Wizard 2x Compact - Revised 10/7/2001

"Alan J. Wasserman" wrote:
> 
> Am I mistaken or was there a discussion of [flying ruddervators] in the recent
> past.  Who has managed to succeed in building them and how?
> 
> Alan

I just got a Wizard 2x Compact recently.  It has full flying ruddervators.  I
forget the name of the guy that builds it, but he is Slovakian and apparently
is good buddies with Jaro Muller.  The fuselage on the Wiz is basically a Muller
Ellipse 3Cam that has been shortened and the flying v-tail added.  The plane
has a 2.5 meter two piece wing with a beefy square carbon dihedral joiner in
the center.  See pictures below.

The flying v-tail is a thing of art.  Here is how it is done.  Each tail suface
as an aluminum rod built into it.  They are about 3/8" diameter and located
about 30-40% back from the LE of the tail surfaces.  This rod sticks out of the
root chord of the tail surface about 1 to 1-1/2".  On the tip end of each rod,
there is a machined detail - basically it is a flat with a tapped hole in it. 
The flat is oriented such that when the surfaces are plugged into the fuse, the
flats line up on a horizontal plane.  The sockets in the fuselage appear to be
woven carbon fiber tubes with a very close slip fit for the tail surface rods to
plug into.

The pushrods are connected with a pair of shoulder bolts that have a ball end
built into them.  These bolts are about 3/4" long, have the ball built in at the
head, a smooth shank, then a shoulder, and finally the smaller diameter threaded
end.  The ball end shoulder bolts are installed into the machined detail on the
ends of the control surface pivot rods.  The machined detail just barely clears
the end of the carbon plugin tube inside the fuselage, such that when the ball
end shoulder bolts are installed, the pivot rod is captured.  The surfaces can't
slip out - they can only pivot - once the ball end shoulder bolts are installed.

To install the first time, you plug the surfaces in until they bottom out.  Then
you take the ball end bolts, insert them into the tail end of the fuselage
through a couple small access holes, and screw them into the tail surface
machined ends.  Once they're in, you snap the push rod ends over them.  This
operation is supposedly tricky, but Charlie MacMurry whom I purchased my Wiz
through, did this for me.  Subsequent removal and installation is done by
unscrewing the bolts, but leaving them snapped into the push rod ends.  Hence,
to remove, you unscrew, then unplug the tail surfaces.  To reinstall, plug in
the surfaces, and screw the rod end bolts back into the machined ends, no more
snapping necessary.  Note: having done this myself now, it is STILL not easy.  It
helps if you tape the surface so that it is held in a neutral position.

The tail is surprisingly slop free and rigid.  This is important because with
the flying V-Tail, you don't need as much travel as with conventional
elevators; small movements have a larger effect on pitch or yaw inputs.

To buy a Wizard 2x Compact, the standard version (glass with kevlar and carbon
reinforcements) are $850 brand new.  Also offered are single and double carbon
versions for $1000 and $1150, respectively.  To purchase, contact Charlie MacMurray
Imapinepig@earthlink.net or the US distributor Steve "sc00p" Cooper steve@sc00p.com.

Find some pictures showing the Wiz and the flying v-tail below.

-- James
                                                     .-------------_--. 
    James R. Osborn  *  Osborn@upandrunningit.com    |   \        / \ |
  Up and Running LLC * http://www.upandrunningit.com |-.  \   _ /\\_/ |
     Computer and Information Technology Support     |  '-.\ / \\/    |
    (510) 377-4514 Office  *  (510) 232-2575  Fax    | ____' \_/      |
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Wizard 2x Compact Pictures

	In The Grass		Radio Installation Hollyday Designs switchjack, Airtronics 92777 Rx, MPX mc/v2 digital servos, 5 cell 3000 mAhr Sanyo NiMH pack	(Note: the fifth cell is in front of the visible ones, directly beneath the 3/4 oz satchel of lead shot.)
	Top 3/4 View		Bottom 3/4 View
	Up Elevator		Left Rudder
	Fuselage Bottom		Bottom Detail Closeup
	Fuselage Plugin		Tail Airfoil Closeup
	Rod Detail Closeup		Machined Detail Closeup