ORIGINAL: ajcoholic
Now, simply put - the gyro units we use sense only a change in angular velocity. That means they can sense if there is a ROTATIONAL movement, and how fast that movement is happening (in degrees/second). They do not sense translational movement whatsoever. If you hold the gyro in your hand, and slide it one way or the other so its purely translational and nothing rotational, the gyro doenst act on the servo. AT ALL.
AJC
I think that is the key AJC, the difference between angular/rotational velocity and translational movement. In my mind it confuses the issue to think of the movement as being about an
axis as opposed to orientation on a
plane. A good example to me is a magnetic compass...it senses angular rotation from a fixed heading regardless of where it is placed on the plane or how it moves on the plane. This is an easy explanation to me of why it does not matter where the yaw (rudder/nosewheel steering) gyro is placed on an aircraft, only that it is aligned (or is it perpendicular?) to the yaw plane.
I'm still not sure I understand the concept that gyros
"do not sense translational movement whatsoever" because I know if you apply a force to a gyro (such as a spinning top) it will react/move 90 degrees to the direction of that force. Does that have anything to do with this conversation?
Craig