I'm building one of of the Midwest Fantail launches and want to try and use a kitchen rudder.

I've scoured the threads and the idea of using two servos each controlling one half of the rudder sounds ingenious. Looks like it will save room and weight.

But I'm completely new to RC, so I’m wondering if anyone has perfected the method and could give me tips as to what I should be looking for in a radio since it requires signal mixing (and does it affect the type of receiver or servo to be used)?

Many thanks, Rob

Never heard of this sort of thing. Kinda curious now.

Hi
You can do it by building a simple mechanical servo mixer....
post 9 here http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_20...tm.htm#2021715
is the best example I could find after a very quick google....
The flaps servo in the above example will open and close the kitchen rudder (suppose on the throttle channel) and the aileron servo will operate the rudder for steering..
I was thinking of doing this myself but after thinking about it was worried the closing of the rudder may stall the tiny midwest power plant...

Your remote control might already have a program called something like "V-Tail mixer". That's for planes using a V-tail but it works just as well for the Kitchen rudder.

It would make the two servos work in parallel for left and right and against each other for reverse. You'd have to refer to your remote's manual for details on setting it up.

Problem in trying to do it the lazy way (electronically) is that to achieve directional reverse control, the rudder "Cups" won't seal to each other at the rear edges. Much better to have the cups mounted on a "Turntable" for direction control by one servo and pivoted control by a separate one to open and close them.

Regards Ian.

Thanks everyone.

Don't have a radio yet; still trying to figure out what I need. I'm getting the impression that for a boat, especially a steam boat, you have to 'adapt' to a radio designed either for a car or a plane. Any suggestions on best Makes/Models with price a primary concern?

I thought I'd seen at least one midwest steam engine running with a kitchen rudder on one of the threads, so I'm hoping the engine will take it!

I've now seen a few examples of 'mechanical mixing', what worries me about going this route is trying to create a ''turntable'' that will fit into what seems like rather a small space. Maybe I'll try experimenting with both methods, prior to instalation in the boat.

The link provided in nick_75au's blog explain well this control system:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...59&postcount=1
And that can be achieved very easily with a V-tail mixer and two servos, or done with a Tx which has that mix. Here is an example of V-tail mixer to use between the Rx and two servos:
http://www.bphobbies.com/view.asp?id...=T498579&img=l
If its for a very small steam boat(midwest steam engine) a 2.4 Ghz radio would be best as they use a very short antenna, something like this would be adequate(and has V-tail mixer build in the Tx)
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...x_Mode_2_.html

If you're only looking to reverse from a simple steam plant, a variable pitch prop is far more efficient as not only can you reverse with it but also use it as a variable speed control while keeping the engine speed constant.

Some will fool about trying to throttle a steam engine and risk stopping a simple engine rather than keeping the input constant and controlling the output.

Regards Ian

A variable pitch prop will work, but I have never found one that was not expensive. A Kitchen Rudder made with micro servoes would be a lot easier to make.
Regards,
Gerald.

Sorry Gerald, forgot the "Buy" line of longitude that separates us .

Regards Ian.

And I'd forgotten the "Good Manners" line that separates some from others. Thanks for the reminder, I guess.

Thanks all once again. Very useful; I'll look into the radio options.

Regards, Rob

Originally Posted by Circlip

If you're only looking to reverse from a simple steam plant, a variable pitch prop is far more efficient as not only can you reverse with it but also use it as a variable speed control while keeping the engine speed constant.

That's EXACTLY what a Kitchen rudder does, and it's technically much easier to make.

Plus you have directional reverse control Kno3, (see # 5). Problem with Glynns is that it's a pure reverse deflector.

Regards Ian.