control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

hi,
does anyone have a home made tool to set the adjustment for the control surfaces up and down to see how much throw in each direction.
thanks
or any good idea on this subject.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

I use a ruler. Just eyeball it, it is nothing that has to be exactly perfect at the beginners level.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

A ruler does the job very nicely, it is both cheap and effective

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

Yeah - what he said. Set the model on the floor and adjust it as necessary so the datum/thrust line is level. Set a ruler between two books and align the neutral control surface with a reference mark on the ruler scale.

You could get fancy and cut a pie-shaped hole out of the edge of a large piece of cardboard that you can slide the control surface into and mark a centerline with drgrees up and down using a protractor so you can also read in degrees.

I've seen a really slick homemade tool that is a clothespin to clamp on the control surface with a weighted and free-pivoting angle scale that, in use, you bend the index needle to read zero at neutral and then the needle points out degrees on the scale (again dropped from a protractor) as the surface deflects.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

thanks everyone. like you said does not have to be perfect.
taz

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

Yes, a very accurate one too. Much better than anything I’ve see you can buy. You'll never go back to a ruler. It is simply degrees drawn out on a board for a gauge, the board mounts to an adjustable stand, and a pointer is taped to the control surface. I used autocad to make the degree scale on the gauge, but you could take a protractor and copy/enlarge it to whatever size you want if you don’t have cad or similar. The key thing to record is the radius of the arc. Make a pointer stick that length. I use carbon rod with a pin glued to the end. Make a stand however you want. I used a dowel in a base and then have an adjustable fitting with a thumbscrew to attach and rotate the gauge. To use, tape the pointer stick to the control surface as close to the hinge line as you can. Move in your stand and gauge and adjust it so it reads zero and the gauge is perpendicular to the pointer (importnat!) Presto. A degree scale that is very accurate. Mine uses a 16.5” radius and I can easily resolve to 1/5 of a degree. You’d be surprised how much better planes fly when the control surfaces really are matched. Hope the pics are understandable, I have a project on my building table and couldn’t really set up the gauge properly, but I think you get the general idea. If not, post questions and I’ll try to respond.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

Yes I do, mater of fact I have several made up right now, both left and right. I haven't used A ruler or that funkey thing Tower sells in years. They are however A bit smaller then John's. Today I set up the controls on my rebuilt Kaos and all my controls are even and all set to the same exact throws. Takes no time at all. If you need photos I can take some tomorrow.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

gary,
if you would not mind taking a few photos that would be great.
thanks again
taz

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

johnw,
thanks for the pictures and your time, and yes i do understand the pics.
thanks
taz

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

Well Tower sells one for $10.00...

[link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXK260&P=ML]Click Me![/link]

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

$10.99 is not 10, and its $20 after the standard $9.99 shipping.[&o] I set mine to max throws and use expo now.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

I never pay shipping from Tower... Supersaver & all orders are over $150.00, plus the SuperSaver discounts.... can make it "free" with other items.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

This costs nothing to make and is so easy to use I rarely go looking for the fancier throw guages.

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

Sorry, the weather is just too nice, been out flying. I have some of the degree wheels from C&H ignitions that they give you and make up copies on my puter using photo paper and in different sizes. You can use whatever you can find or get ahold of. Just made from scrap light ply and some of that plastic control rods with A little weight stuck on them. I have given them to people and they have put soft rubber on the bottoms for some added grip on the covering. My wire is dental wire that I had left over but I have gotten piano wire at the hobby shop and used that too. I used to sell them at clubs and events for 10 bucks apiece some years ago. For stunt or 3-D planes I set the controls at 18 degrees high and 12 degrees low, rudder always as much as I can get. For sport planes I set the throws at 10 or 12 high and about 8 low. Using gauges you can have everything centered and throwing the exact same distance. You can watch the gauges when you are setting things up in your sub trim. Just makes set up way too easy. ;)

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

gary b,
thanks for the pictures looks easy to make will most likely try to make one of these.
thanks
taz

RE: control throw setting ? home made tool ?
 

Make two of them so you can zero two surfaces and set the EPA without any fuss. I have even made them with A clear plastic degree meter that I could see through, those were cool!!!;)