Wonky Libelle DLG flaperon throws

[SuperFrodo]

For the record, I did centre my servos. I'm 90% sure I did anyway...

So I just got my Libelle in the mail along with the servos and other bits Dream-Flight recommends, and I finished putting it together with barely enough daylight left to give it a few javelin throws to satiate my desire to fly a glider, and boy were those few throws a lot of fun. But an issue that I had prior to going out for a test flight is that I have tiny throws on the ailerons. I did dial in the end-point adjustment to get them moving a reasonable amount, but It's set to less than low rates and if I try to use flaperons I run out of throw to use for control (as in, the ailerons don't have any more travel after being lowered to the full flaperon setting).

This makes me wonder if when full flaperon is deployed, does only one aileron raise at a time for roll while the other stays down and doesn't move.
I'll take another look and watch some Youtube videos on setting up flaperons, but so far this has been a common theme. I end up with less throws than I should be getting.

 

[Craftydan]

Hey SF,

Flaperons by their nature are a tradeoff between roll authority and camber. At full extension, most flaperons loose most roll authority . . . but they also generally slow WAAAAAAAY down. In this case, it's why you have a rudder (make that left-hand work!)

That being said, it sounds like you don't have much mechanical travel overall. On most of the 1.5M DLGs, full throws on the ailerons can be quite extreme. That being said, at 1.2m and un-skinned foam wing, the Libelle isn't setup to be flown as aggressively as it's bigger brawny sister ships. Moving in on the control horn or out on the servo horn will give you better throw, and it'll probably be structurally fine, but I doubt you want them to move to those same extremes.

you can adjust the throw, but I will caution . . . fly her first as-is. Get used to her, then loosen her aileron throws. her stock throws are probably tame for a reason, particularly you're learning to fly something weird (and DLG launch is weird compared to most other RC flight) get used to her first before you open the throws too much.

 

[SuperFrodo]

Hey SF,

Flaperons by their nature are a tradeoff between roll authority and camber. At full extension, most flaperons loose most roll authority . . . but they also generally slow WAAAAAAAY down. In this case, it's why you have a rudder (make that left-hand work!)

That being said, it sounds like you don't have much mechanical travel overall. On most of the 1.5M DLGs, full throws on the ailerons can be quite extreme. That being said, at 1.2m and un-skinned foam wing, the Libelle isn't setup to be flown as aggressively as it's bigger brawny sister ships. Moving in on the control horn or out on the servo horn will give you better throw, and it'll probably be structurally fine, but I doubt you want them to move to those same extremes.

you can adjust the throw, but I will caution . . . fly her first as-is. Get used to her, then loosen her aileron throws. her stock throws are probably tame for a reason, particularly you're learning to fly something weird (and DLG launch is weird compared to most other RC flight) get used to her first before you open the throws too much.

I'm trying to set the flaperons for the landing configuration whilst maintaining full aileron, but the thing is that I'm not going ham on the throws, I'm just using the low rates from the manual, which the servos aren't managing. So far I've done everything according to the manual even with buying the servos that Dream-Flight sells in the package FOR the Libelle.

I also realise the aileron is the main thing to use. It makes sense since in full scale aircraft you use the rudder a lot more than the ailerons for both yaw and roll, something that is very pronounced in the glider. I noticed it in the test glides that I did.

I'll play around with the settings, hopefully I can get the flaperons to function fully for tomorrow. I'll try to get up nice and early for the smoothest weather.

EDIT: I changed the pushrod's position on the control horn and now I have the travel that I want. I can actually program the right amount of flaperon in and have ample aileron movement in the landing configuration. I won't bother with camber, reflex, and launch mode just yet. I'll practice flying the plane simple, but now I will be able to slow it down for gentler landings so I can reduce wear on the airframe.