RE: Which Fuel to use?
[quote]ORIGINAL: w8ye After using Rich's brew and Omega for many years I bought some Wildcat Premium 15%. One thing quickly became apparent after the first flight at the field is that it didn't have much oil in it. After the second flight I noticed that I lost the bearing cage of the rear bearing on my Saito 56. Who ever heard of loosing a cage in a four stroke? So I got out my Saito 125 and flew some. After the third flight something (trash) got in my 125 needle valve and it ran lean. Boy, thast engine didn't feel good. I was afraid that I had lost the rod big end. After flushing the needle valve all was fogiven and that night after the engine cooled down it felt alright.But if the fuel had more oil, I think the engine would have faired better? One thing is very apparent to me and that is Wildcat Premium does not have enough oil in for 4 strokes and I'll never buy it again. I'll but some castor oil in what Wildcat Premium I have. If I buy anymore Wildcat, it will be Super Premium. [/quote] Don't get me wrong, I'm not even remotely a wildcat fan, but the blend you used would have only had 1% less oil in it than the omega, (16% vs 17%). That one percent should not have a detrimental impact on bearing or cage life since the only thing making it into the crankcase is oil anyway. It is quite possible that the bearing was ready to fail and just happened to occur during a recent fuel switch. I have done so much testing over the years on two and four stroke engines for the sake of fuel testing to know that a bearing cage failure is something that can not be predicted. OS engines were losing cages at quite an alarming rate, and the Saito's of the last 5 years would have the occasional cage failure also. None of them were oil related. If it was an oil starvation issue, you would have destroyed the lower journal of the connecting rod long before the bearing cage overheats and cracks. As for oil content, its not about quantity, its also about quality. You could have 25% oil content of a lousy synthetic and destroy engines. ...Or you could use 6 to 12% of a high end synthetic and never wear one out. I run my two & four stokes hard on 8% to 11% oil rc car fuel that I used to produce commercialy for several years now and have not experienced a single failure. I have had countless customers which have the same experience.
Posted on: 8/9/2009 3:06 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9002388

RE: castor to synthetic
[quote]No! No! ....Don't do that! The medicinal castor from the drugstore is not "degummed". It will gunk up your engine....foul glow plugs....and bake a brown hard-to-remove crust on the cylinderhead. You need to get "racing castor" which is refined for use as an engine lubricant. You may find it at motorcycle, dirtbike, and go-cart shops. Regards JC [/quote] Incorrect!!!!!! Drug store medicinal castor is the same grade we use in fuel, it is just sterile, thats the only difference.
Posted on: 8/1/2009 6:32 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8980900

RE: Which Fuel to use?
Use "A" or "D" in your list. The ASP two strokes and super tiger may like the 10% the best. The four strokes will probably like the 15% Do not be afraid of the oil content being 1 or 2% less than what some book says. If the stuff was destroying engines, it would not be so popular.
Posted on: 8/1/2009 6:27 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8980898

RE: Nitrotane oil content
[quote]ORIGINAL: wcmorrison Ask for an MSDS, by law they are required to furnish you one or access to one. And "Proprietary" is not a defense for refusing to give you an MSDS. If they do so report them to OSHA. That will get some action. Cheers, Chip [/quote] Getting the msds does not mean you will be getting the formula and oil contents. All msds info is in "by weight" measurements and only a percentage range of the hazardous chemicals in a product need be disclosed if over 1%. For example; it might list nitromethane as a percentage of total weight as a range of 5% to 55%, methanol as a range of 40% to 85%, and whatever oils as a range of 9% to 17%, etc... Proprietary is allowed in msds's for many things including exact percentages by weight of each component..
Posted on: 4/26/2009 7:30 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8716012

RE: Is Cool Power cool fuel?
[quote]ORIGINAL: controlliner To fuelman, Do you know of anyone who has used olive oil instead of Baker AA castor. Sucessfuly. [/quote] Not to my knowlege. Why would you want to anyway? There was a couple of published tests performed by Dave Gierke about 20 years or so ago with various oils. Of particular note was using soybean oil as the only lubricant in a fuel. His findings were
Posted on: 3/27/2009 7:18 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8623072

RE: Rc Fuel Faq
[quote]ORIGINAL: controlliner Fuelman, Has anyone successfully used olive oil in place of castor oil in glow fuel? [/quote] Not that I know of. I've never tried it nor would I have a desire to try it.
Posted on: 3/27/2009 7:14 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8623056

