I'm finishing up my first ARF plane which I have a futaba low end transmitter with. I got the thing as a package deal.

My problem is that I would like to add a few channels to the plane for the camera mounts etc and I'm not sure which handset seems to have the best range and reliability.

Assuming that in the end I potentially could be out of eyesight range, I really don't want to have to buy a new controller down the road when I realize the one I bought was the wrong one.

Vince

The new Futaba 12 channel 2.4gHz sure looks like a winner in my eyes and then with 900mHz video TX. I may have to get one those bad boys. And Welcome to RCGroups .

The Futaba 9C would be a good choice. It has the all-important ability to selectively assign channels to the buddy-box connection. Also, 2.4ghz modules are currently available from one vendor, and will soon be available from a few others as well.

Was looking at radios and I spoted the Futaba 7CAP. Assuming that the plane uses 4 channels, the head tracker uses 2 channels correct?

The only thing I can't tell is if this unit allows you to specify which channels are passed to the trainer. If anyone knows, I'd appreciate it.

Or is it only the 9c which allows selective channels to be passed to the trainer?

Vince

The 7C can too.
Beware it only has 7 channels, so let's say if you use a plane with 2 independent aileron servos and the pan/tilt mount you'll already have all your channels used.

Question though, why would you need more than 7 channels

R/C camera trigger, OSD on/off, switching between multiple cameras on one transmitter,...

Many many possibilities

Lets see..
1- Left aileron
2- Right aileron
3- Throttle
4- Rudder
5- Elevator
6- Gear
7- Flaps
8- Mixture
9- Pan
10- Tilt
11- OSD

why would you need 2 channels for aileron? I thought they used one servo with a linkage that makes them go the opposite way.

They have mixture controls for gas planes?

I think what Mr. Harris is trying to say is that you need one servo to make the right aileron go up and down, and a second to make the left go up and down.

When you want flapperons or odd mixings (like i have on my 3d planes), you need to be able to tell both ailerons to move up or down at the same time, not the oposite direction. Therefore you need 2 channels for them

Lots of planes can do mixture... have done for years. Its rather nice to be able to tune in the air if you need to adjust for higher altitudes or change in conditions.

Your average user however will not need more than 9 channels for FPV flight. The Futaba 9C is an excellent choice!

All depends on the plane. A lot of standard trainers have one servo for both ailerons, but more and more use one for each now servos are cheap. It's a lot more precise to put 2 small direct linked servos than use a single one with long sloppy linkages too. Take a simple easyglider as that's one of the well suitable models for us, there are 2 aileron servos. A Y-cable would do for these, but now add the flaperon feature Mark added while I was typing this and then you really need 2 independent ones
As you usually want to keep your transmitter for some time it's pretty good to plan for what you might do in the future...

I have a friend who uses 10 channels on a glider, and that's without any video or other fancy stuff. 4 servos per wing (flaps, inboard and outboard ailerons, airbrake), elevator, rudder, retracting gear, towhook. He obviously had to use onboard mixers to pair 3 of the 4 wing servo sets...

8-9 channels does it for nearly everything. I'm still getting a 12FG soon though

ah, i'm assuming flaperons are where you use ailerons like flaps, in which case you would just steer with the rudder?


Seems like it would be more like a real airplane with just one servo and linkages, you still have to link the ailerons to the servo in the fuse anyway.

I was looking at radios the other day, and wow are they expensive.

Flaps = flaps, ailerons = ailerons, flaperons = both at the same time, when you move the aileron stick the surfaces move in the opposite way, and when you move the flap control a corersponding movement of both in the same way is added. It's a cross-mix of both functions, 2 functions act on the same 2 servos but in different ways.

Flapperons just drop both ailerons about 15% or so, you still have full aileron control.

Real airplanes use hydraulics.. and usually quite a few per surface Not just one stuck in the middle!

I've never had a plane with less than two aileron servos...


The expense of buy say a 6 or 7ch now and then a 9ch later when you do need it is even greater