Futaba 12fg flap travel adjustment

[andyjayh]

I'm fairly new to this side of programming my tx so go easy if I get my terms confused here

I have just bought a rather nice Tragi from Stu (Rustyknee) and I'm keen to get this setup on my Futaba 12FG. I have completed most of the programming and I have it working just like my trusty Graffiti that Pete setup for me. The one issue I have is lack of downward flap travel and I can't seem to adjust this.

Stu has installed the servos in order to provide the majority of the travel down and a minimum up. So when I first switch on the flaps are pointing down by approx 20 degrees. From this point if I pull the throttle back (my flap activation switch) they travel down to approx 30 degrees. I then go into the Flap Setting menu on my tx and dial in offset for both flaps to bring them back to neutral but I still only get approx 10 degrees of movement down when activating. With the model powered off there is at least 60 degrees of downwards travel in the servo linkage.

The manual for the 12fg is pretty useless, like all Futaba manuals! So I am struggling to find where I can adjust the servo travel :confused: In the Flap Setting menu there is percentage up/down for each flap but this doesn't seem to be having any effect! I have also tried the AFR for the Flap but again no change.

Any suggestions?

[Sloper]

check you travel limits under linkage menu they need to be set at full value. 

[andyjayh]

Right found the problem and it was self inflicted I had copied settings from my Graffiti setup without really understand what they were all for and entered them into the Tragi setup.

This got me going as a starter for 10 but not right obviously. I have just looked at the Butterfly mix and this was wound down to a very low number! Now I have the Flaps at 140% and lots of travel

Thanks for bearing with me :o

[hpihl]

I've know plenty of people using 12FG/FX-30 for the full house gliders and a strange thing is that everyone seem to do basic things (butterfly, camber settings etc.) a bit differently. And my own way to set up FX-30 has changed a lot when I have l learned the programming better.

Currently I just try set control travels high enough for maximum servo travel during gear installation, I set one channel for maximum servo travel and use this for all the control surfaces when installing the servos and linkage.

After installation I assign channels for each surfaces and controls for each functions, check the direction and do centering for the basic controls. This is the only step where I use the Flap setting menu, I set the centering using the offset.

Then I just enable needed mixers for each flight condition and adjust the rates.Setting a full house glider with 3-5 flight modes is pretty quick after you have found your own routine, usually much less than a hour. Note that your own routine can be much better than mine, there is plenty of ways to do same thing in the 12FG/FX-30.

[RustyKnee]

Hi Andy,

Sounds like you are having fun Just checking, but you said you were using the thottle as a switch? Is that just on or off? if so I would strongly suggest you try and use the throttle stick analogue so you can modulate the brakes.

They are quite big and effective on the tragi, so if switched on off only can cause issues. First is that you run the risk of the flaps being over whelmed at higher air speed....which then means the elevator compensation still kicks in forcing a dive. Also, full flaps aren't required a lot of the time. Sorry if I have the wrong end of the stick....but don't want you getting into trouble

Stu

[andyjayh]

Hi Stu,Oh yes, learning my way around the tx like never before

I do have the throttle stick as an analogue slide for the flaps so it is progressive and not just a switch to full flap. Luckily my Graffiti was setup by my friend Pete so I have been using that as a reference which certainly makes life a little easier.

Don't think I could do this from scratch by just using the 'taba manual!!Almost done now I think, just a few more mixes to sort out....

[RustyKnee]

Ah ok...glad you are on it . Hope you get her sorted soon. Ready for the weekend?

[andyjayh]

I've know plenty of people using 12FG/FX-30 for the full house gliders and a strange thing is that everyone seem to do basic things (butterfly, camber settings etc.) a bit differently.

And my own way to set up FX-30 has changed a lot when I have l learned the programming better.Currently I just try set control travels high enough for maximum servo travel during gear installation, I set one channel for maximum servo travel and use this for all the control surfaces when installing the servos and linkage. After installation I assign channels for each surfaces and controls for each functions, check the direction and do centering for the basic controls.

This is the only step where I use the Flap setting menu, I set the centering using the offset. Then I just enable needed mixers for each flight condition and adjust the rates.Setting a full house glider with 3-5 flight modes is pretty quick after you have found your own routine, usually much less than a hour.

Note that your own routine can be much better than mine, there is plenty of ways to do same thing in the 12FG/FX-30.Thanks for the advice hpihl you're right, many different ways to reach the same point which makes it all the more difficult to know if your doing the right thing. Hopefully help and advice gained in these forums will make things a lot easier.

[andyjayh]

Ah ok...glad you are on it . Hope you get her sorted soon. Ready for the weekend?

I hope so but the forecast is not great for the wind come the weekend Typical when I've been sitting here playing around with the tx listening to the wind outside :)

[hpihl]

Andy, I'll give you one hint to understand this system better.

You wrote that you did not get any effect when you changed values in the flap setting menu. Now, open the linkage/function menu, you see something like this (depending of course the tx mode and channel assignement, the example is mode 2):Ch1 ELEVATOR J1 T1Ch2 RUDDER J4 T4Ch3 AILERON J2 T2Ch4 AILERON2 -- --next pageCh5 FLAP -- --Ch6 FLAP2 -- --This is pretty much default assignment and note that there is no control assigned for the flaps. Then scroll down the channel list until you see something like this:VC1 CAMBER LS --VC2 BUTTERFLY J3 --This means that the throttle stick (J3 in the mode 2) is assigned to control butterfly and a slider (LS) is assigned to control camber.

Note that both are virtual channels ie there is no direct rx output given for them but both these will affect wing servos via pre-programmed mixer. To enable the camber and butterfly you just turn on the needed mixer from model/camber mix or model/butterfly menu and adjust the rates.

Now if you want to use the flaps with a control, you should assign a control (stick, slider, trim or what ever) for it, as example using slider RS for flaps looks like this:Ch5 FLAP RS --You don't neede to repeat this for FLAP2.Now just adjust the rates from the model/flap settings menu and you have a slider controlling flaps. Note that offset for flaps works even without assigning a control for the flaps.Same way you can assign any function to any control and using group/single option you can also change this assignment for every condition.

And pre-programmed mixers can be also used for different purposes in the different conditions, as an example you use butterfly mixer for normal butterfly in one condition and getting adjustable full span flaps in another condition.

[andyjayh]

Thanks hpihl that was helpful as it answered some questions I still had in my mind :clap: I am certainly learning a lot more about my tx by doing this! I'm also planning a change to a 12z soon so will have to do it all again :confused:

[hpihl]

Well, all high end Futabas share basicly similar programming so if you learn the 12FG, you have no problem with the 12Z... or 14MZ, 18MZ, FX-40... if you fancy bling bling  ;)

[andyjayh]

That's certainly what I'm hoping. This is a real good learning curve which is strangely enjoyable and by the time I get the 12z it will be a walk in the park ;)

[andyjayh]

Picked up the 12z today and I couldn't believe just how much a walk in the park it was!

After checking out the Futaba site for the latest firmware I also notice a model conversion programme to migrate between 12fg,12/14z etc Be just rude not to try it

With SD and CF memory in reader I simply converted all my model memories across from the fg to the new z, couldn't be easier!! Very happy with that result :)