f4you

My Feedback: (7)

Just run a T fitting from the main line coming off the main tank to the canopy valve.

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

F4you the company is Utra precision in Canada . See Lee's previous post (post #18)

f4you

My Feedback: (7)

My take on it, too, Mike. I Like the idea of a separate channel for the function, though----just so it can be operated statically on the ground, for that "head-turning" factor--hehe

f4you

My Feedback: (7)

Thanks foxx---must have had my head up my CANopy......

VoughtF4U

My Feedback: (1)

Air cylinders are used on most conpies i have seen, however servos can be used. Sail winch servos work, as mentioned before. However, sail winch servos are normally pretty big and powerful. You will probably have to rig up some micro switches at the open and closed positions to get the servo to stop in the right positions.

You can modify a standard servo to work too. you can change the resistors in the servo to alter the throw speed. You can also modify it to run continously in one direction or the other like a tiny motor. You will also have to use the microswitches with this to stop the servo whenever the canopy is in the right position.

For those of you who are worried about the canopy getting hung up and draining your batteries, there is a solution to this. You can make up a simple 555 timer circuit to provide power to your servo for only a certain length of time. It will then shut off the power to the servo and prevent your battery from draining.

I made up a 555 circuit for my super cub that makes an LED blink once a second so that it looks like a rotating beacon. The 555 timer circuit cost me about $5 to make. The whole lighting system on my super cub cost me about $15 for navigation lights, rotating beacon, and two landing lights. Compare that to the costs of a Ram lighting system. And I can run mine off a regular 4.8 or 6.0 volt Rx pack instead of a bunch of 9 volt batteries.

Anyway, you can make a servo operated canopy work. It will take a little bit of modification to the internals of the servo but it is pretty easy to do. Your best bet is to find a friend that likes to tinker with electronics and circuits. Air cylinders are easier for most people, but can get pricey.

justrfb

My Feedback: (2)

Care to see something truly amazing, check this out...

http://members.optushome.com.au/gjmustang/index2.html

I don't know who he is (he maybe on this list for all I know) but the warbird is a 1/7 scale! Yes, 1/7 scale... He cross coupled the pilots head with the rudder so the pilot looks at the wing tips when rudder is put in. Check out the "ready to take-off" video. It took him 2 years to plan it, and 3 years to build it. It is scary how "real" it looks. He is onto a big one now. I have been watching this site for a while and it still amazes me. It is the most "real" looking scale bird I have ever seen.

Justrfb (checking all my options)

staggerwing

My Feedback: (5)

A sail winch servo is used in RC sailboats to move the sails. Futaba, HiTech make them. They have a pulley wheel and move more than 180 degrees. I used a standard JR 507 with a pulley wheel that I made to open the front canopy on an Top Flite AT-6 and it worked fine with just 180 degrees of movement.

HiTech also makes a sail servo that only moves 180 degrees, but has a very long servo arm. The longer the arm the more movement you get with the cable. I used a pulley wheel so that the cable could slip if hung up.

Hope this helps.

When it gets too windy to fly, the sailboats come out.

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks for the link justrfb. Your are right it is truly amazing. I have never stop wondering how talented some people are. I tried but could not find his name. This is what he said about sliding canopy,

"I ended up with converting a S133 micro servo to a winch and pulled the canopy open and close with wires and pulley-blocks. (Sometimes scale builders punish their minds for weeks to finally find out that the real thing uses simple systems as well )"

After seeing his video you will be convinced that is the way to go, now I need to find out how to convert a regular servo to a winch servo. Staggeredwing you posted you did this to JR507, would please tell me how Thanks

k_sonn

My Feedback: (32)

Prboz:
Earl Aune (he lives in Oregon) did this to a Corsair (not sure if this is the same one you are talking about, but it sure is cool). As he is taxing out to the runway he lowers the wings. The folding wing plans are available from Bob Holman.

staggerwing

My Feedback: (5)

I measured how much travel I needed to open the canopy. Then I experimented with balsa pulleys made from 1/16 (balsa side disks) and 1/8 (balsa center disk) I kept chaging the size of the center disk until I got the amount of travel that I wanted. I then copied the disk size to 1/16 and 1/8 plywood. The idler pulleys were from the dial mechanism of one of my old clunker Ham receivers. I press fit the finished pully on the servo and secured it with the screw and a washer.

