First off, yeah, you'll want to brace the servo in the pocket regardless of how you run the linkage. Launches are terribly stressful on everything in the airframe, so best to lock everything down. Try to not add much weight as you do, but make sure it doesn't move in the bay.
Also, if youre going to top drive, make sure you keep at least 1/8" gap between the servo horn and the end of the pocket. If not, flush is fine.
Second, I'm not sure how the longshot wing is built out but you may or may not be able to do a top drive forward of the main spar. If the spar goes all the way through the wing, top to bottom (good chance of that) you're stuck. You don't want to make a hole in your spar for a linkage. You need the strength.
IF there is a gap in the spar, and it's wide enough to run a linkage through, you're going to cut a channel inside the wing, passing through this gap.
To borrow an image from silver sky tantan's blog:
This is what you're shooting for.
Go ahead and beef up that servo pocket, but before you mount the servo, well need to cut that channel alligned on the end of the servo. Allingment goes (from inboard to outboard) servo horn, control rod, control horn. You'll need to mount (but not glue) the servo in its pocket, and Mark on the opposite side of the wing where the rod will come out (tape is your friend, as is backlighting the wing).
Once this point is found, cut a channel in the top skin NO MORE than an inch forward. This is just an exit tunnel. You'll then use a heated wire to melt a channel in the foam, aiming for the outboard edge of the servo horn. Once that channel is cut, the stressful stuff is over. Cut your control horn mount outboard of your rod, dry fit everything, then bend the control horn to fit. Tape the servo, run your wires through the wing and mount the servo on the rod upside down. Add epoxy to the pocket (a little dab will do ya) and roll the servo down into the pocket -- the servo horn should be on the rod before you epoxy and as you drop it in the hole, it should stay there. Tape it down and let it set. Then mount the control horn on the rod, add epoxy and fold it into this pocket.... And you're done.
I know, easier said than done, and you MUST be careful around the exit tunnel or you'll damage the glass skin, but the results of burying the linkage like this is amazing.
A good vid that visualizes most of this process:
Also, if youre going to top drive, make sure you keep at least 1/8" gap between the servo horn and the end of the pocket. If not, flush is fine.
Second, I'm not sure how the longshot wing is built out but you may or may not be able to do a top drive forward of the main spar. If the spar goes all the way through the wing, top to bottom (good chance of that) you're stuck. You don't want to make a hole in your spar for a linkage. You need the strength.
IF there is a gap in the spar, and it's wide enough to run a linkage through, you're going to cut a channel inside the wing, passing through this gap.
To borrow an image from silver sky tantan's blog:
This is what you're shooting for.
Go ahead and beef up that servo pocket, but before you mount the servo, well need to cut that channel alligned on the end of the servo. Allingment goes (from inboard to outboard) servo horn, control rod, control horn. You'll need to mount (but not glue) the servo in its pocket, and Mark on the opposite side of the wing where the rod will come out (tape is your friend, as is backlighting the wing).
Once this point is found, cut a channel in the top skin NO MORE than an inch forward. This is just an exit tunnel. You'll then use a heated wire to melt a channel in the foam, aiming for the outboard edge of the servo horn. Once that channel is cut, the stressful stuff is over. Cut your control horn mount outboard of your rod, dry fit everything, then bend the control horn to fit. Tape the servo, run your wires through the wing and mount the servo on the rod upside down. Add epoxy to the pocket (a little dab will do ya) and roll the servo down into the pocket -- the servo horn should be on the rod before you epoxy and as you drop it in the hole, it should stay there. Tape it down and let it set. Then mount the control horn on the rod, add epoxy and fold it into this pocket.... And you're done.
I know, easier said than done, and you MUST be careful around the exit tunnel or you'll damage the glass skin, but the results of burying the linkage like this is amazing.
A good vid that visualizes most of this process: