Not sure I spelled that correctly(ailevons). But...

I havn't read about many people using this kind of setup on their planes. Does anyone have any experience with setting up the elevators as ailevons? I have a Kyosho Cap 232 and I am thinking about setting it up like this. It seems that it would help spin the plane better in low speed maneuvers(and hovering). Is it worth the extra weight of a servo??

Also, any tips on how to set up this feature on my new Futaba 9C? It will be the first plane that I will use this TX on.

Regards,
Philip

Hi Philip,
I use ailevons on my H9 Pizazz and it does help with torque rolls and hovering in mild turbulence. Combined with flaperons it gives a lot of control authority to counter buffeting. I find that a torque roll can be stopped by a blast of turbulent air, and sometimes using ailevator will get it going again nice and quickly. It does markedly increase the general roll rate too. For hovering and TR's in complete calm though, I turn off the flaperons and ailevons because I want the purest control inputs for the most accurate hovering.
The 9C has a built-in ailevator mixer. You can just use this but it's not possible to assign it to a switch, it's either on or off, and if it's off you have no dual elevator movement.
I much prefer to control ailevator with a switch and here's how to do it. First of all leave the ailevator mixer inhibited. Plug in the second elevator servo into channel 5, 7, or 8. Don't use 6 or 9, six is for flaperon, 9 is just on/off. Let's say channel 5. So you have the left elevator half plugged in channel 2 and the right half plugged in channel 5. Use Programmagble Mixer 1 to slave channel 5 to channel 2 and turn the TRIM field on. This makes the slave move to the master's trim adjustments, something you want. One of the nice things about this arrangement is that you can use servo reversing, endpoint adjustments, and sub-trim adjustments in the radio to get your elevator halves to move equally. This alone is worth it even if you go no futher and have no interest in ailevators. No need for an additional Miracle-Y harness, and advanced servo control. Set it to a switch, but use the NULL switch position. This keeps it on all the time, something you want. Now to get the ailevator action, use Programmable Mixer 2 to slave channel 2 to master channel 1, then use Programmable Mixer 3 to slave channel 5 to channel 1. Set BOTH of these mixers, #2 and #3, to operate with the same switch, thus giving the illusion of a single mixer slaving two servos to the ailerons, but in actuality you use two separate mixers on one switch, and adjust them both for the same % of throws. If you adjust one mixer for more or less mixing, adjust the other. I just turned them both to 100%, and the + or - will depend on your servo geometry and pushrod positions. This method lets you turn it on and off with a switch. It's very interesting to see the results. The prop blast is swirling as it goes down the fuselage and when it hits the stabilizer it does not really hit them exactly the same. So when you move your elevators in ailevator action, you don't get equal and opposite elevator deflections which causes a little bit of pitching now and then with application of aileron and ailevator, but in the wind it's barely noticeable and makes TR's possible in a little wind. -Tom

Thanks a lot Tom, that info was very helpful, especially the 9c setup I'll have to print that out and put it in my 9c looseleaf manual binder for easy reference!

Does anyone know of any maneuvers that are only attainable(or much easier) with ailevons?

Regards,
Philip

I've set up my new Extra the same way as Wingspan has described, with the second elevator servo on channel 5 to minimize the delay between the two servos response time, and set it up on a switch. This was also on a 9C. I set it up with 50% travel, and even on 3D rates it wasn't enough to stop the airplane from rotating during a hover. I haven't tried them during a Harrier but I might do that next time I'm at the field. It might help give more control authority when the ailerons are less effective.

I have found that the ailevons preclude doing flat spins on my Pizazz because the full UP elevator is reduced when opposite aileron is entered so it's really no good for that. Also they won't really stop a torque roll and hold it steady as a hover but you can do a torque roll to the right for a bit. It's fighting engine torque so it's not as steady a TR as the left TR but it does make you blink when you do it.

i have the exact same setup on my ucd 3d and my pizazz and my ailevator works great for stop TR's or for starting and keeping them, this makes the ailerons seem a whole lot more sensitive in a hover were they are normally slugish. i also ahve mine on a switch. 9cap radio
Chris

I had a Nolimit 3D with this set up, but I was using JR 8103. The airplane was designed for, and this feature was recommended in the instructions. The purpose was for better rolling at slower airspeeds, and controlling torque during hover. It will not help the airplane TR. If you use these inputs during hover it becomes a rolling hover, not a TR. Thats what the engine is for. Tom (30 miles North in Squirrelville)

i'm trying to do the same thing with 8103 how do you do this ??

your JR does'nt have that, FEEL THE DIFFERENCE ? :-)

Now the JR radio is a fine radio. Just because it doesn't have as many cool features as the 9C doesn't mean it's bad. It's ok to use for trainers and park flyers. And gliders. And cars.
Seriously, if you have three programmable mixers, switch assignability, and trim slaving, then you should be able to get ailevon action using the same basic control flow as I mentioned above. There's so few JR users though, you may have to send your radio to JR for programming. You will probably feel the difference then.

When I set mine on the 8103 I just set down and started playing. It will take three mixes. First get you slave servo for elevator set up, then mix both elevator and the slave servo to the ailerons. Put the last two mixes on the same switch to turn them on and off together. The first mix you will want on all the time. The only problem I remember is that the trim just works one side of the elevator, but the other side was controllable with a rotary switch. For better details call JR service and they can help you set it up, or post in the JR radio section here on RCU. Tom

i got it working a little playing around thanks