Multiplex Solius Glider

[Capt Kremen]

I've enjoyed many a (long) flight with my MPX 'Solius' glider ever since 2013.

Wishing to enjoy the glorious flying weather with it yesterday, on pre-flight checks I discovered that the elevator had ceased to function.

So my enquiry to forum folk:

Are there any practical ways, without involving major 'surgery', to access and remove the elevator servo (Hitec HS65MG) with its cable extension for examination/replacement? .

(The 'Elevator' socket on the MPX Rx has been checked and is not the culprit).

Those familiar with MPX 'Elapor', know that the fuselage halves are 'Zacki' super glued together, with servos and extension cabling encased very firmly in the process!

'Gouging' along the length of the foam fuselage to dig out the faulty servo + lead would be a pity if this can be avoided.

At the moment, I'm thinking it may be a replacement fuselage job.

Ideas and practical suggestions welcomed. Thanks.

[buster prop]

No need to carve up the fuselage CK. the elevator and rudder servos are buried in the fin and hidden under the sticker on its RHS. The extension lead could have failed but I would check the servo first. Pull back the sticker to expose the servos and connection to the lead. Simply substitute a spare servo and give it a try. If the red Multiplex one has failed then I’m told that a Hitec HS55 is a good replacement. The elevator servo has a short vertical pushrod with an L shaped end going to the elevator. If this proves that the extension lead has failed then ask again. Good luck with it.

[Piers Bowlan]

Personally I wouldn't use a HS55, as it is a park-fly/indoor servo with a torque of only 1.08Kg/cm, and has plastic gears. It's not up to being an elevator servo in a Solius. The Hitec HS65Mg might be a better choice here with a torque of 1.8Kg/cm, metal gears and similar dimensions. Alternatively you could use a Hobby King Corona 939MG with a torque of 2.5Kg/cm. I have bought a number of these in the past and have proved to be reliable. I used one in a 2.4m span Fox glider and it was more than up to the job. It is also about the same size as the HS55.

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 05/05/2018 14:07:43

[buster prop]

You’re probably right about HS55s, someone told me that the red Multiplex ‘Tiny’ servos are re- branded HS55s. Seems that they are HS65MGs. That’s why I though an HS55 was a plug in replacement. Incidentally the fin sticker is on the LH side looking from the back of the plane.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[buster prop]

Yes Percy the leads do go through the long hexagonal tube in the fuselage. On my Solius the tube is aluminium but I think it's fibreglass on the Heron. The question is whether there's enough room to get the plugs through if one of the extension leads has to be replaced. I've not had a problem (yet) with the tail servos.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Capt Kremen]

Hi All

Firstly, thanks to all for your inputs .... To update ...

Frustrated with possibly missing some super flying conditions coming in the next days, (not to mention the dross available to watch on Saturday evenings TV), I picked up the scalpel.

Very gingerly cutting along the fuselage seam line, and using a steel ruler as a sort of tyre lever, I was able to very cleanly prize apart the fuselage halves and fin. It seems 5 year old plus 'Zacki' becomes quite crystalline and easy to cut through.

The Hitec 65MG servos were then extracted. (They '''loop' around a foam channel, so simply pulling them/their extension lead through and out, is not possible). Carefully extracting said servo and extension leads, I was able to find the offending broken wire on a plug, it had detached at the socket!

After thoroughly checking a new extension lead and the servo of course, I wound strong but thin electrical tape around the joins. As a post suggests, there is limited room in the Ali tube to allow conventional servo plastic keepers to be used and still permit feeding down the tube to the cockpit/receiver area. Satisfied both rudder and elevator servo and leads now installed, were still working ok, I re 'Zackied' the fuselage halves and fin together. A dab of hot glue securing the servos in their 'wells' before reapplying the vinyl patch covers.

Hey presto, one fully serviceable 'Solius', and you would hardly notice it had been apart😀😋

 

Edited By Capt Kremen on 06/05/2018 11:00:14