V-2 with wings rebuild 2021

couldn't you just nip across and pick me up from Dover?

After much 'cogitation' I think I am going to use external pull/pull lines. Crude but light and efficient.
The only issue is an external line on the under fin would not be wise in a belly lander so there won't be!
The solution will be to use just 3 servos with the top & bottom rudders connected.
To this end I have printed a double sided 'hornhinge'.

There will also be a section of each control surface in the prop wash so the gyro will have some influence at very low airspeed.
I am also swapping the Rx and separate Gyro for a Lemon 'stab' Rx pinched from another plane. It is slightly lighter, more sensitive and easier to set up!

Agonising slow progress. The first of the new control surfaces with a pull/pull horn. The others should be quicker.

The area of the surface in the prop wash can be cut back if required.
The vertical rod will link the top and bottom rudders as well as carry a small 'rudder' surface in the prop slip stream.

I am guessing the gyro will be off for a vertical take off, then turned on for horizontal flight ? With the small rudder effectively giving some vectored thrust to help in the turns ?

Crash
No the gyro will be on.
It is a simple 3 axis job so it just 'resists' any displacement and does not try to return the plane to its original heading as a 6 axis 'heading hold' can. The sticks still take priority.
I found it was best to leave the controls alone at launch and trust the gyro would prevent anything too disastrous. At some point its basic aerodynamic stability coupled with throttling back would result more or less normal flight. The gyro could then be switched off if required but I never landed it without the gyro.

All four control surfaces done well I suppose it is only three really. The top and bottom rudder are fixed together.

Servo and pull/pull lines next.
I suspect the mid bulge of the fuselage will require the lines to go through a guide.

The three servos mounted in a specially prepared fuselage former.

They are mounted 260 mm further forward than in the original installation so helping to achieve the required CofG. The servo is now 1070 mm from its control surface. :woohoo:
The first elevon connected using 20 lb nylon monofilament line.

The surface has a big deflection so that the 10%? gyro action should a strong effect. It could of course result in a spectacular gyro controlled crash.
At least with external lines it is relatively easy to change which hole is used in the servo arm.

The stab rx I wanted to pinch from another plane was actually an Orange so I have ordered another Lemon stab rx instead.
For 'a few dollars more' I could have got a 'Plus' version that has a 'return to level' option. This raises the possibility that if, as crash suggested, the rx was mounted level with the V-2 vertical it would attempt to keep it that way (roll and pitch) on launch but it would mean the gyro would have to be switched off before entering level flight as I don't think the basic gyro stab 'assist' would work correctly with the rx 90 degrees out.

All the control surfaces working on a servo tester.


Likely some time before the stab rx arrives so its on with putting in the motor wires. Once that is done the top fuselage skin can be made good.

Looking great!....who was that ugly bloke in the background?

Who are you calling ugly? That's my friend Simon, and he's been known to set girls knees trembling[badass] !

Sorry couldn't resist it! I'm a natural born piss taker....no offence x

been known to set girls knees trembling - - from fear!! :evil:

No worries chaps. You should hear what my wife calls me!

The 0.7 mm wires are in.

All connected so the latest episode in making a noise.

It is definitely pushing quite hard but not sure about a VTO.
At 13A the wires are not even warm.
First a small 500 mAh 4s battery and if that is still too heavy it will have to be more cells.

The dogs certainly don't like the noise, well 3 of them anyway, the 4th and oldest is now virtually deaf!

Top skin all made good.

Now I have to wait for the Lemon 'stab' rx to arrive.
For CofG reasons I expect it will have to be in well in the nose along with battery.