canadagoose

My Feedback: (2)

How have others hooked up the linkage to the water rudder/s? Pics show how i have hooked up mine, but would like other ideas in case this doesn't work out or maybe there's a better way. I used 10# monofilament line. I don't really want to use another servo mounted to the floats with a pushrod.

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

That'll work, and it is light.
A more scale way would be to take the cables along the bottom of the fuselage, to the top of the landing gear strut. Scale planes have a pulley here, but a dubro 2-56 eyebolt works fine. then route the cables down to another pulley/eyebolt at the bottom of the strut, and back to your water rudder. if you are using 2 water rudders, you can set up 2 linkages. You may find that the pullpull you have across for the second water rudder becomes overstressed if you land harder than you meant to.

I found that I stopped damaging the horms on my Ernst Water rudder after I installed little bronze springs at the ends of the cables. If the water rudder takes a shot, the springs let it flex, then snap back, without damage.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

I have ended up with a similar set up...one day, I am going to try the pulley system, but right now I'm using that steel core fishing line directly from the rudder horn to one side of the water rudder, another line connecting the two water rudders, and the third line from that water rudder, back up to the air rudder.....sort of a triangle pull-pull.... it doesn't stay centered very long, and tweeks are required....maybe I will try Jim's spring trick...

canadagoose

My Feedback: (2)

I added a water rudder to both floats with a rod connecting the two and fishing line still goes to the rudder on either side with a spring. I'll give this a try, I think the line going to the rear gear legs and pulleys as Jim suggested would be better but i have nothing to use as pulleys right now. It should steer good on the water now anyways.
I can see that the way i have it now the line might get snagged on things.

iflyj3

My Feedback: (7)

Unless you have a lot of power, that rod connecting the two rudders will dig in when you rotate to take off. I had this on one plane and had to remove it.

canadagoose

My Feedback: (2)

What did you put in place of the rod? I do have quite abit of power.

iflyj3

My Feedback: (7)

Ran a separate nyrod to each rudder.

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

I'm not a fan of a crosslink between 2 water rudders, but if you DO use one it should be almost impossible for it to drag on the water surface at liftoff. If the tail of the float even TOUCHES at rotation, something is rigged wrong. If you are forcing the tails of the floats into the water deeply enough to drag the cross link, you're dragging the water rudders and probably making enough drag you'll never get airborne anyway.

I watched a guy once with a Senior Telemaster whose floats were set up with the nose of the floats WAAAY High. (or the nose of the airplane way low) He even had a spacer between the rear strut and the top lug of the float. He wanted the floats "to have enough angle to plane on top of the water"..... He motorboated all over the lake at full throttle,making impressive roostertails and holding full UP, and if he hit a wake or a wave he could juuuust get it to lift off, whereupon it leapt into the air like a rocketship. It couldn't rotate enough for the wing to make lift before the tail of the float hit the water surface.

I have a Senior Telemaster that takes off gently in 200 feet at 1/3 throttle, or at full throttle it 's airborne in 8 feet, but it's rigged properly. The wing is about 5 degrees positive to the top of the float. ANd it only has ONE (ernst)water rudder. With no rubber band. So it flips up as soon as the plane starts to move above idle speed. Nothing is dragging in the water and the tail of the float does not touch at rotation

iflyj3

My Feedback: (7)

I agree with your theory. However, life does not always obey theory. In my case the plane had ample power to fly fine with the floats. On takeoff it would get up on the step but when rotation occured, first the water rudders would drag and then the cross link would really slow the plane below lift off speed. I removed the cross link and it was fine. I could have solved the problem by a larger engine.

I will admit that this is a marginal case and that is why I said if he had ample power.

canadagoose

My Feedback: (2)

My floats are set so that the wing has 2 degrees positive incidence to the floats. The aft section of float is angled up at 5.5 degrees. I can't see the cross link draging if i don't try and haul the thing into the air with the elevators at full deflection. Although wavy water may prove to be a different story. I'll try it with the cross link first and see if i have any problems. Thanks for letting me know of that potential problem.