Elevon reversing?

| I have a Combat Wings XE2 with a Hitec 555 receiver being controlled with an | Airtronics RD6000 Super. The elevator works normally, but the ailerons are | reversed. When I use the servo reversing on the transmitter, the elevator | and ailerons are switched. Does anyone have any idea how to correct this?

I'm not familiar with the Airtronics TX specifically, but in the case of any two channel elevon plane there's exactly three things you can reverse --

- you can swap the two plugs in the RX - you can reverse the elevator channel on the TX - you can reverse the ailerons channel on the TX

between these three, you should be able to make it work. There's only eight possible combinations, and there should be two different combinations that work, so your odds of any given combination working are 25% -- pretty good, considering that you can make the swap in just a few seconds, especially with the reversing on the TX.

On my Futaba gear, I don't recall if the mixing happens before or after the reversing -- I think it's before, but I'm not sure. Either way, you can get it correct with just a minute or two of trial and error.

Well, I got it straightened out. And it took ALL three of these to get the surfaces where they need to go. It was driving me nuts. Thanks

I don't either, but I do know that trying to get more elevator movement on a picojet and being unfamiliar with the programming, I managed to get the ailerons reversed...couldn't understand why it kept rolling and crashing..but that at least was correctable with software.

However common sense suggests that swapping the servos wont work, as with normal ailerons a simple Y lead is enough to cause them to move differentially on the same signal, ergo they are getting the same sense input when used as elevons.

IIRC on the Futaba the elevon mix menu has a forward/reverse function.

Just a comment about the whole operation you have just gone through. As a club member on a busy field, let me congratulate for you doing this at home instead of on the flying field on Sunday with the most popular frequency clip.

Please remember how to do this stuff when you go to the field. When I see a clip missing from the board and a guy is not flying but standing staring at his xmitter and punching buttons (seemingly forever), I know what sort of xmitter he has.

Ken

I can imagine the frustration that this causes. I'm fortunate that I live in rural America and have a flying buddy that lives a mile out of town. So we get some stick time there and work the bugs out prior to going to the flying field 20 miles south. I've had my transmitter for about three years now so am fairly familiar with it, but haven't flown for some time and have never set up a flying wing before. Just a simple park flyer. I'm looking forward to this new adventure as well as delving further in to RC planes.

Thanks for your advice everyone,

Travis

Travis, I got one cheapo computer xmitter because I got a Zagi, Trick Razor, and I had a flying dot. I learned how to use the radio for these...I learned several times, actually. I have never learned something so many times in my life.

It didn't help that I had one computer xmitter and seven non-computer xmitters.

I felt stupid going to a flying field with a xmitter manual in the flight box. Well, I was stupid, wasn't I? That is why I was taking the manual.

I finally said to heck with it, put $19 electronic mixers in these things, and I will never be out of xmitters for this sort of stuff.

Right now, I doubt if I could make the menu come up to select the model...on the first time. I think I could get it on the third try.

Sir Ken, The Dim.

hehe, same "problem" here. Up until a few months ago, I'd never owned a computer radio. The most advanced one I ever had was an older (early 90's vintage) JR PCM1024 for my helo. It was "programmable" with lots of trim pots and dials. Nothing like the "point 'n click" of my 9C.

I haul the manal with me everytime I fly now. While I can choose the correct model on the 1st try most of the time (hehe) there are times when I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how the hell I set something up and have to do some reading 1st.

Has taken me about 18 months to select the right model..still sometimes get it wrong.

Futaba is the pits when it comes to ergonomics.

On my FF6, its press two buttons or program mode, then use shift key to get to 'model number' then use bottom keys to select model number, then use cursor to key over the set button, then press something to stop it flashing, then the two top keys together to exit the program mode. I STILL switch on and off to check the right number comes up onscreen

Its a ruddy nightmare. You would think they could have stuck an extra button on somewhere for 'toggle through model memeories' as its the thing you do all the time..

