I started building a Top Flite F4u-1 Corsair about 20 Years ago, but never finished it. A few address moves later, It wound up in the trash. How ever, while building it, on one trip to my hobby shop I found control horns that would move the surfaces from inside the wing (no exposed parts).So you could build a pocket for the moving surface to cover the joint just like the big ones.

I will try to describe what they looked like. The main body of the horn (the part that went through the wing TE)was a 1" long, 1/2" high, 3/4" deep, rectaingle with a vertical 1/8" hole through each end for dowling it into the wing TE. The center of the rectangle had a wedge shaped slot from which the actuating rod came through. The rod was virticaly pinned at the narrow end of the wedge and extended into a 45 DEG. slot cut through the moving part of the horn, which was about 3/4" long,1/2" wide, 1/4" high and tapered to 1/16" at the TE. As the rod moved left or right in its slot it moved the back halve of the horn up or down. through about 90 DEG. of movement.


Now that I'm back into R/C I'm going to build another Corsair. And was looking for the control horns, but as of yet have been unable to find them. I don't remember who made them or what name they went under. any help would be greatly app.

Jim
What goes up...Must come down !!!

Those are Michealis concealed horns...
Hobby Lobby used to carry them, but the idea is doable on your own..
http://users.adelphia.net/~pjburke1011/ideas1.htm

Harley Michaleis is an octogenarian prolific model designer and builder who marketed the RDS (Rotary Drive System).
http://genie.rchomepage.com/FILE%200...R%20SYSTEM.pdf
I was working on the systemat the same time and a number of my ideas were incorporated into Harley's final product.
They take a bit more of an effort to install than the usual "hanging in the breeze" horns, but are very compact and efficient and allow a clean wing.
My installations can be seen at
http://www.windandwavemodels.com/RDS.html and
http://www.windandwavemodels.com/DoubleRDS.html

John O'Sullivan

Thanks Much !!!!!

Are these what you may have been thinking of?

Yup That's Them

Says Pat Ped 8006794-5 and SWEDEN made. Don't have any of the packaging. When I first got then years ago I sat a worked one for hours and hours. Never could get it to loosen up. Go with the rotory actuators in thread #2 and #3.

Same here worked them till my fingers hurt... same results wish I could find them now . thanks for the info, mine had holes for dowling like i said earlyer but thats them for sure mabie I'll make some at work.

Think it's a great idea IF they are precision made. Use the other design. It's been proven to work.

they will be, I'm a perfectionist acording to my boss

Hobby-Lobby used to sell these actuators (called Swingbee, apparently); a fellow modeller ordered some of them about a year ago. Scroll to about halfway down the page; there's pictures and a link to the Hobby Lobby website, although they don't seem to carry them anymore you could try and give them a call.

I've used RDS myselfs. These guys sell pre-made pockets and torsion shafts... if you use them, this system is hardly any more difficult to install than regular control horns or the Swingbee.

I bought some of these things shown in post #5 many years ago. They were called Swingees and made in Sweden. They were so stiff and sloppy they were worthless and never got put in a plane.
The RDS system is a good one either as a commercial product through Kimborough or as a home built system. There is someone producing a machined aluminium version too.
Mark Drela of MIT who has done stirling work in the develpoment of high stress, ultra lightweight high performance R/C gliders (search on Allegro Lite), uses a version.
The mechanics of the RDS principle ensures slop free high torque transfer of control to your flying control surfaces.
Forget the Swingees go for RDS
John O'Sullivan

Thank You for the info You do have me thinking about using the RDS now.

Just curious, what advantage does this have over a standard torque rod setup?

Torque rod as in center mounted servo and strip ailerons?