SrTelemaster150

Again and again and again, the angles of the servo arm slots are not the same. Look @ the lower picture. While the starbord side picture left) angles to the inside @ the rear, the port side angles to the outside edge @ the rear. Niether slot is centered front to rear either. The angles of the hatches are such that the servo arm will be perpindicular to the flap & they are located such that they line up W/the control horn mount block which is not located the same distance from the center of the wing on both flaps.

One could do as you suggest but then you would have to remove the covering film & recover the hatch, add a control horn mount in the flap as well as reverse the servo. It would be easier to just make a new hatch w/the proper slot..

Ramstein44

My Feedback: (157)

[QUOTE= It would be easier to just make a new hatch w/the proper slot..[/QUOTE]

+1....

Hot Rod Todd

My Feedback: (1)

Both of the ones I built had the correct hatches, but the hard point on one flap was not located correctly. I used different bolts with nuts on the flap. Make sure you check the hard points, you can't just use wood screws if you're only going into balsa.

kwik

Yes, the angle will be wrong.So lift the covering, carve little, fill a little....hehe, the price of monocote.....

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

OK Guys;

I just rechecked my Flap Hatches and they are correct; what is wrong is the Plywood Hard Point on the Right Side (as you look at the picture Pg#8) it is in the wrong place and doesn't even come close to lining up with the servo arm slot.

However, if I take the Flap Servo Hatch from the Left side, flip it over with Monokote side facing into wing, place it on the right side, works perfect, lines up with the hard point; since Top Flite is sending me another set, I can use the Left one and make a Right side, I already have Flat Gray Monokote and I can reverse the direction on one of the servos with my programmer.

Problem solved!

Mpizpilot

My Feedback: (45)

Installed my right wing retract, it's defective from the get go. Goes up no problem, extension is jerky, seems like motor is skipping. Ive had terrible luck so far with electric retracts from every manufacturer.

steph69

you seem to have had a lot of problems with your FW hope you get it all sorted soon mate. mine is coming Friday i can deal with all the little probs i am more worried about crashing such an expensive machine. on maiden i think i will need a couple of drinks to calm the nerves first.

BJ64

Can't you just use a Y-lead to reverse the servo direction? (for those whom programming is not an option)

BJ

SrTelemaster150

Not really, other than the damage to the nose & the servo hatch, no problems. I ended up W/a new fuselage from Tower & I repaired the damaged one so I now have a spare fuselage.

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Only if the Servos are mounted identical per Instructions, see Pg#8 for Photo, a 'Y' Connector will work. But because the Control Horn Hard Point is located in the wrong spot on the Right Flap on my Plane, I will be mounting my Servo opposite direction to the Left side. A 'Y' connector will merely make the Servos rotate opposite to each other, like an Aileron set up. However, I have a programmer and its not a big deal to reverse one of the digital servos to go the other way so both servos are rotating the same direction..

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I believe that the "Y" connector makes the servos run in the same direction; we usually put the servo arms on opposite sides for opposing deflection, such as ailerons.

BJ64

Hang on...hang on...

In a 'normal' wing config, the Aileron servos face opposite - right?

i.e. both arms "out"... or both arms "in". So if you run them from a single channel, they'll both go the same way instead of 'one up... one down' - unless you use a Y-lead.

Flap servo's are usually always mounted so that they face the same direction, yah? i.e. both arms Port, or both arms Starboard.

Sooo....

If you have to flip one to get the hatch/flap hardpoint to line up properly, and now you need to reverse one of the servos so that they either both push together, or both pull together.... wouldn't a Y-lead do that for you?

Like... a 'double negative' situation ??

BJ

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

Correct; if you look at typical Aileron set up, the servos are mounted with the servo arms facing inboard or towards each other or outboard or away from each other and a 'Y' connector works without having to reverse anything. On a 2 Servo Flap setup, to avoid having to reverse anything, both servos are mounted so that the servo arms face the same direction and in this set up a 'Y' connector works without any problem. However, if the Flap Servos are mounted like an Aileron set up and the Servo arms face each other or away from each other, a 'Y' connecto by itself will make the flaps rotate opposite to each other; therefore you must reverse one servo in order to ger both rotating the same. On my plane because one of the Control horn Hard Point Mounting block is not where it should be, I'm having to mount my Flap Servos in such a way that the servo Arms are not facing the same way, much like an Aileron set up.

