I have a brand new JR st47 on the elevator of my new extra, and it seems to be loud. It doesn't vibrate more or bind, but is louder when it is operating even with the servo horn taken off. Does this sound like a defective servo, or do they sometimes just do that? I wouldn't worry about it if it weren't the elevator on my new plane.

Hello?

You seem to be looking for a response. Not having used that particular servo, I can't add much. However, if you have others that are the same model and this one is different, you should look into that. Different types of servos make different amounts of noise. I can't say any of mine strike me as being loud. Different gear sets will sound slightly different, and depending on how a servo is mounted it can make more or less noise.

If you've only got one, buy another to compare it with. They're cheap little things, so that'd cost you $10. If you really think there's something wrong with it, call Horizon. It's probably not worth sending something so inexpensive in to have it looked at. At any rate, never use equipment you're uncomfortable with on your planes. Cheap servos have their appeal, but if you're uncomfortable with it you really haven't saved yourself anything. Stick it on the throttle, and put something you trust on the control surfaces.

The only thing I can share is I have a bunch of the same Futaba servos, and some are much louder than others.

GA, that's A great trick!!

Is this servo louder than other ST-47's that you have? Is it the ST-47 or ST-47BB?

It's probably OK so long as it seems to operate smoothly and have good torque. If you want to play it safe though, move it to the throttle and use something else on the elevator.