Baron Baz Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I'm in the process of putting together an ARTF Wot4 Mk2 (no need to post all those comments telling how rubbish they are guys, I've already read them). I have had a number of minor issues, not to do with quality, but more to do with the accuracy of instructions/model variation. The current problem I have is... In the instructions it shows the elevator control rod exiting the fuselage from the right side - on mine it is designed and built to exit from the left. In the instructions it shows the elevator servo mounted on the left side of the servo tray... if I mount mine here then the rather hefty control rod (a 1cm diameter wood dowel with a 2mm wire on each end) jams against the internal frames. If I mount the servo on the other side I believe the control rod may still not work because the end wires are offset by 90 degrees (looking down the dowel) and I think the dowel end will still bind on an internal frame. Has anyone else had any experience of this issue & if so, what was the outcome? I could remove and re-attach one of the control rod end wires 180 degrees out so as to mirror the fitting but I'd prefer not to if I don't have to. I'd also rather not swap for a control snake as fixing the outer sheath to the internal frames would be a real p.i.t.a. Lots of helpful comments/solutions from the enormous Wot4 community would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance, Baz Edited By Baron Baz on 21/05/2012 19:36:56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty C Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 My wot4 e artf has two wires operating the elevators, I wasnt aware that there were single types about. Sorry if i am being really stupid and miss reading your problem Baz. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Thanks for your reply Rusty, but it's the rudder on mine that has a closed loop (2 wire) system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty C Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Yeah I was talking about the push rod also sorry for the confusion, When I referred to the wires Its was the hard 2mm. Mine has one either side in a Y shape and then a straight down the middle then 90 bend through servo arm. Have you any pics available? Rusty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 I'm not sure I can describe it any better, but here are a few photos The control rod... servo end on left. Wires are mounted to the dowel with a 90 degree offset The rod exit hole, shown on lower left (left fuselage) The servo tray. The upper servo (right side) is for the elevator. The instructions state that the elevator servo should be on the left side (in the gap below), but as mentioned this causes the control rod to jam against an internal frame of the fuselage, so I have mounted it here to "mirror image" the instructions I note that your WOT4 is electric and is therefore of different design (no throttle servo) but your photo shows the control rod. However, it is not connected to either servo. Edited By Baron Baz on 21/05/2012 21:26:17 Edited By Baron Baz on 21/05/2012 21:31:19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty C Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Ah I see, Thats a different setup to my bird. Like I said mine has two control arms one to each side of the elevator, How are your ele's joined or is it a one piece affair? Its a bit of a pain but cant see there being a problem with the mirror image setup. As for the artf as a whole I was more than happy with how mine went together not much time or stress in it, Although some of the hardware is a bit shabby but thats easy solved. Are you going IC or leccy? Rusty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codename-John Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Are you absolutely sure the isnt an exit hole the other side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Rusty - I can't understand how you can have two arms to the elevator - surely that's highly unusual. If that is the case, what is the control rod visible in your photos used for? It's much more common for a closed loop system to be used for the rudder. Do you have two slots on one side of the fuselage exclusively for upper/lower elevator control respectively, plus upper & lower control horns on the elevator? I'd be surprised if there was that much variation in design between IC & electric. Mine is the IC version by the way Codename-John - I'm absolutely certain and checked this as an option before posting, but thanks for the suggestion. I could cut a new hole but would prefer to find a less damaging solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Kearney Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Baron, I've seen a single pushrod with twin wires bound to the end, one to each elevator half. That might be what Rusty is referring to. As for the ARTF Wot 4, I have the IC version here, I just checked and my Elevator servo is on the left with the pushrod exiting on the right hand side, about 2-3 inches in front of the rudder closed loop exits. I seem to remember the fueselage has exit slots on both sides, so you can pick which ever one you prefer, a torch right up against the film is helful for finding holes in the ply under the covering I think the important thing was the pushrod should exit on the opposite side to the servo, and yes the dowel did get close to some of the formers, but for me at least using the suggested elevator deflection it doesn't rub. Can you see what it is hitting? r. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Hi Baron Baz, Just been out to the garage to check my wot4 and it is exactly as Robin discribes elevator servo on the left and pushrod exits through slot on the right of the fuselage. There is a slot on both side of mine in front of the rudder control cable slots. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty C Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Robin Thats the nail in the head! It must be just the electric version with this then. Baz This is why I was little confused, like you say I didn't think there would by that much of a difference between them. Rusty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbycat Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I've just put one of these together too. I also found the elevator pushrod fouling on the internal frames. What I did was put a bend in the wire on the servo end of the pushrod. This moved dowel part of the rod away from the side of the frames. Seems to be working so far. Can't put a pic up at the moment as I'm at work. