Allan Bennett Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I've been pondering for a while how to connect the wing servos to the fuselage, and now that I've just covered the wings and installed the servos, I've got to the point where I have to actually do something about it I've ordered a pair of these wing-joint connector plugs and sockets http://www.gliders.uk.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G2972 which I plan to use, with one half partly (or wholly) recessed into the solid balsa block at the wing root, and the other half mounted on a liteply strip fixed between F4 and F5 ... unless anyone has a better idea. I'll have wing-tip lights as well, so I'll be using a common + and - for the two servos in each wing, which will leave enough pins for the two signal leads and a pair of power leads for the lights. Edited By Allan Bennett on 30/01/2010 20:45:40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Whiting Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Hi Alan, I have only just spotted your thread. Yes the plugs are quite neat, but I have already made mine. I took the four outer cases off a pair of Y- leads, S/glued two pairs together flat sides together, then mounted them through two piece of 1/16" birch ply which spans F4 & F5. The hole was made for a tight fit for each pair then S/glued. My Y-leads will run down each side of F5, and taped with aluminium self adhesive, then painted over. My aileron and flap leads will extend about 2" through the wing root, but will easily slide back as the wing is pushed home as I always build in 1/2" paper tubes for my wiring. Page 12 of Jim's Lysander build shows my wing and it's Paper tubes. Nav lights mine are for show, but by painting two LED matt white, then over painting with Fishing float Dayglow Red & Green paint looks very affective on the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Thanks Terry. Your use of the Y-lead sounds good. As it happens I yesterday successfully (I think) installed the first mating plug. I fitted the sockets quite easily into the wing roots a few days ago, then I plugged one of the plugs into a socket and fitted the wing to see how everything would line up. I fabricated a mounting strip out of 1/8" carbon fibre plate, to bridge between F4 & F5, mounted the plug onto it, and offered the assembly up. When clearances were okay, I then used epoxy to fix the carbon fibre piece to F4 and F5 and to take up any (in)tolerance, plugged the wing in again, and left it to set. The wing unplugged okay last night, but I haven't had time yet to see how smoothly it plugs together again. The plug is recessed far enough into the wing root solid balsa block that the carbon fibre strip is practially hidden when everything is assembled. With the benefit of hindsight, nice large tubes (I've used 8mm or thereabouts) so that the wiring can be pushed back and the plugs left hanging loose, as you've described, might have been a better solution. But many glider guiders use these wing joiner connections, so they should work okay. Looking at the photos I took at Old Warden, I see that there's so much exposed wiring around the cockpit, including on the down-tubes from the wing mounting, that I don't think there's any need to try to hide the servo wires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Whiting Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Allan, One thing I forgot to mention if using this method care is needed when gluing the cases together to make sure they are the correct way round. I think you are right about the wiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share Posted February 13, 2010 Well, the first wing plugged in just fine, and the other one's now done. This afternoon I made up a couple of wiring looms, and have installed them with just the final connections to be made to the connectors. The green pieces of shrink-wrap are cyanoed to F4 and F5 to hold the wiring in place. I'll probably put a small screw through the carbon fibre into F4 and F5 rather than just rely on the epoxy. A little bit of matt black paint on the connectors and their balsa spacers, and everything will be invisible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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