Oh, I used waxed dial cord. The wax keeps the cord from slipping on the pulley. You just wrap the cord one time around the disk. A small spring on one end of the cord--where it connects to the canopy--will keep tension on the cord.

Hope this helps.

WarbirdAirRacer

My Feedback: (16)

Thanks for the info, but i think i will have to do a new air system for this cuz i would be worried that this would use a ton of air with these big Robarts. plus running the canopy and gear would use alot of air. any thoughts?

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

Staggerwing
Fantastic idea about how to make Drum/pulley , my mind was going about that for awhile. I am still interested to know how you converted a JR507 to winch servo?. I don't want to buy a real winch servo because I don't need 200 Oz of torque, beside I got a bunch of servo's laying around. How about a retract servo ? they do 180 ?
You are right that is how the tuning needle moved on old radio's, (let me see I can find one around here). Wax cord ? where did you get yours, shoe repair store might be a good source
finally looks like I hit the pay-dirt ,
and for you 1/4 scale guys Air might be a good choice since you have plenty of room and power to spare .Thanks

staggerwing

My Feedback: (5)

The description above was for a standard servo, i.e. JR 507. Just play with the size of the center disk.

The old Ham trick for making waxed cord is to get some good strong fishing line (real cloth stuff) and pull it across a candle acouple of times. You really only need to wax the portion that interacts with the pulley disk.

Tx_RcFlyer

My Feedback: (7)

We have a member with a TBM that has functional folding wings. It can be seen at the link below. Click on the thumnail for full size image.

http://www.alvinrc.net/photos.htm

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

On my Seafury, I have mine set up on a servo, y harnessed to the flaps. As the flaps drop, the canopy slides open.

Prboz-RCU-delete

MMM wax cord, one of my little hobbies was saddlery (We breed horses.) Most saddler's would be able to supply you with a cord covered in bee's wax as the stitching on all bridles, halters and saddles use this.

Hope this helps.

Prboz

flyguy-RCU

My Feedback: (11)

I saw a sliding canopy system operated by a worm gear and a electric motor. Worked very slow and strong. Look around on the web for timing motors they also would work. Good luck.
Bob

foxx

My Feedback: (2)

I managed to modify a Futaba S148 servo to rotate 180 degrees instead of it normal 60 degrees .This servo operates mini winch system to open close the canopy . By next week I should be able to finish the system and post some pics

scaleflyer4lif

Hey John, Yikes! What is that in your avatar?

HalH

My Feedback: (12)

There are air cylinders available from Clippard that are extended by air pressure and retracted by springs similar to the Spring Air retracts. One could use a light spring to close and air line restrictors to open to slow down the operation.

JuseAir

Hey i have the top flite corsair .60 size. And i want to use the standard canopy that it comes with and make it so it can slide. i have my switch and air value inside of it so i want to find a clean and strong way to keep the canopy from ripping off. I also want to ba able to fly with the canopy open sometimes, what would be the best way to go about this.
thanks Juse

JuseAir

Hey i have the top flite corsair .60 size, and i have a retractable tail wheel on it. how can i make the doors want to spring open, and have them close with the tail wheel without having to add much mechanisms. Thanks Juse

spitmad

Hey Guys

I have a 1/8 TF P47 and have installed a sliding canopy using a cable onto a retract servo (180 deg.) fitted with a long servo arm.
The canopy slides on ball links slotted into 3mm brass tubing, very strong and looks great.
Mixed into the flaps, canopy opens when flaps lowered for landing.
I'm about to start a 1/5 TF P47 build and will use the same sliding mechanism.

Also if you fly with a Multiplex EVO 12 you should be able to adjust the servo speed to slow the opening and closing of the canopy.(I think you can also do this with a JR 9X)

cheers

Alan

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

The post I will refer to seems to be unreachable at this time , but on the warbirds site , one of the Guys Patric McGlachen (spell check ) has a large P40 , the entire canopy operates on a simple lever type operation set to a single air valve . If you can email him he has the entire process shown . He makes it look simple

ChristerL

Hi,

This is how Phil Poffenbarger did the servo operated sliding canopy on his 1/6-scale Tempest Mk. V:






More info on the Tempest, including the three parts articles in R/C Excellence, is to be found here:
[link=http://www.hawkertempest.se/poff.htm]Phil Poffenbarger's 1/6 Tempest[/link]

Regards

Christer Landberg
[link=http://www.hawkertempest.se]The Hawker Tempest Page[/link]