[AJCoholic]

servos are one thing, setting up controls are another...

Yes, putting the linkage closer in on the servo arm will give the rod more "power" since torque is a function of distance from the rotational axis....

HOWEVER... you will necessarily HAVE to use a point on the control horn that is ALSO out further from the hinge line, to get the proper decrease in throw that comes from using a servo arm point further out on the arm. Follow me? Moving out to a horn position further from the hinge line gives you back the "lost" power because the further out the horn is, the more mechanical advantage you have due to the increased throw needed.

The longer servo arm and control horn gives the SAME torque/power transmitted to the control surface, if the control throw and servo endpoints remain consistant... but the advantage with using a longer arm and horn points is that any "slop" in your linkages (which is a constant) is LESS pronounced in this case than when you have a short servo arm and a short control horn.