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Old 09-20-2010 | 07:49 PM
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Charlie P.'s Avatar
Charlie P.
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,117
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From: Port Crane, NY
Default RE: what is aileron flutter?


ORIGINAL: FlyingGatsby

So servo buzzing=/=flutter?
No. No. You generally can't hear servo buzzing over the sound of the engine and from 100 feet away. You can aileron flutter. It varies from a baseball card in the spokes sound to a leaf in the car's defroster sound. Veryrapid, Problem is occasionally about the time you hear it the damage is done. That'swhy a maiden flight shouldstart gentle.

Warning signs for a less severe casemight be the holes in theservo arm and control horn elongating or opening up, servoteeth breaking, hinges failing, a shimmering reflection off the covering in flight, any loud buzzing heard on the ground from the model overhead.

You can get many 3-D models to flutter because the control surfaces are so large and the model so overpowered. Not a design flaw really, just a misuse of the excesive power inflight. It's like the speed rating on car tires. Just because the engine can pull you at 140 mph doesn't mean your P rated tires won't disintegrate after a few minutesof doing it. Ihave no doubt Icould have torn the ailerons and probably elevator off my Hot Stik in level flight if Iflew at full throttle. That same powder allowed a torque-rollwith a ballistic exit. But if you fly fast you'd better correct it even faster.