RE: MVVS fuel recommendation
Year and a half ago, I picked up a one season used MVVS 91 that was piped, he used nothing but 15% coll power. Previous owner sold it for a song because it did not run well anymore. When I got it, there was no pinch at all and it looked like the piston had been slapping against the sleeve for quite some time, big end of the rod was egg shaped. It has the colored drive washer. New p/l/r set is extremely tight and can not be turned over without a heat gun. I have run it but not broken it in totaly yet, on 5% and it ran consideralbly better on its first flip start with a new p/l/r. Moral to the story- use the lowest possible nitro content you can with it and tune accordingly. So far, all my MVVS's have run flawlessly on 5% fuel with one or no shims. I have used 10% and 15% in them with one or two shims but did not notice any performance or tunability imporvements at all, they actually got slightly tempermental on tow shims and 15%. I do firmly think that this engine needs lower nitro levels and either a very high end synthetic like Cooper's/ S&W's or Fuchs, or with any other synthetic it could use a little castor in the mix.
Posted on: 2/17/2009 7:11 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8485839

RE: Is Cool Power cool fuel?
This simple debate has gone on long enough, so I figured I'd chime in. I'm in agreement with X-Jet on the reasoning behind castor's reasons for flowing toward heat because of the drastic changes in viscosity index during tempreture changes. You will most likely find the same/similar characteristics in any highly polar fluid that also has dramatic changes of viscosity index with tempreture change. The reasoning behind why it does what it does, is not that important, the fact that it does migrate toward the heat source is the important part. Part of the reason that castor has become a "classic" lubricant is because of its ability to change states from a liquid to a solid film lubricant. Yes, that brown film on the piston is actualy a lubricant coating at operating tempreture, which provides the unique protection that castor is well known for. This of course does not mean that castor is the best lubricant for this application, there is no such thing as "the best" when talking about lubricants for model engines. Much of what is better or worse as far as model lubricants are concerned, is application dependent. Running a modern high tech low viscosity synthetic in an old style bushed lapped iron piston/sleeve engine is asking for a short lifespan. Running an all castor in a modern tight tolerance 4 stroke is asking for more than necessary cleaning maintenance. So in that regard, castor still has a place in fuels for the grand majority of applications. It can only be replaced completly if a synthetic is developed which has dramatic viscosity changes with heat changes and the ability to varnish. This will probably never happen. I am still a castor believer in most everything, but not in high quantities for most applications. During countless hours and gallons of testing over the years, I have determined that a great deal of castor's benefits (corrosion protection, varnish film) is more than adequate in modern ABC/ABN/AAC/ or ringed engines (two or four stroke), when 2% to 4% quantity by volume is used in conjunction with a high end synthetic component. If an older technology synthetic is used, I prefer a bit more like 4% to 6%. In these lower quantities on high end synthetics, you do not get castor's drawbacks (excessive varnish, viscous friction).
Posted on: 2/17/2009 6:54 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8485820

RE: Glow fuel
S&W is (next to my company of course) probably the finest custom blended fuel in the world.
Posted on: 2/7/2009 9:33 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8448436

RE: sig champion 4 stroke fuel
I'm with fuel dinosaur for the most part. The big tigres thrive on low nitro and low oil. The big moki's do as well. In my ST 3250, my favorite blend is 5% nitro (maximum), 5% castor, 5% synthetic, plus a small splash of acetone- around 2-3%. As far as castor goes, Be'nol is no better or worse in so far as protection, film strength, gum, than any good quality pure castor oil of the old Bakers AA grade. I have found that most good motorcycle shops carry Blendzall castor, In my opinion, because of the additives used by Blendzall in the "460" castor product, I think it is vastly superior to the Be'nol product, by a wide margin. If you are going to home brew a big tigre fuel, and can get the Blendzall 460, then use 10%- 12% of that rather than a blend of castor / synthetic. The blendzall will not gum stuff up like any other castor I have played with as a professional fuel blender for 8 years now.
Posted on: 2/7/2009 9:31 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8448429