"If you have to flip one to get the hatch/flap hardpoint to line up properly, and now you need to reverse one of the servos so that they either both push together, or both pull together.... wouldn't a Y-lead do that for you?"

No, my Servo Arms now face opposite to each othe, like an Aileron Set up and a 'Y' connector would only make the Flaps rotate opposite to each other, clear as mud right!

BJ64

Ok... then if you just use a straight 'parallel' lead, would that not make them both go the same way as you want?

Forgive my ignorance here, but flaps - all flap servos - usually feed off the one Rx flap outlet?

I think I just flunked "Basic Servo Configs - 101"

BJ

SrTelemaster150

If the flap servos are physically "flipped" like aileron servos, they will try to operate the flaps in opposite directions, 1 up, 1 down unless one of them is reversed either by a servo that is reversed internally, a reversing harness, or computer programing on 2 channels W/"parallel leads".

dasintex

My Feedback: (10)

BJ; No problem at all my man!

Best way to visual demonstrate this is to take 2 servos with arms mounted the same, a battery, a Radio and a RX, place them on bench, connect both servos via a 'Y' to the Aileron channel, first have the servos arms face each other and move the Aileron stick, the arms move in opposite direction to each other; now rotate one servo so the arms face the same direction and move the stick, the arms move the same direction.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

We are here to learn and share. You did nothing wrong. Now go fly.

SrTelemaster150

X2

SU-31 flyer

I'm not going to build mine till later so better pull it and see if my covers are correct. Why all this flap position stuff is still clear as mud in my head. Working on a MX-2 now so the FW 190 has to wait.

Hot Rod Todd

My Feedback: (1)

So it looks like Top flite has a couple of issues with the flaps. In some kits the hard points are not correct for the servo's to mount in the same direction (the hard points should be different distances from the center). My solution was to use bolts all the way through, and with some washers I didn't have to re-do the hard points.

In some other kits one of the hatches does not have the slot aligned as shown in the instructions. The solution for these appears to be to modify the flap hatch and correct the issue.

If you have both problems in one kit, and can reverse your servo, you could change the hatch to be opposite from the other so you match up with the hard points.

Ok, We Beat the flap topic to death. To change the subject here's a photo of the Spinner I painted. My first try was not quite typical enough (too many spirals), but I think the new (on the right) looks correct.

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I'm a big fan of Top Flite, but now that they are aware of these issues, they should be more forthcoming with an admission, and a solution. They are now considered a premium-price arf and as such should be a little more professional rather than being closed mouth.

Mpizpilot

My Feedback: (45)

Same issue here with flap horn mounting. My covers were correct, but the hardwood mounting plate was not in the correct location. I also had a big problem with one of my elevator pushrods exits not being open in the rear fuse. Sounds like an easy fix, but the exit tube was folded over on itself in the fuse, it was a PITA to fix

n8622t

My Feedback: (8)

As long as the wing isn't twisted or empennage misaligns to the wing we got no problems

sparky4lawndart

My Feedback: (10)

amen!

Hot Rod Todd

My Feedback: (1)

I agree that the ARF is not cheap, but it's in line with the price on anything else out there. If you buy an ESM Warbird it will cost about the same (once you add the high price shipping and additional parts like a spinner). Even so I thought the quality was much higher that other ARF's I have put together. Those of us who put CMP or ESM planes together are used to multiple modifications and things not fitting right.

Top Flite should handle the mistakes though. I could look back many months and see the Flap hard point error mentioned, and kits are still being delivered with the same error. This leads me to believe that they are not responding to problems that are being noticed. If someone throws the wood screws in without noticing the hard point is not aligned, the control horn will likely rip out and could result in a lost aircraft, or worse an injury.

Let's hope for some warmer weather and we'll see how well they fly!