Hooked-On-RC

My Feedback: (16)

Hey what do think guys... new forum title. I thought this would be a good place to offer up experience to those newbies getting into giant scale...yet I am sure we can all learn something from this.

My tip of the week.

Twist long servo leads- here is what I do, all servo leads consist of a three wire lead that is fixed togther in a band wire (except some servo manufacturers now do this at the factory). I seperate those wires to create three seperate wires. I then place the servo connector into my cordless drill and hold the servo straight out and away from the drill. I then turn on the drill...SLOWLY clockwise and twist the wires. When they get tight stop the drill. Works great and the wires stay twisted.

I have some servo leads over 36 inches long and have NEVER had a glitching problem when running a gasoline powered engine, with either magneto or electronic ignition. I am running all of my big birds on PCM though, which does make a difference there as well!

Next tip!

SBeachman

My Feedback: (8)

1) Things 'shake and vibrate' more

Check EVERY screw / nut / bolt that might come loose OFTEN.

2) The prop is BIG, be EXTRA careful

Steve Beach - Team LIMAC

bob_nj

My Feedback: (62)

Don't be scairt[X(]

Mike Bogh

My Feedback: (14)

Good topic..
First, get 2 kinds of LOCTITE brand..blue for every fastner in the engine box area, GREEN for every servo screw, control horn screw and any fastner that you may need to remove on a semi reglar basis for maintence. Do NOT use blue loctite on the screws that hold the servo arm on...use green (don't ask me how I know)

Secondly, buck up and buy the good hardwear and servos....going cheap there is the most frequent mistake made...and don't use a standard servo on the throttle, either. You'll need the speed and better resoultion, there as well.

Third I would reccomend buying a used RTF giant scale bird first (someones proven good safe flyer) before you jump to 2K range and plant a balsa tree.
My first was a DP Extra/Brison 3.2 RTF for $750.00...there are deals out there like this in the early winter as folks upgrade to bigger and better stuff.

Fourth, seriously consider selling most/all your glow smaller stuff to finance your foray into GS...truth is you won't find the time or have the inclination to fly it anyway, you'll be so impressed with the way the giants fly.

There's a few tips that have worked for me.

Current hangar:
DP Extra/Brison 3.2
Wild Hare Edge 540 DA~50
GP 1/3 scale Pitts waiting for a donor engine...(next crash)

NOVAflier

My Feedback: (21)

Mike, I like your advice. I have my new Gasser and 2 glow. I was just thinking I should get rid of the 2 glow planes because I am thinking I will never want to go back..

3DFanatic

My Feedback: (5)

Umm not to be negative or anything, but isn't green the particularly potent brew that's never coming off??

Mike Bogh

My Feedback: (14)

Nope, I have and use both regulary...green releases MUCH easier than the blue...I have 2 broken servo screw heads to proove it.

Flyfalcons

Red locktite is the wild stuff. Second only to a welding torch. Blue works well for metal-metal, and CA works for metal to plastic or metal to wood.

dlwood

I have a question, How many servos can be driven by one channel of a reciever?

I am building a Great Planes Christen Eagle that calls for "Y" ing the 4 airerons to a single channel. I have determined how to use heavy power leads isolated from the reciever but have been informed that one servo signal channel should drive a max of two servos. opinions?

cloudancer03

My Feedback: (22)

I would love to learn the in's and out's of giant scale..I just built a giant stinger and learned alot.fortnuately in my case I have a few experienced and trusted members that are into giant scale and have been very helpful but I would love a section devoted to beginners ..

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

Rule #1 : Don't buy anything until you check it out really good first. That means talking to people at your field or networking with people on RCU. I learned that lesson a few times. No impulse buying!! Make sure it's what you want before you get into it. We're talking alot more money now.

