gap between wing and
aileron. Also, the magnet must stay centered in the coil as
the control surface is deflected. |
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Special Update
These actuators are actually old technology.
Coupled ailerons - which share a single, larger actuator - are
now the hot items. These are the Bob Selman Designs' “Standard”
actuators - now called “plug-n-play”. The photos
below show some other models of mine with the modern setup,
which is now the accepted way to make a much better arrangement.
The ailerons are hinged with .030" CF torque rods that
turn inside 1/16" aluminum tubing. The tubes are visible
in the left-hand photo.
Having both ailerons connected to the same actuator “balances”
their masses, which eliminates a lot of flutter in the control
surfaces. Aileron flutter killed most of the early experiments.
The model in this article was one of the first (if not THE first)
actuator plane that flew with ailerons. It was also the plane
that inspired the self-centering magnets added outside the coils,
to combat flutter.
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Mark the locations for two rubber band hinges on each aileron
and wing. Use a small drill or toothpick to make holes in the
edge of the wing and aileron. The surfaces are only 1/16”
thick, so take care to keep the drill centered and don’t
break out either side of the surface. I prefer to mount the
surfaces before mounting the coils. Mix a small amount of 5-minute
epoxy and use a toothpick to work a little into the holes you
made in each aileron. Use tweezers or a straight pin to help
the rubber slide in. If any epoxy oozes out, use alcohol on
a cotton swab to remove it from the rubber. When this has cured,
do the same with the holes in the wing and mount the ailerons.
Be sure to leave between 1/16” and 1/8” gap between
the two parts. |
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