The scale-like roll rate on my Kyosho Super Stearman is way too slow for my tastes. Unless there is a more simple method, I am planning to add ailerons to the top wing. I have only found one picture in one thread about it.

Can anyone who has done this help me out with pictures and/or information on this change?

Are reinforcements to the wing necessary after cutting out the aileron area from the back of the wing? How would I couple the top aileron to the bottom aileron? Are there any issues I should know about?

I don't know how important "scale" is to you, but I know a bit about four aileron conversions on full size Stearmans. There are generally two configurations by which it gets done.

Let me know if you're interested in more info on it.

-Glenn

True scale is not important to me in the least. What is most important is how the plane flies. I'd love to know about the different configurations available.

My thoughts at this point:
There is a thin support running lengthwise about 1 1/2" from the back of the wing. I was going to cut out the wing behind that support starting where the center-wing sheeting ends (like the lower aileron) and create an aileron by adding balsa to the front of the part I remove. The cross-support is thin on the top wing, so I was going to add balsa to the back of it to beef it up.

To couple the top & bottom ailerons, I was thinking of adding an eyelet to the top of the bottom aileron and the bottom of the top aileron, and running a pushrod between them.

Is that the way it's done?

FYI

Robin, Bab's wicked stepsister, has piloted her Super Stearman for five years now. She gets one roll each 1 1/2 seconds at full throttle using a TT .46 and Bisson behind a MA 11 x 6 prop. Don't know precisely if it's because the hinge lines are sealed.
Are yours?

Regards,

DGO

Backafter20,

Most full-size 450 Stearmans that have four aileron conversion are in one of two configurations.

The sull size Stearman aileron hinges at four points. One the "Serv-Aero" conversion, the lower ailerons are shortened by 1/4 so that they hinge on three points. The upper ailerons are shorter still and hinge on two points. In addition, there are servo-tabs on the lower aileron to provide aerodynamic assits to the pilot. Rolling a full-size Stearman is for most people a two handed task.

Another configuration involves using the shortened three point ailerons and upper ailerons which are also three hinge points long. This configuration usually has servo tabs as well.

On both configurations, the upper ailerons are connected via an interconnect rod from the lower to power the upper. The servo tabs are mechanically actuated to move in a direction opposite the aileron.

Does your model use functional flying wires? Full-size four aileron Stearmans usually have an additional "Negative G" landing wire added from the aft cabane strut (where the upper wing meets the center section) to the aft N strut location on the lower wing.

I can't help you at all with the model since I am not familiar with the structure.

Hope this helps.

-Glenn