Help I have a muddy problem

[Phil May]

After a few flights today at our rather mucky field, this was the end result of the underside of my Stick
                                   

                                               And

    These photo's were taken after one flight and my concern is the mud on the aileron servos(I should of took the servo photo before it had a quick wipe)

 which are unprotected under the wings.  It go's without saying that the model received a thorough clean after use.

 I am worried about mud/water entering the servo and causing a problem. Is there a cover large enough to fit in front of them, our local model shop say's that he has not seen anything that is a straight forward fit due to the protruding height of the "standard" Futaba servo.

 I was thinking of engineering a plastic? shield that  fits in front of and partially around the side of each servo.  

 I don't want to stop flying due to a  rather wet strip.

 Any ideas gratefully greatly excepted

Edited By Big Phil on 17/01/2010 17:13:25

[ben hall]

simple soloution to this would be add wheel pants . make a mud gaurd . that way u dont need to clean plane to two problems sorted in one go

Edited By ben hall on 17/01/2010 17:16:55

[Vecchio Austriaco]

Just came home from the field and guess what I did duirng the last half hour?

 

cleaning my planes.

It is true that wheel pants help, but they do not eliminate the problem. You still get some mud on the tail. Cleaned my Sukhoi - with wheelpants - and my Yak 54 - without wheelpants.

 

And when the growing period comes back and the grass is too long you may experience some problems with the wheel pants.

 

About the servos: as long as you do not soak them they should be o.k.

VA

[Alan B]

Hi Phil

 

If you are really concerned about the servo's. Just look around the house. Those little bubble packs.  The sort of plastic packaging on card that us modellers get  wing horns/screws/electrical bits etc etc. They usually have a flat edge at the bottom to hold under the card.  All you would need to do is cut a slit in the back for the control rod and glue the cover over the servo encasing it.  If you get my drift. Just a thought. Simple and cheap.

 

Al

[ken anderson.]

yo big phil easter egg's are a good source for 'bubble's to protect the servo's (there in the shops now) ...i kid you not.or why not set the servo's into the wing.........

 

         ken anderson cream egg tester..ne 1.......... 

[Andy Gates]

If you are really that bothered about protecting your wing servos, remove them from the wing, enlarge the hole they are mounted in and mount the servos sideways on a screw on cover.

The arm should extend outside of the wing through a slot in the cover and the majority of the servo will be protected from the mud flung up by the undercarrage.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

I was on the take-off run today and hit an enormous puddle just before lift off - very spectacular spray of water - and it cleaned the plane off as well! Its the reason we have winter hacks

 

BEB

[001]

The answer, if you are starting from scratch with a sports model, is to install the servos on top of the wing. (See picture).

 On a low wing model, if the U/C gets torn off. the linkages are protected from damage and when you are flying the bottom of the wing is seen more than the top wing. (Normally).