Control rod deflection -

Most aircraft have servos in the front and use control rods to move the tail surfaces. This works well most of the time, but under flight loads the control rods can bend and flex such that they rod moves but the control surface does not move as you would expect.

When it this a problem? As speed increases, the pressure on the control surface increases. There is no were this is better demonstrated than in a dive.

You get the plane high and take it into a power dive because it looks so COOL! When you pull up elevator to pull out, nothing happens. the plane continues on right into the ground.

What happened?

Chances are you control rods are flexing under the extreme pressure of the dive. when you pulled elevator the control rod flexed and the elevator did not move enough for you to pull out, and you crashed.

When you check your RTF, try to see the full length of the control rod. Now operate the radio to move the servo to move the rod and the surface. Everything look OK?

Now apply a little pressure to the control surface, typically the elevator is the one you want to pay the most attention. If you apply pressure and that control rod starts to flex and bow, you have a problem. You need to support that control rod or you need to avoid high speed maneuvers. And while avoiding high speeds seems easy enough, you can find yourself in a dive that you did not intend and if you can't pull out you may have a problem.

What to do if that happens?


First, turn the motor off!!!!!

If the elevator won't pull you out, try the rudder! If the rudder works it will turn the nose of the plane to the side and you may be able to turn it back into level flight or a climb which will slow you down and can save your plane.