Originally Posted by flazo

Vice_TT I'm have been using them for years Already! but on the Elevator ONLY the HS-85MG you can check my blog...

For the price it's much better....also is not worth buying extra gears to change because usually the circuit goes before the gears!

I use the 3Dhobbyshop Servo arms to get more throw : )

fred

Great info, thanks. I might switch my elevator servo to a Hitec too. Glad to hear they are up to the test. My oldest Corona is about 1 year old and works as good as new.

I had hundreds of flights on my AMR with voltecs with great success for years. Admittedly though I have used HiTecs in most other PA builds. HiTecs simply have such a great selection, are conveniently accessible at a LHS, are well priced, and come with good support... tough to beat

Originally Posted by Vince_TT

If you are worried about the height of your servos, you can make some spacers/standoffs out off plywood to mount your aileron servos.

Hmm, that is a good idea, thanks!

Originally Posted by bsbauman

HiTecs simply have such a great selection, are conveniently accessible at a LHS, are well priced, and come with good support... tough to beat

Agreed on that. I use Hitecs in everything else. I just don't see many people using Voltecs and was wondering if I'm in for a surprise. Thanks for the feedback bsbauman.

You wont be in for any odd surprises; my voltecs have been solid (although I do occasionally hear of bad experiences).

You do not see many people using them because they are not accessible from a LHS or any major online retailer that I know of. The are branded and distributed exclusively by PA; but I do not believe they disclose who manufactures them.

Originally Posted by bsbauman

The are branded and distributed exclusively by PA; but I do not believe they disclose who manufactures them.

They are made by Bluebird, externally they are identical to a Bluebird 373MG: http://www.blue-bird-model.com/en/servos/bms-373mg.html

And the specification is mighty close

Bluebird even show aa PA Extra 260 on their advertising

I didn't have much luck with the Bluebirds I've tried. The analog type were imprecise with had poor centring and the digital were prone to fluttering wildly when used on the elevator or rudder. On the ailerons they were ok but one locked up and shorted out my BEC bringing a model down. So personally I'd not use servos made by Bluebird. But each to their own, I may have just been unlucky.

Originally Posted by rayonnair

Guys, my servos have arrived. I am now in possession of the following servos:

Turnigy TGY-S306G
Turnigy TGY-210DMH
Corona DS-939MG
PowerHD HD-2213MG
PowerHD HD-1810MG

Great rayonnair, post a link to your review when you're done. FWIW, I use the Corona DS-929MG almost exclusively now. They are the same as the 939, but with higher speed / less torque.

Originally Posted by JetPlaneFlyer

They are made by Bluebird, externally they are identical to a Bluebird 373MG: http://www.blue-bird-model.com/en/servos/bms-373mg.html

And the specification is mighty close

Bluebird even show aa PA Extra 260 on their advertising

I didn't have much luck with the Bluebirds I've tried. The analog type were imprecise with had poor centring and the digital were prone to fluttering wildly when used on the elevator or rudder. On the ailerons they were ok but one locked up and shorted out my BEC bringing a model down. So personally I'd not use servos made by Bluebird. But each to their own, I may have just been unlucky.

Yeah, PA used to sell the Bluebird 373MG servos on their planes. I got a set with my first Addiction IPA back in the day. PA claimed they "modified" the servo, or had them made to their specs, but in my experience, the PA sourced ones could be replaced with eBay sourced ones and were identical. So I think the PA / Bluebird association goes back a long way. FWIW, I had OK performance out of my Blue Bird servos, though the pots did eventually wear out after about 300 or so flights. I suppose most servos have worn out by then anyway.

Sub

...the Turnigy TGY-201DMH.

Apart from the stats, the other thing that influenced my decision was keeping the overall weight down and fitment.

Let me know if you have any inputs on the test methodology as well because I'm quite a noob at this and feedback is always appreciated.

Link to relevant post: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1767714

For comparison, Voltec VVTS 70MG servos' stats:

Weight: 10.7 grams / 0.37oz
Torque At 4.8V: 1.9kg/cm , 26.4 oz/in
Torque At 6.0V: 2.6kg/cm , 36 oz/in
Speed At 4.8V: 0.13sec / 60 deg No load
Speed At 6.0V: 0.11sec / 60 deg No load
Measurements: 24.6 x 11.5 x 22.8 mm / 0.97 x 0.45 x 0.90 inch
Metal Gears
Ball Bearing: Top Ball Bearing
Motor Type: 3 pole magnetic motor
Operating Voltage Range 3.6V ~ 6.0V
Operating Temperature Range -20oC to +60oC
Idle Current 5mA
Running Current 190mA
Stall Current 410mA
Dead Bend Width 2 usec
Connector Universal connector
Wire specifications Brown = Battery Negative
Red = Battery Positive
Orange = Signal

Speaking of servos...

Has anyone gotten full throws without using PA's CF servo arm extender? I.e. using the stock servo arms?

On a related note, how long are PA's CF servo arms from the centre of the servo spline?

Thanks,
Ray

I make my own CF servo arm extensions for scrap CF pulled from crashed planes. I drill the center hole so that the set screw holds it down. Then I drill a small hole halfway down the length and I screw it to the stock servo arm. It basically sits on top of the stock arm.

Originally Posted by rayonnair

Speaking of servos...

Has anyone gotten full throws without using PA's CF servo arm extender? I.e. using the stock servo arms?

On a related note, how long are PA's CF servo arms from the centre of the servo spline?

Thanks,
Ray

Mine are 20.5mm from centre of the spline hole to the centre of outermost hole. That is only .5mm longer than the long single arm that comes with a Hitec HS5065 and why I did not bother using them.

There is, however, enough room to drill your own hole, further out on the CF arm (+ 2.5mm) if you like.

Aftica, thanks for measuring!

Dead, yes I intend to make my own if the stock ones are not up to the task.

Thought I'd share my build. Took a while. Still have some things to do with the ailerons (they seem to be binding at the ends of travel) and rudder, but it's mostly complete.

Can anyone tell me what the purpose of the covering film on one side of the rudder hinge joint is for? I'm not sure why PA wants me to do this. Thanks!

Sealing the hinge gap is a common practice.
It stops air from bleeding through the gap and reducing the effectiveness of the flight surface.

Originally Posted by demonGti

Sealing the hinge gap is a common practice.
It stops air from bleeding through the gap and reducing the effectiveness of the flight surface.

Thanks, demonGti. But in that case, I should also be sealing the elevator gap, yes? Which the PA manual also mentions, but there is no covering with which to do it.