Bax:
A couple months ago, I questioned you as to the strenght of the plastic gears in the 9151 servo as I was going to use them in a 1/4 and a 1/3rd scale plane. You responded by saying there is pros and cons to both metal & plastic gears. I was looking for more of an answer like they would be plenty strong enough. In looking through the available digital servos that Futaba makes, it was the only one that had 130oz of torque. I was looking for something to compare with my 9206 servos which I have had extremely good luck with and have them in several planes. I just wanted to try my luck at digitals. Anyway, today I attempted my first flight on a Dave Patrick Edge with a DA-50. This plane is comparable to Great Planes Patty Wagstaff Extra in size and weight. I had 9151's all the way around. 1 on each airleron, 1 on each elevator half and one on the rudder. On the 3rd pass at 1/2 throttle, the airlerons began to flutter. Both airleron servos were completely stripped and the airplane was lost. Upon inspection, the robart hinges were not damaged nor the airlerons themselves. All servo plates and all linkages were intack and working. I used metal servo arms with ball links, composite tubes with titanium ends, and sullivan metal horns. It was a very stable slop free system that has served me well in the past. This leads me to believe that the servo's themselves were not strong enough for this 15lb airplane. What is you opinion? I have 11 of these servo's at over $100 each and am afraid to use them. I have 6 still in the package ready for a 1/3 scale Fiberclassics Extra with a DA-100 and there is no way I can afford to even think about using them. Can they be converted to metal gears. If not, can they be exchanged for 9206's. What do you recommend to resolve my problem. Oh, by the way, I fly them with a 9Z WC2 radio. I like to buy the best eqipement available and don't mind spending the money. But when I do spend the extra money, I do not expect these kinds of failures.


Sincerely Yours,
Paul Eagon