You should see the manual for Airtronics! It tells you how to get there, but not really much more. There isn't troubleshooting anywhere. I hooked it up to Real Flight today and found out the same problem I was having with my XE2 (ailerons/elevator switched). I'm going to hook up the extra radio parts I have from this system and see if they work normally or not tomorrow. If not, then they've created yet another problem during my last service (just got it back yesterday after them having it nearly a month).

Makes me wonder who makes the easiest radio to use.

I do mine a little differently. I get the model, see that it is the "Social Climber," look in the back of the estate wagon, pick up the xmitter (Olympus) with the masking tape on the front with "Social Climber" written on it, and that is it.

I plan on getting a really big computer radio to store all six models I take to the field. Then I won't have to go through all that delay getting ready to fly.

I might add that all xmitters are on the same frequency so I have redundant redundancy at the field. I might have to pop the back off and move a jumper but they are marked more obviously than on my simple computer radio I have now.

But fellows...we'd better get used to having a bunch of them because the time will come that will be all we will be able to get.

Ken

Don't talk to me about ergonomics. The longest I hold a xmitter is when racing sailboats. Those black xmitters are in the sun a lot and they get so hot I can hardly hold them.

I have made some covers out of padded foam and mylar...danged silly thing to have to do. Some r/c factory stylist should understand that they might be in the sun.

I got some little cheapo xmitters for some of my boats and I did some simple masking and painted those dudes gloss white. They stay clean...sail boating is a clean sport...until the regatta start-horn sounds.

Ken

Anyone who makes a non-computer radio.

Ken

| > I'm not familiar with the Airtronics TX specifically, but in the case | > of any two channel elevon plane there's exactly three things you can | > reverse -- | > | > - you can swap the two plugs in the RX | > - you can reverse the elevator channel on the TX | > - you can reverse the ailerons channel on the TX

Well, some fancier computer radios do allow more options than that, like controlling how the control travel, adding exponential and the like, but the very simplest radios with mixing have very few buttons. Like my 3 channel Hitec with only 4 switches -- reverse on each channel, and `enable mixing.'

| However common sense suggests that swapping the servos wont work, as | with normal ailerons a simple Y lead is enough to cause them to move | differentially on the same signal, ergo they are getting the same sense | input when used as elevons.

Depends on how the servos are set up. If the servos point the same way, a Y harness will make them move the same way, and if reversed, a Y harness will make them move in different directions.

I suspect that you shouldn't ever need to swap the servo plugs (because you can achieve the same goal in some other way), but in some cases, it does make things work that were previously wrong.

| IIRC on the Futaba the elevon mix menu has a forward/reverse function.

To be fair, Futaba has put out many different radios with different functionalities.

Somebody was asking which radios had the best ergonomics? I'm not so sure about the ergonomics, but the easiest to program radios I've seen have been the Multiplex.

It feels good that I have a Spektrum DSS after reading this thread :) There are no rules and the antenna is only 13 inches.

I know. I want a royal evo..but can;'t justify the price..

If you live and or operate your radio in the US then you are under the rules of the FCC. And as you'll find, that the Spektrum DX6 is a JR XF631 utilizing a new frequency band. Also, this radio is open for use as a ground and air radio, but as an air radio, it's limited to park fliers for now as there is a limit on range that can't compete with the 72 or 50 MHz frequencies.

FYI

Make the antenna 26" long and you will have twice the range.

Or does that double the frequency?

Wait! NO! It doubles the number of CHANNELS!

I knew I would get it right, eventually.

This r/c stuff ain't so hard if you can just remember the danged rules!

You are welcome...Ken .

Multiplex has the only transmitters with logical programming. I thin

the person who wrote the program for the asian radios must have bee the same one that wrote the program for my VCR. I was never able t program any Hitec, Futaba, or Airtronics transmitter without having th manual in front of me. Since switching to the Evo, I seldon bother t open the manual unless I am trying something new. Programming the Ev is so easy unless you have been brainwashed by the asian radios. Speaking of ergonomics, the Multiplex Cockpit has the best feel an balance of any transmitter I have ever used. Only wish the Evo was a good

-- Chuck

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