Hooked-On-RC

My Feedback: (16)

I am not sure why you would want to run four servos off of one channel. I know it is a biplane and chances are you are using one servo per aileron, are you using a servo reversing Y adapter? If so, I would think it would be better to reverse two servos depending on what make and model they are. Standard Hitecs can be reversed by doing some internal soldering.....However, I think it best if you run right hand servos off of one channel and left hand servos off another channel...if your radio and receiver have that capability. That way you will only run a max of two servos per channel and that should not be a problem. On my Midwest Super Stearman that is what I do and there are no problems what so ever.

dlwood

I have a Fut 7CAP radio so I have just enough channels to run two channels to the ailerons, just trying to determine the technical limits of eguipment. The redundancy of running two channels will be a benifit/liabilty wash.

quist

My Feedback: (198)

If you have the 7cap radio use 2 channels. It will allow you to subtrim the servos better and it will give you some redundency. If you have a lead fail on the aileron servo you will still have one side to fly on. The receiver can handle 4 servo on one channel for power.

quist

My Feedback: (198)

Hooked on rc, why would he need to reverse any servos?

John Murdoch

My Feedback: (11)

My tip for the week:

Follow JoeAirport's suggestion. Fully investigate the products you are buying. Many modelers do this R/C thing step by step. As they advance, the next stage is usually to o upgrade their radio equipment. Normally and usually, advancing only far enough in their radio gear just enough to "get by". My suggestion would be to buy only the higher end stuff. This serves two purposes. One, if you decide to get out of the hobby, then you can at least get most of your money back when/if you sell your unwanted gear. Secondly, if you progress in upgrading to bigger aircraft, you'll have the optimum equipment to progress and you won't be stuck more "stuff" that you need to upgrade. When deciding what to buy, look at the used products for sale. If the product you are looking at has a resale value close to what you would buy it for retail from a hobby shop for, I would pretty much guarantee you that you've chosen the top of the line. If you buy an entry or mid level product and you see you can't sell it for 10% of the original purchase price, then I would suggest you do some soul searching and determine whether this is a hobby/sport you'll be in for a long time and invest appropriately.

Hooked-On-RC

My Feedback: (16)

Quist,
Unless he has the servo arms in opposite orientation on either side of the wing he would have to reverse the servos.

thevirginian

dlwood
I have the G.P.CE myself. It's a great giant scale, though not for novices. I hooked up four ailerons with two Y-harnesses and plugged them into the receiver with another Y. You can also hook them up on two separate channels if your radio allows you to do so. I have never heard or read anything negativ about plugging four servos into one channel. So I guess it is O.K. then. At least mine work without a glitch.

bvmjethead

My Feedback: (10)

Plant your corn early!

Buzz Lightyear

Guys

I have the GP Pitts and only have the 2 Rudders servos on a Y.
The 4 ailerons servos are all in separate channels. I am using a Futaba ZAP WC11. One disadvantage to using Y's is you can't change the travel and/or differential on each servo.......but then again, you need the right radio too.

Cheers

Buzz

capthis

My Feedback: (67)

Don't fly anything you can't afford to lose!

Harsh but very true.

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

In my yak with 4 servo's on the rudder, they are all into a matchbox, then into the RX.


Locktite, I use blue on all my servo's and I have always been able to get it back apart. If not, heat will break it free, but never had to try it.

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

VERY TRUE... My theory, the money is out the window once I spend it, its not an investment, fly it like you stole it!

H. Wayne S

My Feedback: (18)

I have ran as many as SIX (6) servos on one channel, never had any problems.
The only way one would have to have a reverser on the ails. is if you install your arms backwards, or the servos up-side-down, or use different brand servos. ALLWAYS, if arm points towards the wing tip on one, it should on the other.

thevirginian

Exactly right, H. Wayne
There shouldn't be a problem with four servos on one channel. Even G.P. in their instructions tell you to do it that way. If you use two servos on the elevators and want both arms to point in the same direction, than you have to reverse one of the servos, or go with a Y-reverser.