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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Robert Zambelli on May 22, 2022, 09:41:16 AM

Title: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Robert Zambelli on May 22, 2022, 09:41:16 AM
A guy gave me a box of C/L stuff, mostly small items - tanks, bellcranks, etc.
Mostly junk but these caught my eye.
Most of the horns I see/use are assembled with silver solder or something similar.
Are these worth using or do they go in the trash?

Bob Z.
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: bob whitney on May 22, 2022, 09:48:12 AM
what do they look like????
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Robert Zambelli on May 22, 2022, 09:49:13 AM
I forgot the photo!!!
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: ray copeland on May 22, 2022, 10:01:15 AM
Bob, i built a Fancy Pants years ago that included one of those horns. I didn't know better and used it. Lasted 2 flights and the plastic snapped, Brodak said it must have been one of the first kits and sent me new flaps and a new horn. BTW just opened a new Fancy Pants kit , will take me days to hand cut the die smashed parts  n~.
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Tim Wescott on May 22, 2022, 10:26:27 AM
Those look like old Sig horns -- I think I still have a couple of them in their blister packs, from 40-45 years ago.
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Tony Drago on May 22, 2022, 10:28:28 AM
Bob. Those horns look like what Sig sells/sold. I just found 2. I also have one in the package lying around somewhere.
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Tim Wescott on May 22, 2022, 11:17:22 AM
Pitcher, with most of the four decades of shop dust wiped off.  I bought these then got out of control line for decades.  I'm not sure I would have ever used it.  I'm sure that you could make a control horn that's nylon bonded to music wire -- I just don't think that this design is beefy enough.

Which does beg the question of why I just tossed it into my drawer full of control hardware...
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Jim Svitko on May 22, 2022, 11:18:28 AM
A long time ago, before I knew better, I used whatever came in the kit.  None of my planes lasted long enough to fail those horns with the nylon upright.  Nevertheless, after hearing the horror stories, and taking a closer look at how those horns were made, I would never use them now.  There are much better alternatives, such as making your own.
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Ken Culbertson on May 22, 2022, 08:51:22 PM
As long as we are on the old flap horn topic, does know where you can get those horn springs that used to come with, I think Veco horns.  I just bent up a pair of split flap horns and noticed, as I was admiring my work that I had left off the tubing - on BOTH of them.

As for the SIG horn - DON'T

Ken
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Tony Drago on May 22, 2022, 08:54:03 PM
 Try some old ball point pen springs
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Tim Wescott on May 22, 2022, 08:54:19 PM
As long as we are on the old flap horn topic, does know where you can get those horn springs that used to come with, I think Veco horns.  I just bent up a pair of split flap horns and noticed, as I was admiring my work that I had left off the tubing - on BOTH of them.

As for the SIG horn - DON'T

Ken

If you mean the tubing that you're supposed to be stitching to your TE -- oops.  Been there, done that.  You can bend thick-ish (5 or 10 mill) brass sheet around music wire; if you tighten it in a vice just so it forms a tube that can be snapped onto the wire, and has handy "handles" that go into a hinge slot.
Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Ken Culbertson on May 22, 2022, 10:02:31 PM
Try some old ball point pen springs
The wrap is too loose on those.  The ones I remember were long enough to really support the horn.  I will probably have to use the coper clips or, and I did this once and it worked, slip an oversized ball bearing over the wire then split a brass tube and "pop it" onto the wire then drive the bearing over the tube.  Lotta work.  Maybe somebody knows where to find them.  I used 1/8 wire and it would be my luck that the springs were 3/32. mw~

ken

Title: Re: Odd flap/elevator horns
Post by: Robert Zambelli on May 23, 2022, 06:08:51 AM
Well, you really convinced me!
I won't even try!
Out of curiosity, I took one apart - that really clarified what a poor design it was.

THANKS for all the informative feedback.

Bob Z.