REFLECTOR: TR: Autopilot servos

Wed Mar 26 13:20:20 CDT 2008

I am running the lowly Navaid autopilot and servo.  I have my aileron servo 
mounted in the rear cabin area at the back of the keel.  Mine works very 
well in wing leveler, CDI, and GPS track (with Porcine converter) modes.

I have seen several servos mounted in the engine compartment which I don't 
think is a very good place for electronics to live a long life!  It is 200 
plus degrees back there - throw in some radiant heat from the exhaust pipes 
and now you are talking about some real warm conditions!

Ronnie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Ellzey" <ajlz72756 at yahoo.com>
To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: TR: Autopilot servos

>I am using the BM EFIS one system and I am planning to purchase the 
>autopilot servo's to use with my system. My question is, has anyone thought 
>of cutting a pocket into the wing to mount the aileron servo close to the 
>aileron bell crank and get it off of the engine firewall? I know that other 
>builders have mounted oil coolers and other items in the wings and just 
>thought that this would be a neat place to hide the servo. Just my 
>thoughts, I haven't completed my wings through primer yet, so I can't even 
>cut my ailerons out yet. I am very close and am waiting on good painting 
>weather to finish my wings.
>
>
> Andy Ellzey
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Craig and Denise Woolston <cdwoolston at sbcglobal.net>
> To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list <reflector at tvbf.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 6:47:23 AM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: TR: Autopilot servos
>
> We mounted our BM servos in a very similar location and are flying.  I 
> would
> strongly recommend moving the aileron servo to the engine compartment.  We
> have not had very good luck get our roll control to be smooth and 
> positive.
> After complaining to BM they say we should have mounted the servo closer 
> to
> the actual surface, that the slop of the push-pull cables is affecting the
> performance.  I've attached my pictures of install for reference.
>
> Craig
> XL5-FG Flying in Lancaster, CA
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Alex Balic
> Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 5:26 PM
> To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: TR: Autopilot servos
>
> Hi Gilles-
>
> I will try to get out there and take a picture or you, but basically, I
> removed the output arm from the servo- then fabricated an adapter that 
> would
> allow a small universal joint to attach to the output shaft of the servo,
> then I adapted the end of the universal joint to fit into the  torque tube
> directly- I probably could have made a plug to go directly from the servo
> into the tube, but I felt that there might be the possibility of binding, 
> so
> I added the U-joint- the servo mounts on the floor behind of the keel on 
> an
> aluminum hat channel piece that I fabricated. The only disadvantage that I
> see is that the servo has no mechanical advantage on the aileron system- 
> if
> you use an output arm, and a rod linkage to the end of the aileron arm 
> that
> pushes/pulls the flex cables, you can set it up with maybe 1.5 to one
> advantage- I hear that the servo is plenty strong to move the ailerons
> though, but the other advantage of using the mechanical  linkage is that 
> the
> servo would not have to be as precise- maybe 3 degrees servo travel to 2
> degrees aileron arm travel- I have not flown with it yet, but the install 
> is
> clean.
>
> Alex
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Gilles Ross
> Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 10:58 AM
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Subject: REFLECTOR: TR: Autopilot servos
>
>
> Thanks Alex
> Do you know the arm lenght of your attachment in reference with the center
> on the torque tube
> and which hole (or arm lenght) did you used on the servo arm.
> Gilles
>
> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]De la
> part de Alex Balic
> Envoye : 24 mars 2008 10:44
> A : 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
> Objet : Re: REFLECTOR: Autopilot servos
>
>
> I put my elevator servo on top of the canard- I bought another trim spring
> bracket from Velocity and attached it on the other elevator torque tube-
> connected to that- I mounted my roll servo at the end of the keel co 
> Axially
> with the aileron torque tube- it is connected to the torque tube with a
> small universal joint.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
> Behalf Of Gilles Ross
> Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 8:54 PM
> To: reflector at tvbf.org
> Subject: REFLECTOR: Autopilot servos
>
> I am looking where BMA autopilot servos have been installed for the 
> elevator
> and aileron.
>
> Has anyone installed the elevator servo in the keel?
>
> Gilles
>
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