Aileron Centering
 

Hello All,
I am trying to set my control throws on my PT40. I need to center my ailerons before I set the throws. The wing center trailing edges are lower than the wingtip trailing edges. So, do I center them with the wingtip or center trailing edges? Also, I have a JR 6102 TX. It has all the nice features, ie dual rates, travel adjust, sub trim, etc. If you have the time, could you tell me the best way to set my throws using these features? This is my first plane and radio, and the manual isn't detailed enough for a beginner. All of you have really been great helping me get started, and I just want to thank you all once again! It's nice to be in a hobby where people will share their hard earned knowledge. Safe landings to all!

RE: Aileron Centering
 

A lot depends on if youe control surface or wing is straight or not. If it is straight, I would center it with the inboard stationary part of the wing.

RE: Aileron Centering
 

PT-40 has a "washout" built in the wing. This may make the ailerons LOOK like they have a diferent ngle at the tip than at the center. The wingtip is what you want to go by. This will have the ailerons raised more than by going by the center. This is SAFER than having the ailerons drooped.

This does not mean that there's no chance that the ailerons themselves are warped... I've seen that too. If the ailerns are warped you need to straighten them. heat and twist opposite to the warp.

A warped aileron can make it very hard to trim the airplane to fly straight.

Drooped ailerons can make the airplane tend to stall in a manner that drops a wing, resulting in a spin.

Raised ailerons can make you need more airspeed to fly. (they would reduce the wing's lift at any given airspeed)

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As for using all those "NEAT" features ont he radio... don't YET. Instead, with the servo arms OFF the servos, turn the radio system on, and clear the computer radio settings for the current model (the one you are setting up) NEVER start with a new airplane and some old airplane's information in the computer memory.

Verify control directions.

Now put the servo arms onto the servos trying to get the flight controls CENTERED. Use the Airplane kit's instructions for centering the control surfaces, because it will assume you DON'T have a computer radio.

Verify control directions. (AGAIN!)

After you learn to fly a bit... then you can start learning to deal with the computer in the radio.

When you get to the flying field... ask your instructor to verify control directions. (maybe this is important... and you should verify control directions...[&:])