duc750f1

Help.. I have a basic 4-channel transmitter. My delta wing plane has only 2 elevators for ascent/descent, left/right turns, operated by a servo each. What do I need to be able to get them to act as elevators for takeoff/landing, but also to act at the same time as rudders for turning. Some one said buy a elevon module, or get a transmitter with mix controls. What do you reckon?

LarryC

duc750f1

Ace Hobbies makes a product called a "Simple Mixer" that will make the elevons work with a 4 channel. I bought one fron Quantam Models; I'm sure others have them.
It has two short leads that go into the aileron and elevator inputs on the receiver, and two jacks that the elevon servos go into. It has adjustment pots that adjust the throws so that you don't try to rune the servos past their limits when you apply aileron and elevator at the same time..

Larry

JohnBuckner

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There are three ways of doing it:

1. A mechanical mixer is the old way and it is just the aileron servo mounted on a slider and it itself is moved fore and aft by the elevator servo. I think Dubro still makes little kit for doing this. This is the worst way to do it. Not very precise and space consuming.

2. An aftermarket electronic mixer that LarryC mentioned the work well but take space and add weight. The cost of these would have made the differance between a entry level computer and the basic radio. The is one of the many reasons basic 4 and 6 radios are indeed dinosaurs.

3. Virtually all entry level computer radios provide for this mix and offer no additional cost, installation complexity, weight or space demands.

John

linclogs

I'm going to make an assumption here that you may be operating on a tight budget or there is some other reason you don't already have a radio with these features.

While the mechanical mixer may be "the old way" that doesn't mean it won't work.

One way is to mount the aileron servo on a sliding plywood tray which rides between wood rails mounted in the fuselage. The tray is controlled by the elevator servo, which is mounted in a fixed position. THIS WOULD BE THE LEAST DESIRABLE METHOD. It can be sloppy, depending on how precise you build it (or don't build it) and you also risk the slider mechanism "fit" possibly changing due to temperature or moisture which could cause pinching.

I like the Du-Bro "V-Tail Mixer" for mixing elevators and ailerons (elevons) on a flying wing or "tail-less" model.

What I like about it is the components mount neatly to the top of your servo wheels - no "sliding tray" to fool with or anything to engineer - and because it uses ball links, there is no play or slop in the pushrod connectors or any part of the system.

While some may feel this is the "old way" to do it, it works! Before radios with all the "bells and whistles" this was the best solution.

If you don't have a computer radio (or a radio with a built-in mixer) this is a simple, effective way to go. The best part is the kit from DuBro only costs about $6 or $7.

So if the reason is budget, try it.

Here's a picture of what it looks like and how it works:

JohnBuckner

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linclog I fail to see what the problem is with my use of the phase 'old way', which it most certainly is and I have used mechanicals as far back as the early sixties and of course it was then the only way. However it is simply not practical to use mechanicals even the Dubro on many small models and in particular some park flyers which I suspect this thread is about. Perhaps the real problem is my use of the word 'dinosaur' in regards to plain four or six channel units, well I quit suggesting 'plain' radios quite a while back when it became far more cost effective to start from get go with a capable radio and with the cost spread as little a twenty dollars. Not only that it also shortens the learning curve to use the equipment that every one wants very soon in the learning curve. Much more so than in the past. That of course is my opinion and I stand by it.


duc750f1, My apologies I did neglect one other option to add to the original list. That may or may not be practical for your delta what ever it is. It was commonly used in years past as a way to avoid mechanical elevon mixing. This simply was instead of using two surfaces on the trailing edge was to use three: The one in the middle was your elevator and the outboards the ailerons. the downside here is you have to use two aileron servos or the appropriate linkage for a single aileron servo.

John

duc750f1

thanks fellas for your input. My plane is a type of park flyer as JohnBuckner suggested, and the easiest and lightest way out is to buy the Simple Mixer mentioned by LarryC. Once again, thanks for your advice and experience. Its invaluable for newbies like me.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Enjoy and by the way welcome to the board.

John

linclogs

Gee, John, I certainly didn't mean to upset you. But I still (sometimes) use the DuBro mixer even today! Perhaps it was because I learned to fly radio control in the early 60's using compound escapements. We didn't have fancy computer radios in those days. If you wanted your model to do fancy manuevers you had to learn to do them all by yourself. But I know you already know that as you stated you also flew in the early 60's. So even the atiquated DuBro mixer seemed like a blessing to me. Don't misunderstand me - I have a radio with the fancy stuff, too. And you are certainly correct about the DuBro mixer being way too big for the park flyers. However the original question didn't make it clear that's what he was talking about. I made an incorrect assumption he may have been asking for an inexpensive way around his dilemma.

Boy, I'm sure glad some of the planes I'm flying don't realize they're being flown with old and impractical equipment! They might revolt and refuse to fly!

Hey John, I'm just funnin' with ya! I definitely think one should start out with the most modern equipment they can afford.

JohnBuckner

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linclog no harm no foul


Actually I too find great pleasure in doing just that for relaxation. In recent years I have built a replica of my first RC airplane an Airco Aero 9 powered with the original Torp .09 with a kit built Babcock tone/escapement system for rudder only. However the original Babcock radio and escapment only serve to hide the Hitec 555 Rx and a Hs-80 (67 volt dry cells are not to common any more) to operate the rudder through its torque rod. That first flight in 57 where everything actually worked for a few commands before the airplane reverted back to 'free flight' after almost a year of attempts is still vivid in my mind. Pushing that button and watching the airplane turn right then letting go and it straightened out was indeed like a magic elixor and it actually worked for three or four commands before heading off on its own with one excited kid in chase. So excited in fact at a dead run when I reached it on landing that I stumbled and fell on it destroying the airframe. But Hey it didn,t matter I had 'remotely controled'.

Here is a little twist on how modern electronics has saved the day for me . On my retirement eight or nine years ago I decided that I was going get involved in In RC pylon, something I had never seemed to get around to and return to some controlline flying. This was wonderful untill about a year ago when I was introduced to this wheelchair, well of course these two activities requireing you to fly around yourself came to a halt.

Not two long ago I discovered the Bill Young electronic Ukie system that will control a throttle and two other servos for whatever all through digitized signals sent through the controllines. With the help of some increditable friends and this system I was able to start flying Ukie agine and was actually able because of that to start flying RC pylon agine. Ain,t technology great. .

Sorry for rambling on
John

LarryC

John and Linclogs,

I'm not in too bad of shape for equipment, but I'm hoping my planes don't find out about the old and impractical pilot!

Larry

JohnBuckner

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John