Control clevis needed, challenge for Ultra Hobbies?

I am building in an access hatch mainly because I have never built a flapped plane that I did not have to adjust the length of the elevator rod during trimming. The adjustable horns take care of the flap elevator relationship but I am not aware of an easy way to adjust the length. In this plane I am not going to have room for a ball link or even an adjustable control horn so the only real choice is to use a clevis.

My first thought is to make the threaded part turn independent of the fork. If the outside was some standard hex stock that you could put a small wrench on you would have it. A lock nut on the threaded shaft could hold it in place until the initial trimming is done then JB weld the thing. Two wrenches is all that would be needed to make the adjustment. Also the clevis pin would need to be easily removed from one side through an access hatch to adjust the flap/elevator relationship.

Wadda ya think can it be made strong enough, and small enough? Oh! and I need one next week..

Do that, AND use ione of the very high quality UHP clevi and you'll be, as they say, in tall cotton, adjustability-wise. Of course, if you do all of that it will be the first time ever that you assembled everything right and won't need any adjustments...

See Ya

By the way what are his threaded insert made from? The central hobbys ones are titanium.

DMoon

My new Impact has Tom Morris-supplied CF pushrods, ball links, flap and elevator horns. (All of it, especially the flap and elevator horns, are of high quality--really Good Stuff.) I caught him just as the left-hand threaded rod ends were being machined, couldn't resist and ordered them. Yep, makes the pushrod into a turnbuckle. No more 1/2-turn adjustments which are too much or not enough, don't even have to remove any linkage.

Actually, I have been using something "kinda" similar on other models. But it was home-brewed from RC car parts so the zoot factor was a bit low.

I believe Tom's LH pushrod end fittings are Ti, but I'm not at home to double-check.

Actually Ultra Hobbies has a HUGE challange... they get to put up with Doug.

See Ya

After reading all 6 of the previous answers to this post, I would like to mention the link produced by Bill Byles. His product ad is on page 29 of the Nov./Dec. Stunt news. They work great and are easily adjustable.

Get the tie rod ends from the RC car counter. You can get these in titanium and with a larger thread than the 4-40 couplers from other sources. Get ball links and ball link caps from the same place and mount on each end of the push rod. Adjustments can be made without removing the pushrod from the elevator horn. This system with the reverse threads allows very small adjustments for elevator trim where sometimes even a half turn with a clevis on a 4-40 coupler is more than desired. Also, the RC car ball links and the ball link caps are more sturdy than some of those from the model airplane counter. (Easy and light.)

The Tom Morris reverse thread couplers do the same thing. (Easy and light.)

Another alternative is the adjuster that Bill Byles advertises in Stunt News. This is installed as part of the carbon pushrod. (Easy and light.)

There are probably more neat and light ideas. These all work.

Keith

I need a clevis with a removable pin...

Yes the Ultra Clevis has a removable pin. It works really well and I have been using it for years.

You can get a look at them right in the middle of the following page.

http://www.egpworld.com/ultrahobby/catalog/CLACCESSORIES.htm

Hope this helps.

DMoon

>Bob,
>
>Yes the Ultra Clevis has a
>removable pin. It works
>really well and I have
>been using it for years.
>
>
>You can get a look at
>them right in the middle
>of the following page.
>
>http://www.egpworld.com/ultrahobby/catalog/CLACCESSORIES.htm
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>DMoon

I went to Ultra Hobby website, right clicked on the picture of the clevis, the (Netscape) menu that pops up has a button to "copy image location". Then came to post here, and clicked on "edit", then "paste", and the picture shows up here. VERY little hassle. What is actually pasted on this post (but you don't see) is: <> (but without the <> ). The jpg does not have to be on the website, but has to be on their server, if you see the difference. Of course I wouldn't know the jpg was on the server unless I saw it on the website, but City Smasher would, and anybody else who may have the keys to their website. When I post a photo, usually I stick it on the NW Skyraider's server, but not on the website. If the server goes down, then you get a broken picture icon. I think!

This Ultra Hobbies clevis has a blind bore into the far leg of the clevis, so the pin cannot go out that way. The head of the screw keeps the pin from coming out the other direction. Unless you have access hatches on both sides, you cannot adjust less than one full turn, because you can't put the pin back in. Not a problem if you plan for it. Anyway, there is some great control system hardware available right now, and it will save many airplanes from control failures. Unfortunately, that's only part of the battle...Steve

Why don't you use the rod adjuster from Bill Byles, and mount it
more towards the front of the fuselage where you would have more room to mount and adjust it? You would also have more room for a hatch.

De

This seems to me like it would work well but you have to consider that I was an accounting/bean counter type until retirement. So far my modeling has been limited to sport type CL planes with .35 or smaller engines. My only exposure to competition models is is seeing and admiring them.

I ordered a few of the Ultra Clevis' and while I was at it had to have a couple sets of the bullet wheel collars for the bipe I am restoring. Also had to see one of the split horns so throw that in and here I drop $50.00. Made a trip to the local hobby shop to pick up a 6 ounce clunk tank and look for control parts, also found the Dubro turnbuckle rods and by the time I got out of the place I had dropped $45.00. Then I called Tom Morris and end up dropping another $50.00 on stuff I just couldn't live without. Isn't this a great hobby