Is anyone hooking up the control horns as per instructions? I'm a little nervous using the four wood screws to hold down any of the control horns on this plane. I had a sig extra flutter and rip those same wood screws out like it was nothing and I lost the plane. The instructions say not to use Rocket City hardware. I would like to hear what you guys are using and what kind of results are you having? Thanks for the input.

Throw the hardware away and buy some good stuff. The plane is great. I love mine. The hardware is junk.

-Ben

Im putting a G45 on my DP Extra. I wanted to be sure I had good hardware. Im using Rocket city hardware the 8-32 screw size not sure of the part number. What I did was this: I drilled a hole in each surface from the bottom. I then screwed the screw in almost to the top surface. Before screwing it in, I shot 30 minute epoxy into the hole. I then held the surfaces to dry with the screw or horn facing downward. This should allow the epoxy to stay right at screw point of entry and make stronger. I then tightend down the black washer or triangular piece from the rocket city hard ware with epoxy after clearing an opening in the ultracote for adhesion. Im hoping this will be sufficient, as the horns seem to be very strong this way. Having drilled as close to the hingeline that I could, the hole is thru the leading edge of the balsa, and with the added epoxy, it should be strong enough. I have had thoughts though to make a small round hole in the top of surface, and thread in a dowl piece for reinforcement. ??? Man that sounds like more work! The way I look at it, if I used the included hardware, the four screws only go into the wood a small amount. The way I have it now, I have one large screw that goes to the top of the surface, and is epoxied in, with a big black washer to keep it all tight as well......

I used the metal control horns on my ailerons and on my elevator halves. I used Rocket City on the rudder. I did NOT ise Rocket City on the ele and ailerons because there was not a solid block all the way through the the control surface, which I believ is necessary for Rocket City.

http://www.devino.org/mark/airplanepics/dp330l.htm

-Cheech

I retro-fitted the RC Hardware as indicated below, to date I have zero problems with the model and control surfaces.

Aileron and Elevators:
Rocket City Hardware: Offset style #69C/ 6-32 with 4-40 clevis for Elevators and Ailerons. I used 3/8" dowels, fitted and counter sunk to accomadate the 6/32 Rocket City hardware. A Dremel with a 3/8" dia. carbide bit was utilized to penetrate the Ultra-Cote and then down to the plywood insert on each control surface, I did not go all the way through the plywood just enough to key the dowel and then added Pro-Bond glue, installed the screw and tightened it all up and allowed to dry. This came out very strong and looks good.

Hangar 9 Titanium 4-40 tie-rods were used with Rocket City left hand 4-40 ball ends on ailerons and elevators.

Rudder:
6/32 x 4" all thread was used in conjunction with the Rocket City #69C, 6-32/4-40 hardware. I did not use a dowel here as there was a plywood plate on either side of the rudder. Nelson cable and cable ends were used to pull the rudder in either direction. The cable's were crossed to allow the cleanest line to the rudder. To prevent the cables from rubbing against each other slightly tilt/angle the tiller arm or servo to one side when installing. Be sure you use a servo arm or tiller that is the same size as the actual width of the pivot point of the clevis at the rudder stud attaching point. It is very important to use the offset pivot clevis's and fix the hardware in line with the hinge pivot line... I used a SWB 4" CNC Aluminum tiller arm coupled to a 3" Airwild double servo arm and Titanium tie-rods with right and left hand Rocket City 4-40 ball ends. Very solid slack free setup.

Hey guys,
If you stay withe the recommended engines this set up is perfect.I have a os160 in mine and have had 0 problems with them...Plus if you change the hardware and it crashes because of it Dave probably wont warentee the plane... Use proper throttle managment,this plane isn't suppose to be a speed demon..
My .02cents
Xtraflyr

What size control arms do I need on the servo's for the DP Extra?

Should I use the loop method described in the instructions for attaching the pull-pull to the rudder, or should I use the method with a clevis like where the pull-pull ataches to the rudder control arms?

As I mentioned above, there is a solid balsa block under the horn ply plate. With all the talk about hardware, and flutter problems with this Extra, I have made more modifications. I stripped off the ultracote on my wings and cut my CA hinges on my ailerons surfaces only. I added balsa blocks for Robart hinge points. Total of 6 hinge points will be installed. I then proceeded to guage out a bit of the balsa sheeting and into the horn block on the top of the ailerons. I chiseled out till I had about 1/4 of my rocket city screw showing. I then added a wood dowl piece about 1/4 thick by 3/4 wide to catch the exposed part of screw. Which like I said is already incarcerated in balsa block with epoxy, and probably would have been ok anyway. I epoxied in this dowl piece around the screw and now I have no doubt this will be sufficient! I will next do the elevators this way, although I will keep the CA hinges in those. Man, I hope this airplane is going to be worth it!