Working on an idea to control a rudder trim tab with a dial instead of a rocker switch. Instead of holding down the rocker switch to move the pushrob, the user could rotate the dail a certain number of degrees and the pushrod would then move “x” distance and stop. The electrical system of the plane is 12 volt and the actuator would need 40-60 lbs of force. The dial can be geared down to accommodate any rotary switch position.
After reading the post, I feel that there is some confusion. The actuator would not control the rudde at all. Instead it would control a trim tab.
This trim tab is a small piece of aluminum that can be manually moved with pliers or by a actuator to fine tune or allievate input forces.
The trim tab is a nice feature to have since it minimizes the amount of input required to maintain a position or course. To put into car terms, it would be like the cruise control. By the flick of a switch I can slow/accelerate the car. Is it in control of the car? Not at all because I can override the cruise control with the brake or accelerator. The relative size of the trim tab is very small as compaired to the actual rudder. Also, some trim tabs require the operator to physically rebend the tab with pliers instead of using a switch. The manual method requires trial and error while the electrical method is alot quicker. I hope this helps and any help with the project is welcomed.
Hi michaelgereau,
Welcome to the RobotShop Forum. What you desrcibe can certainly be done. One approach would be to use an analog DC motor controller, a DC linear actuator, and a potentiometer.
Hope this helps,
As a follow up, it was brought to our attention that the “rudder” referred to here is not that of a boat, but rather a manned aircraft. As such, it is important to note that none of the products we offer are aircraft grade and as such should not be used in situations where human lives can be endangered if the actuator should fail or encounter issues.
Thank you for clarifying. The original suggestion is still valid, though when you turn the knob, it would correspond to the speed and direction of the actuator and in order to stop, you would need to zero it. If instead you want the position of the knob to correspond to the position of the actuator, you would need a linear actuator with position feedback. The only actuators we offer in that force range with potentiometer feedback are the ServoCity actuators. You could use a potentiometer based servo controller to control it.
Hope this helps,