Using a push rod for the float water rudder?

[donjiskra]

Anyone ever tried using a push rod instead of a cable?

I was not satisfied with the flexibility of using a cable, even though it was secured firmly, so I just tried using a metal push rod straight from the tail rudder to the float water rudder arm. This works out much better, now I'm wondering why I haven't seen others doing this.

Comments are appreciated.

[Bomb Dropper]

Just using a pushrod and balsa ply, or even an old credit card, can work quite well on a tight budget.

All you need is a spare pushrod, a little 5 minute epoxy and an old credit card or junk piece of balsa ply.

Excuse the crude drawing below, I just made it up really quick to give you an idea of what i'm talking about.

[Bomb Dropper]

But, I have seen people use a pushrod to connect the main rudder to the float rudder at my field when we have our float fly events. I usually use the basic cable method on my planes and haven't had any issues worth mentioning.

[Wildflyer]

A push rod hooked up as you show will work, BUT there may be problems.

Just sitting on a table, everything should work OK, and in glass smooth water you may be OK, but in rough water, any movement between the floats and the fuselage, will result in a steering effect on the floats as the rudder is held by the servo. Then you make a correction, and then the floats flex the other way and you are over correcting. Gets kind of wild sometimes.

If you use a cable, the flexing of the float mounts has no effect. Mount the outer tube solidly just ahead of each rudder, and tie the cable into a smooth curve.

Or go to the rudder servo inside the plane and allow the cable to come out a small hole close to the float mount, it will be hard to see if your careful.