IFLYBVM2

My Feedback: (360)

I am refurbing a Ziroli P-61 that Greg Hahn flew at Top Gun 2000. I am replacing all the fuel lines, airlines, battteries, etc as you would expect. my question is the following : Greg obviously builds super scale, and in doing so makes servo replacement on some of the servos (elev/rudder) almost impossible without airframe surgery. They seem to work OK, but how old is TOO old on servos ? It is a very nice airplane and I would hate to lose it on account of an old servo. Opinions please ?
Thabks-Mike Oberst

STUKA BARRY

I would assume that an aircraft that competed in Topgun does not have Tower Hobbies servos controlling it. Hahn was and still is (I believe) sponsored by Futaba. I'd be willing to bet those servos are the best Futaba made, certainly better than the S148's that are still controlling my 15 year old Ziroli Stuka. If the servos are still working properly and are not stripped, grinding, pulsing, or any other abnormality, I'd leave them alone and fly that best another 10 more years. The two things I would replace are the batteries (I replace mine every three years reguardless of condition, I always write on the battery the date it was initially charged with a Sharpie) and the switches.

Warbird Joe

Barry

I think you are absolutelly correct. The servos just need to be checked for slow response and or lack of response. I would also try moving the surfaces by trying to wiggle them and see if there is any play in them. I would be willing to be they are just fine.

Joe

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

I think state of the art HD servos 10 years ago are more like what we consider standard HD now so the servo should be adequate
The biggest differences I see in older airframes are linkages, control horns, servo horns and push rods.
I refurbished a 10+ y/o p-47 and OMG there were things done back then, that seemed perfectly acceptable, that I'd never do today

Flyfast1

My Feedback: (1)

What servos are they (brand, model #)? Seems like that's the first step. Perhaps ask the builder and if he doesn't know, snake a mirror down in there and find out.

-Ed B.

NCIS

[quote]ORIGINAL: Flyfast1

What servos are they (brand, model #)? Seems like that's the first step. Perhaps ask the builder and if he doesn't know, snake a mirror down in there and find out.

-Ed B.
[/quote

Ed,

He said they were hidden so how can he tell you that? Everybody asks questions or gives advise on this forum without really reading the thread. They just read the first post and then post smething that was already discussed8|]

Barry

Flyfast1

My Feedback: (1)

Well, I guessed I missed that. Here is the original post:

"I am refurbing a Ziroli P-61 that Greg Hahn flew at Top Gun 2000. I am replacing all the fuel lines, airlines, battteries, etc as you would expect. my question is the following : Greg obviously builds super scale, and in doing so makes servo replacement on some of the servos (elev/rudder) almost impossible without airframe surgery. They seem to work OK, but how old is TOO old on servos ? It is a very nice airplane and I would hate to lose it on account of an old servo. Opinions please ?
Thabks-Mike Oberst"

I don't see anything about the servos being hidden. He states that servo replacement is almost impossible without airframe surgery. It may be that the servos are difficult to replace, but that the servo make and model number can be determined by careful inspection, for example, from the interior of the fuselage. Additional testing and ultimately a more informed decision can be made once that information is known, if it can be obtained. The make and model of the servos are just a starting point for evaluating the health of the servos, but it is useful information.

-Ed B.


[quote]ORIGINAL: NCIS

warbirdav8r

My Feedback: (11)

Greg was a JR guy in 2000 and flew a dauntless. That p-61 is a year or 2 newer than that if it matters to you.

91zulu

My Feedback: (2)

Don`t matter JR or Futaba, rest assure its good stuff in there . Leave it be. Stuka Barry says he still has S148s in a 15 yr old Stuka. That`s a $8 servo still going strong after 15 yrs. I myself still have 148s and RCD servos { which was Hitec before they became Hitec} that is working to this day.Even though guys today will tell you not to use 148s in a giant scale plane , and you should use digitals all around or else you plane will crash. Total nonsense.
Hope you not tempted to pull out good servos to install unnecessary digitals. You DON`T need it. As long there is no damaged servos leave them alone.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

My guess is, as others have noted, Top Gun type planes built by knowledgeable competitors get top shelf equipment. I have top quality servos that are much older than those, and they still work fine. Also, I would also guess that your P-61 doesn't have a lot of hours on it, and that those servos were new when installed.

As far as the rest of the install, a Top Gun class of builder knows how to set a plane up, given it's size and weight. I would think all the controls are right as rain. Good plan on the new fuel tubing and air lines. Hopefully, the air holds when tested. If it doesn't, you can isolate components with a hemostat, till you find the leak.I would also install new switches, and the batteries need to be new. You're probably already planning that. Should be a nice airplane.

Feel free to share a picture or two.

alanc

i think all the servos should be ripped out, put in a box, and sent to me, to use them for another 10 years

just change switches, check leads and servo plugs for oxidation,put good high capacity batteries in,switch on, deflect the surfaces, and see if they canbe forced back by hand, this will tell you there issomething wrong in the wiring, i have quite afew elderly models, not a single servo has let me down, i dont use 148s, but i do usePLENTY of 3001s, the ball raced 148,

i see it menioned that the original owner was a JR guy, well, if there are 507s fitted, these get the same problem as the 148,slop in the output arm, for this reason, i only ever used futaba 3001s, or the JR517, the ball raced 507

IFLYBVM2

My Feedback: (360)

Thanks for all the replys, guys. The servos in question are JR NES-7005 or 7006, an older non digital model as far as I can tell. They all sound and work just fine on the bench, and the consensus here seems to be check 'em over good and leave well enough alone, which is what I will do. Thanks again for all your help.
-Mike O

G-Pete

Mike, just ask Greg what he would do.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Best suggestion yet. [sm=thumbs_up.gif] May get some good tips on flying as well.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

At the least, put them on a servo exerciser for a little while and see what happens. All my new servos get about 20 minutes on my hitec exerciser.
Edwin

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

Hey, that is a good idea. Don't have one of those yet. I buy a lot of top shelf servos off action sites. Probably a good thing to have to check them out with.

IFLYBVM2

My Feedback: (360)

Emailed Greg and he said the same-They should be fine. Since it is a contest airplane, he said it was never flown much, and servos probably have very little time on them anyway. I will put htem on an exerciser for 15 minutes or so as well.
Thanks again-Mike O