Why curve the pushrods on the Old Fogey?

[Photobug]

I have built the old fogey and am finishing up the servo and control portion once I order some appropriately sized pushrods and hopefully find some cocktail straws to direct the pushrod on its circuitous route to the aft end of the plane. I am wondering why the pushrods have to take the long route to the control surfaces? Wouldn't it be better to angle the servo tray so the pushrods go more directly to the control surfaces? I know the pushrod will need to be redirected near the aft area to be aligned with the movement of the control surfaces but why not angle the servo tray to avoid less bending of the pushrod?

I have already installed the servo tray and it is in the right place to catch the power pod. I am tempted though is to build up a slope on top of the servo tray so the servo throw is more inline with a straight shot toward the control surfaces.

 

[Foamforce]

I wondered the same thing. I was guessing that putting a bow in it makes it flex less because it will always want to bow only in that one direction. If it’s straight, even if it has something holding it at the center, it can still bow into an S shape.

Best guess. Can someone verify or deny?

 

[Crazed Scout Pilot]

To me it is just that way so that looks better. but I have built those type of alplanes with the servos right underneath the tail like the swappable Spitfire. Also I have built a lot of big and small FT airplanes and they all fly great but I had a really bad experience with the Old Fogey. It just kept nose diving. I then moved the battery father in to the fuselage and got it into the air but still when I would turn the throttle of it would just nose dive. I could have built it wrong, but I just try to give you heads up.

 

[Piotrsko]

The nose dive was from lack of offset thrust typically pointing down.

Curving a pushrod also means you have to have something that holds the pushrod there. That something is typically around the point where the pushrod wants to bend irreparably.