FF trim tab 'hinge'

edw Sun Mar 03, 2019 7:49 pm

I'm venturing into the free flight realm for the first time. Plan is for "Wild Hair' and the airplane has a 'trim tab', or adjustable rudder. The plan says to use '
soft wire' to attach rudder to fuselage. I've seen this direction on other plans, so it's not unique to this airplane. What have you old-timers used on your planes in the past? I'm looking forward to flying/crashing this little monster soon. Thanks in advance.

Ken Cook Sun Mar 03, 2019 8:26 pm

I use brass sheet stock, I find it easier to install and it's harder to move it once set.

Marleysky Sun Mar 03, 2019 8:34 pm

I don’t want to admit I’m a oldtimer (unless Your offering a Discount for Seniors) but I’d say to use a short length of a paperclip as a adjustable hinge or trim tab. It is stiff enough to hold the position its bent to for FF , not like its gonna be used as a constantly moving hinge, just stiff enough to make minor adjustments fron flight to flight.

Now, if you want to be a up to date “digital Daddy-O”. You could install a mini servo and flight gear like our resident MadMan Jose’ had done to his Wild Hare. Letme find the video: lol!

either way....have a ton of fun!

https://www.coxengineforum.com/t10392-wild-hair-joe-ken-willard-pee-wee-powered#131508

Levent Suberk Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:54 am

I use a short length thin copper single wire of insulated cable. Diameter is about 1/32 ins. Soft iron wire ends of a resistor or capacitor can be used as well.

OVERLORD Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:30 am

I don't use trim tabs on a rudder as this doesn't seem to work for me. The tab gets bent, or moves, or tears out. I make the rudder always straight. However, I fix a coin to the right wingtip and on the CG. The exact weight, you have to determin yourself by test gliding. The model should slightly glide to the right and under power, the engine torque should be able to tilt the model to the left. This has worked for me.

Model climbs in left circles: