control throw meters: you need them?
 

I'm finishing a SIG Fourstar 60 project with clipped wings. Question: The manual suggests certain "throws" to start with.
Do you need a throw meter? If not, how can you gauge it?
Mike

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

I personally like my throw meter because it's easy to clip it on & measure everything accurately. Before I had a throw meter I would just hold a ruler up & see how far up & down they'd move. Not as accurate, but certainly functional in my opinion.

If the manual only gives you the throws in degrees then you can break out the old Trig calculator to figure out how many inches that would be, or you can cut out a piece of paper with the proper degrees on it & hold it up to your surface to compare.

Either way you certainly want to get as close as possible to the manuals recommendations.

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

I agree with tuwood, you don't need one. You can get close enough with a ruler. Nice to have, though.

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

I don't even use a ruler, I use the TLAR system

That Looks About Right

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

I use a throw meter and I like it, very easy to use and inexpensive. Make sure you start with the throws recommended and not be tempted to go more. You can always readjust the throws after you get use to the model.
Larry

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

You can make a simple control throw guage by glueing together two scrap balsa sticks at right angles. Mark fractions of an inch on the short stick. This is a lot more precise than trying to hold a straightedge, a ruler and working your TX sticks all at the same time. Remember, the reasons that planes of good fliers fly well is because everything on the plane is set up as precisely as possible.

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

I started with A ruler then went to the throw meter and now made up my own degree meters. When I first start setting the controls I use all three.

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

I don't use on personally, I just park a set square at the trailing edge and work it out from whatever datum the control surface is next to.

Whilst I fully agree that good flying aeroplanes are the results of being well built, I think there is much more to be said for building a straight model than for setting up control throws to the nth degree. There's no science goes into the recommended throws after all, it's just where the test pilot thought it flew "nice" to him.

They are the fully endorsed starting point by anyone on here, but total accuracy isn't really neccessary, and many people will tweak them as they get used to flying the model anyway [8D]

RE: control throw meters: you need them?
 

I use a throw meter when setting up dual elevator servos to make sure both elev. halves are moving exactly the same distance. As for setting up high and low rate throws I just eyeball it to where it looks close to the recommended then fly and adjust the throws to suit me. The recommended throws are usually very conservative.