vmsguy

Hello all,

I'm redoing the control linkages on my airplane (see other posts)

I was never happy with how the control linkage for my front wheel worked. The plane is flying well.. But we noticed some weirdness at the field saturday.

Upon further investigation I noticed some binding on the nose wheel control.

Here's what I want to do.

I want to replace the pushrod between the servo and the nose-wheel. I saw here, somewhere, where someone used carbon fiber for most of the length, and then metal ends???

Could someone verify that? And detail how to build it? What parts to use? etc???? I'm working on my order to Tower as I type... Now's the time to add what I need....

P.S. Any special tools needed to cut CF?


TIA

Lyndon

dant-RCU

My Feedback: (3)

Check out Darrol Cady's website.

http://www.darrolcady.com/Carbon_Fiber/carbon_fiber.htm

Dan

da Rock

Since you're only interested in the pushrod for the nosewheel, I'd suggest you NOT make up a CF pushrod for that use.

Steering is the one function where you do not need accuracy.
And steering is one place where the servo always benefits if something else takes the shocks and impacts before they reach the servo gears.

Putting something like a CF rod, that will transmit every bit of shock perfectly and completely, is really not the way to rig a nosewheel.

I usually use smallish piano wire and make sure there is some arc in the routing, a small arc for sure, but an arc nonetheless. And lots of people use the shock spring set that I think Dubro sells.

But if you really want to go CF, look for the very small tube with the ID that matches 2-56 threaded pushrod. It makes elegant and very strong, light pushrods. Epoxy the 2-56 pushrod into the ends and you're good to go. Well, almost. CF needs to be protected from abrasion, so plan on using support tube where there might be scraping. Like the grey tube in the picture. And it's a good idea to insure the epoxy has good purchase on both the CF tube and the metal. I do that by using heat shrink tubing. Yeah. But I use it while glueing in the ends. I make sure I get good coverage on the rod end and some epoxy in the tube end. I place the rod end and then make sure I have coverage on the outside of both where the heatshrink is going. Then I slip the heatshrink over the joint. It'll go easily without wiping off any epoxy. I then heatgun each end of the heatshrink to seal in the epoxy, sorta. Then start shrinking between the ends. The shrinking forces some epoxy into the metal/tube joint and then starts to squeeze excess out the ends of the heatshrink. that insures pretty good coverage inside. The heat also strengthens the epoxy and shortens it's cure. I wipe off the ends and have a rod that's strong enough right then to install, and will be strong as a bull in a very short while.

The picture is one end of a rod on my Tiger60. I hadn't slipped on the fuel tube keeper on the clevis, but it's good to go otherwise.

DBono99

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Sounds simple enough to make CF push rods..What do you use to make any cuts in the rods?? Question are they really much lighter then the steel rods..My last few built planes have been for E flight and I'm always looking for ways to get the planes lighter..

Thanks Dan