SERVO METHOD

When I set up my Spirit spoilersI decided I wanted to use servos in the wings. Another valid approach. In this case you run wires to the spoiler bays and mount a servo in the wing. I forget what I used but an HS-55 would work find.

I will note that this was an RTF package so I had to find wires that were small enough to go through the tube which was already mounted in the wing.That tube wasintended for the string method. That was a party all buy itself, but is not relevent to this discussion.

In the photos you will see the servo mounted in the spoiler bay. In the other wing photo you see the tube that runs to the servo bay that I used to run the wire. Actually you don't need the tube. You can just run the wire throught the ribs but a tube does control the wire. Also a tube, if large enough, will allow you to run strings now and change to servos later if you like. You would would have to cut off the connector, run the tube then reattach the plug on the end, or directly solder the wire to the servo. Either approach works.

If you don't have a radio that can put the spoiler servos on their own channel so you can trim independently then use the string method. Getting the spoilers even with the servos on a Y cable was a real pain. The radio I have now, a Futaba 9C, has them on individual channels being controlled by the flap mix so trimming is easy.

I did try using a mix to use the spoilers like ailerons but they are too close to the center to be effective.


RADIO SET-UP FOR DX6I

Put the spoilers on the flap channel and use the flap to elevator mix. As you deploy the spoilers the wing will lose lift causing the nose to drop which can cause the glider to pick up speed or go into a dive. What you want is for the plane to maintian close to level flight when you deploy spoilers. This will steepen the glide angle without picking up a lot of speed.

The mix will allow you to add elevator compensation, usually up elevator,automatically. As the spoilers deploy the radio adds some up elevator to help keep the plane level. You can do ths manually of course, using the elevator stick, but it is much easier to have the radio do it for you so you can focus on flying the plane rather than compensating for the spoilers. Makes for much easier spot landings.


WEIGHT IN THE NOSE

In original configuration, with the servos under the wing, I had to put about 4.5oz of lead in the nose of the Spirit to get it to balance. After I reworked the plane to movethe servos forward I was able to reducethat lead block.I also drilled out the nose block and put 1 oz of lead in the nose. Since this is further forward you need less lead to balance so you save weight overall.

After moving the servos and drilling out the nose I reduced overall weight by about 3 ounces which is a LOTon a plane of this size. It flies much better now. And, by opening up space over the CG, under the wing, I have an area to install ballast for windy days.


This whole businessof moving the servos, drilling out the nose and putting in wing servos occured after a major crash. I built a new fuse, so You can see the old fuse with the broken nose. You see where the servos were originally under the wingand where they are now. You can also see where I broke the wing.

The major weight reduction made it fly soooo much better.