well, ive decided apon two planes, one with ailerons, and one with out. Before i make my final decision, im wondering how the ailerons on rc planes are controlled. I know on real planes, you turn the yoke, and both ailerons move in different directions. But on RC, do you have to control each aileron separately? (im talking on a standard rc, not modded out planes, what do you USUALLY get in a box?)

Most trainers are set up with a single servo for ailerons, but more advanced aerobatic planes such as profile fun flyers and giant scale planes have 2 or more ailerons.

thanks a ton!

Even if you have 2 aileron servos they will move with the same stick input. The two servos will move opposite of each other, so when one aileron goes up the other one goes down.

While not mandatory, you will be much happy with an airplane that has ailerons.

Hope this helps

Ken

LIKE KEN says.. Unless you set-up, Twin aileron servos to mix ( computer radio) in flaperons.They`ll move in unison,both up or down,untill you give it a directional input on your transmiter,It will immediately put one aileron up and one down.That is an advantage,but you also add the weight of an extra servo(disadvantage).I think most trainers are not setup for this system, but you may want to modify it down the road,with 2 lighter weight servos,You also need an extra chanel on your radio..In the box (kit)you`ll find a single servo Aileron system..I think the aileron system is the way to go too ........D.B.

a clarification on needing an extra channel. you can y the two servos into one channel instead of using the second aileron channel if you only have a basic 4 channel radio

I disagree on the weight issue, I have an LT 40 w/ 2 servos and it flies wonderfully and if one goes out I still have some aileron control

On the wing of a trainer, you'll never notice the difference in weight between one or two aileron servos. The wing loading will still be so light it's pathetic.

Yes, A "Y" harness is needed to use 2 servos on ailerons.
I've never seen a setup with each aileron on its own channel...

Dont overcomplicate things though. For a .40-.60 size trainer with the forces required to control it, a single servo will suffice IMHO.
Either use torque rods or route a NyRod through the wing to about 1/3 the aileron span and connect using control horns.

Jameus -- to sumarize (some of the guys are getting carried away a bit) the answer to your question: you only need one channel & yes the ailerons work in opposite directions, regardless of how many servos you have.

aerospot
Ailerons on seperate channels exist on most Futaba gear up from the FF7, ailerons are controled on ch 1 and 6 (or 7) this allows flapperons to be controled from either a switch or the side slider on the FF9 and Zap, you can also programme ailivators from ch 2 and 5 to control the elevators as ailerons, at slow speed the advantage is that you still have prop wash over the tail and therefore some lateral control at a very slow approuch into a manouver or landing, at high speed the extra movement at the rear of the fus allows more controled flight with less coupling in pitch, flapperons can move both alierons up at the sime time as elevators down to increase pitch control (and visa versa) or both alierons can be moved up independently of the elevators to spoil lift at low speed and therefore increase desent angle as in a harrior manouver, or they can be both moved down to increase lift at low speed to decrease landing speed.
This is posted for information to those out there who may not know the available options on advanced transmitters and to inform them of what the experts use, which I am not one of, but I try everything my radio is capable of doing and use it on most of my aircraft.

jameus is a newb -- he doesn't want all the blather about multi-functioning aileron set-ups -- he just wants to know the basics -- you're confusing him with stuff that he won't need for quite a while.

BaldEagel
Thanks for the education. I didnt know radios were capiable of doing such things. Then again, I've never had a computer radio before. I've always mixed flaperons & elevons using a slide tray, the hard way. Or had flaps & ailerons separate using a 5th channel.
I'll have to save up my pennies and look for a good computer radio. You indicate Futaba FF7 as a good choice?
I have heard that newer radios were capiable of switching between RX to allow one transmitter with multiple receivers. This seems very attractive to me as I typically tote as many transmitters as airplanes when i go fly!

ALL radios are capable of controlling multiple planes. (Ask anyone who's been "Shot Down" when someone at the field turns on a shared frequency transmitter without the pin). You just have to set the non-computer ones up carefully. That's why computer radios can spoil you. If the servos are zeroed out and the end-points are controlled with the plane's linkage and not the transmitters internal endpoints you just need to buy a receiver for each airframe . . . or even swap out one receiver in multiple bodies (done that, too).

Ah, the old sliding servo tray mixers. Used for "V" tails, too. Back when solutions had to be elegant instead of programmed. Another beauty was the three-legged "trident" ball-joint articulated servo arms that had an aileron on each of the outer legs, and the center arm hooked to a seperate servo.

I've been watching the Polk transmitters for some time now. $200 gets you an 8 channel transmitter and receiver that both support synthesized frequencies, meaning you can easily change to one that's not in use. They also include 99 model memory.

Every body missed the basic point of the post!!!! Jameus was basically asking about the differance between 3 and four channel (ailerons or no ailerons)

Here it is.

There are two schools of thought when discussing 3 or 4 channel. The 3 channel guys will say that because your turns are all controlled by the rudder that it teaches you better rudder useage. Then there are the guys like me (doh[:-]) that think every new pilot should learn to fly 4 channels from teh beginning. This means you don't have to learn something over again later and you learn all basic functions of a 4 channel plane and IMHO makes for a faster learning curve and thus a better transition into more advanced planes.

Also I am of the thought, like many full scale trainning schools, that there is nothing wrong with teaching, learnning on a good low wing plane.

In a high wing trainer there is really no reason to go to the extra work and expense of dual servos. You dont have to get a computer radio to use a duel servo set up just a Y harness as explained. The fact is you will not see an advantage in a high lift, flat bottom, wing with a lot of dihedral as you would in a sport plane. Yoou also would not have a need for flapperons in a trainer as you would in a sport plane.

Keep it simple with the trainer. When you advance and learn then move into better planes you can mess with the other set ups. Right now you need to concentrate on learning to fly.

Are you building a kit or buying an ARF? What do you have in mind for size and power?

Ya, What Dave said!


Mark

Hi!
Here is how most ailerons controls are set up. With torque rods (in this case Du Bro 1/8" piano wire).
Just follow: "the-rule-of-setting-things-up" that says... The servo arm should always be as short as possible...the aileron (treaded) linkage wire arm as long as possible...this enables the ailerons to be stiffer and you avoid flutter easier. Also it's important that all linkages are set up with a 90degree angle to each other so you get equal deflection (same amount of up and down).
Regards!
Jan K
Sweden