Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Hi all,
A friend recently gave me a Sig Somethin' Extra .40 to try out. Could someone post the recommended hi and low control throw settings? He no longer has the manual for the Somethin' Extra.
Thanks,
J

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

If you are relatively new, I would keep the throws conservative in the beginning until you became accustomed to the plane.

Something like 1/2" on the tail surfaces and 3/8" on the ailerons would be about right for a first flight.

Enjoy,

Jim

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

The manual recommends:

Elevator: 1.25" up and 1.25" down
Aileron:1" up, 1" down
Rudder:1.875" up, 1.875" down


Woops:)

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Thanks guys!
I'll definitely be keeping the throws short until I feel comfortable with the plane.

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

It would be a good idea to put in some expo to keep the controls soft and not twitchy. If you have a low rate, high rate switch on your radio you could soften those recommended throws by something like 50% until you get used to it. I have 3 rates on my SE.

If you keep the throws down and have some expo in the radio the SE is a gentle, predictable plane. It is very nice to fly and even nicer to land. Crank up the throws and it becomes wild.

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

I disagree there. I can't understand why people will use expo. I've tried it and it's just weird.

With that being said you should rely on your experience. The SE was my first plane and I loved it. I'm building my second now. Good luck with yours.


Woops:)

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Well, expo will soften the center area of the control sticks as little or as much as you want. It makes it easier to fly the plane smoothly. Simple.

For instance, if you have your low rate switch set for only 10% of available control throw, then you will probably have smooth control movements when you need to nudge the plane just a little. A nudge isn't much with only 10% of the throw available. But, if you switch to your high rate position and then have 100% control throws, it is nearly impossible to give any control a slight nudge to correct for minor flight changes. That little bit on low rates is now a whole lot on high rates.

Another reason to have expo is when you have 2 or 3 rates dialed into the radio. It is very nice to set the expos so that when you switch from low to medium the controls still feel the same until you really move them, say for aerobatic stuff. Expo will give you a seamless sort of feel when you switch rates so that you don't get any surprises.

Some people like twitchy planes and that's okay. Some people turn down the rates so that the plane is more docile and that's okay too, but they are missing what the plane could do with full throws.

I have a Widebody pattern plane and there is no way you could get much out of its potential without expo. The big rudder is very effective. I like that as long as it is effective when I want it to be. I would hate the plane if the rudder didn't have expo and was super sensitive all the time.

I hope you are getting something out of all this talk, Rook.

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

For me, Expo os worthless because, my brain just prefers a certain level of accuracy. I've tried expo and I've taken it all out. Rook isn't a beginner. He says that he has 3 years of flying experience and is an intermediate pilot.(according to whats written in his profile)



Woops:)

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Didn't check his profile and therefore was trying to be helpful, and get the thread back on track. Also, the SE is one of those models that can double as a gentle flying second kit, or a really wild 3D model. A lot of people don't know that about the SE. Therefore, suggesting expo on the SE is applicable to many people.

I'm not sure what you mean about preferring accuracy, but to each their own.

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

blwblw, I agree with you. I'm on my 3rd SSE (broke one, & sold one). Building the 3rd now. I like the expo too. As you say, to each his own.

Bob

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Everyone has their preferences, just like flying the sticks with thumbs or between two fingers. As long as we all have fun.....

I haven't built a SE yet. I was given a crashed one to repair and I repaired a lot of previous damage from other crashes in the process. It looks awful with Monokote, Ultracote, and Econocote repairs. I'll recover it later. It flies great. I later had a midair with another SE. We hit wings hard. We landed them okay and repaired them. The SE is a very nice design for many reasons. I think you could use it as a trainer with a buddy box cord.

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

The SE was my first plane. I've never flown one on Expo. My second one is about ready for covering. (Ordering that soon) What I meant by accuracy is that to a certain level of stick movement, you get a certain level of surface movement and it's directly proportional to that.

Hey, The Rook, how about a picture. Or does it look like the ARF in your profile?


Woops:)

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Here's a picture of the extra. Note the evidence of other hobbies in the background! The engine on her is an O.S. 50 sx. Highly recommended by the guy who gave me the Somethin' Extra. The other planes behind her are a H9 t-34, an Ultrasport and a Super Decathlon.

Thanks again for all your help everyone. I've been out of the hobby for so long and y'all have really helped get back up to speed.
J

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Cool![sm=thumbup.gif]
I had a GP Super D. It was a great plane.[:o] Too bad they don't kit it anymore.
BTW, your hobby room looks like mine.

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

Thanks all for the info.
One more thing...
Can someone post the Center of Gravity location/measurements for the Somethin' Extra?
Thanks

RE: Somethin' Extra control throw settings
 

CG is 3 1/2 inches from the leading edge, taken at the wing root.

The guy I had the midair with had the .50 SX on his too.

I never notice the expo now. If you set it right, you won't notice at all. It is very smooth from center to full throw. The good thing about expo is that you can set it where moving from low rates to high feels the same until you really move the sticks around. It is sort of seamless when you get it right.