RE: Avonds F-16 build
The great thing about this system is that it takes about 30 seconds to remove the elevators at the field....undo 4 screws and you're done.......There is no slop in the system either as I went to great lengths to machine the pivot rods to the correct tolerances. Setting it up took some patience as I had to replicate the anhedral on the elevators but this wasn't too difficult if you used the hole in the original root rib as a guide on the inboard end. The rear former will need to be relieved (ie. lightening holes enlarged to permit placement and movement of the carbon pushrod, but that's no big deal.
The yellow control horns are very well made. I just machined the sides of them and I will need to cross-drill the pivot shafts for the locking bolt.....not really a drama but a bit fiddly.
The aluminium plate to which the shaft bolts is the size of the cutout region in the elevator skin and consists of 3mm aluminium sheet. This is supported on either side of the steel shaft by 2mm ply, 10mm end grain balsa and then 2mm ply again on the forward/aft extremity. These bearers are orientated spanwise and parallel to the shaft. I was careful not to disturb the upper wing skin while removing all of the foam and custom fitting the balsa/ply supporting blocks. The load is therefore distributed over a relatively large area via the aluminium plate and its supporting structure.
The elevator servo mounts in the pics are incomplete....I will post some pics of them installed.