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Cheers Robin & Dean (& Rusty of course!). There is most definitely no slot in the right side of the fuselage for the elevator, only on the left. I assume that these chinese ARTF models are jobbed out to whichever factory can do them at any one time. Mine was obviously made in a factory where left was right and vise-versa! It looks like I'll have to dismantle the supplied control rod & rebuild it with one of the wires mounted at 180 degrees to it's current position (If you look down the length of the dowel from the servo end, with the servo wire at the 6 o'clock position, the clevis wire is currently at 9 o'clock). The photo below shows me holding the servo end, with the clevis attached at the other end. I apologise for the lack of focus but I've been fuel proofing in a closed environment! Hopefully, if I remount either the clevis wire at the 3 o'clock position (or servo wire at 12) then it will not bind against the internal frames (formers). The magic of photoshop! Edited By Baron Baz on 21/05/2012 23:52:19 Edited By Baron Baz on 22/05/2012 00:04:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Turbycat (Andy) - Cheers for that. I love a simple solution and that sounds just like what I need - I must be simple for not thinking of it - or maybe just too overcome by solvents. I may give it a try but I suspect that my control rod may have been built for a right side exit and so the dowel will be upside down in orientation, ie: hanging down from the servo wire, rather than being above the wire as shown above. Can you remember the locations of the exit slot and servo for the elevator on your model - right or left? Edited By Baron Baz on 22/05/2012 00:05:21 Edited By Baron Baz on 22/05/2012 00:05:38 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbycat Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 I can't really remember which side at the moment . I think the elevator rod exited on the left side of the fuselage. I'll take a pic tomorrow when I get home. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Much appreciated Andy. If you can take a shot of the servo tray showing the orientation of the rod and dowel too that would be brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty C Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Baron It looks as though you have the savvy to correct this issue anyway Good luck with it, also good you post a pic of the result as I think I will buy one as my first IC, I absolutely love the wotty I learnt on them and they are also great fun on high rates. Cheers Rusty Edited By Rusty C on 22/05/2012 09:21:32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codename-John Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Wouldnt it be a lot easier just to cut a slot on the other side insted of messing with the pushrod guessing bends and having to re-jig the piano wires, measure where it should be from the other side and 2 mins with a scalpel, job done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Posted by Codename-John on 22/05/2012 10:45:13: Wouldnt it be a lot easier just to cut a slot on the other side insted of messing with the pushrod guessing bends and having to re-jig the piano wires, measure where it should be from the other side and 2 mins with a scalpel, job done It might be easier, but I think it would be a poor option. If I don't need to start cutting the fuselage, why should I? 2 minutes with a scalpel would be a botch job, then I'd have to, at the very least, cover the original hole with solarfilm, even if I don't make a fillet to glue in place. If I'm going to have to adapt I'd much rather make the changes to an easily replaceable wodden dowel which will be inside the aircraft. If the 'plane was an old hack then maybe what you suggest would be ok, but I don't want it to look second hand before I maiden it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codename-John Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Your choice, if you can't use a scalpel to cut a little slot, in my opinion 30x5 mm piece of blended in solar film at the bottom rear of the fuz over the wrong hole is hardly going to make a model look second hand, unless you pointed it out to people they'd probly never even know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Posted by Codename-John on 22/05/2012 16:08:51: Your choice, if you can't use a scalpel to cut a little slot, in my opinion 30x5 mm piece of blended in solar film at the bottom rear of the fuz over the wrong hole is hardly going to make a model look second hand, unless you pointed it out to people they'd probly never even know Thanks for that. I'm perfectly capable of using a scalpel, I just don't see the point of cutting into the fuselage when there's already a slot specifically for the job. I also don't want to spend money on white solarfilm then wait four days for it to arrive. Adapting the dowel has been far simpler, quicker and has not affected the model's appearance in any way. Job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbycat Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Baron, here are a couple of pics i took this afternoon. Hope they help. The pic is shot from the nose looking towards the tail. The elevator servo is on the left sisde of the picture. Not the neatest of installations but it works. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Thanks very much for that Andy. I'm assuming the exit slot is on the left (right of the photos). That's the plan I'm taking but I didn't realise there would be enough spare wire to make a right-angled z-bend. I've mowed the servo wire through 180 degrees so forward clearance will be no issue now with a slightly more oblique z-bend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbycat Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Yes the exit slot is on the right side of the pics. There was plenty of spare wire on mine so it was easy to do. I think I might have the elevator servo the opposite way round from the instructions but not too sure . I just looked at the airframe and thought that'll work, most artf's go together in a fairly similar way . Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baron Baz Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Cheers Andy. Job done now and everything moves freely. After putting in the kinks to the wires I had absolutely no spare wire but the rod fitted perfectly as can be seen in the photo. Yes, both your elevator and rudder servos are back to front compared to the instructions but no matter. It would mean fitting the rudder wires would be easier. I also used a spare set of clevises on the rudder servo to improve the range of adjustment when fitting. It's the first time I've used a closed loop system and found it a real pain (lots of cursing, swearing and spitting out of the dummy while trying to make silly little adjustments). Now its all together it works great but I can't help think there must be a better way. I saw a photo on here from a guy who left the wire in one piece and simply threaded it through the control arms - maybe try that next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.