RE: OS or Saito?
Guys, I've opened up brand new in the box engines for the last 4 years that have had rust in and on the bearings, cam, crankshaft. I've seen it in Saito, OS, YS and in chinese engines. I have not seen it in new in box Webra's or MVVS's and rarely in a Thunder Tiger. It is not in all engines, but it is most noticable in those listed brands. People who want to blame brand X or brand Y engines on tending to rust or blaming fuel Q or fuel Z, have not consideered the fact that a lot of engines are coming with rust in them right out of the box. Just a little bit of rust on the bearings or crankshaft in an engine will be nothing but iron-oxide particles (sanding grit) circulating throughout. No matter what fuel you use, it will not stop and reverse existing rust and make it dissappear. All existing rust does is breed more rust as it pits and scratches clean metal during use. Straight out of the box, I opened up one brand new OS 160FX, before running it, this summer for my own use and it had surface rust on the crankshaft and bearings and there was a big rusty thumb print on the back of the crankshaft, clear as day. Needless to say, paying the kind of money that OS demands, I DO NOT EXPECT RUST in a new engine.
Posted on: 12/15/2008 10:55 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8250070

RE: WOT Break-in, step by step.
SAvage Jim, Appreciate your kind words. I find it nearly impossible to stay on top of the computer technology and be able to make, edit and post videos of something. Furthermore, I have no time to do a project like that justice. There was an HPI video of exactly that on the internet somewhere some time ago but I have not seen it's links posted in a long time. The video was a perfect example of how to tune to ear and sight and feel. Since it did not have a temp gun in the video, it was more than likely discredited and dismissed as incorrect information. Describing sounds is difficult at best with words, but here's a shot at it. Try to hear these full throttle sounds in your head: A burbly rich "4-stroking" sound would be something like: brr..b.b.b.b..brr.brr..b.b.b.b.brr...b.b.b..... The break between rich "4-stroking" and "2-stroking" sounds something like: eeee,br.br.eeeee.b.eeeeee.br.eeee.br.br.eeeee.b.b.eeeee...... A clean but nicely rich two stroke sound would be something like" eeeeee.eeeeeeeeeeeee..eeeeee..... (I would call this crisp and clean running). Too lean of a setting sould be something like: eeeeeee.rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.uhuhuhuhuhuhuhaaaaaaaaa.wwwwwww.....(high pitched sound that is fading or saging to a lower pitch sound and it sounds like its running out of breath). For idle sounds, thats pretty tough to describe, but get it adjusted so that it will idle, once warmed up, at a half tank or less where it will accelerate without hesitation or sag, sounding and feeling crisp and clean, after a 10-15 second idle. You want it so the transition is crisp without a burbly rich sputter (too rich on low speed needle). Or, a transition that is at first seemingly good but immediatly sags or fades off before transitioning to high throttle, that is too lean. The best possible advise is to get with some local fellas and learn the sights and sounds before you become dependent on some silly temp toy.
Posted on: 12/12/2008 11:04 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8240255

RE: Heat Sinks
[quote]ORIGINAL: thomas7308 Hi i was just wondering are the heatsinks on the .21 engines would fit on the .26. because if im correct i think the casting is the same basic size just different bore/stroke? i just thought about buying a new heatsink for my mach 427 thx [/quote] What is wrong with the stock one? Did it get damaged? I see no need for additional cooling capacity if you are trying to increase heat sink size. Personally, I believe that most of the rc car/buggy/truck engines are a bit overcooled in the first place, for all but the hottest climates on earth.
Posted on: 12/9/2008 9:22 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8228019

RE: WOT Break-in, step by step.
[quote]ORIGINAL: j_blaze alright, after first race weekend with the motor, it is very good. great bottom and mid but i think the pipe choked the top a bit, we'll see. i however forgot to ziptie the air filter during practice. i have never done that before. the motor ran flawless the whole day but after i cleaned it out and ran a tank the metal to metal pinch was gone. i had struggled to turn it over cause of the flywheel before that tank, little dremel on the chassis took care of that, so it still had some metal to metal pinch before the filter fell off. right now it has good pinch but drastically less than that morning. not sure how long the filter was off though before it fell out of the chassis. guess i'll have it re-pinched if it starts acting up. [/quote] Before you try repinching, take a real close look at the piston and insure it wore evenly and is not scared up from dirt ingestion. I have seen a few guys try the repinch thing only to find out that the piston wear was too uneven to make it worthwhile. Reason I say that is when dirt ingestion leads to wear, the piston wears the most drastic at the location of the intake ports. If the wear is too uneven, a new sleeve is in order. I have found that Ray A Racing does the best job at repinches and they are cheap. His tooling is first class all the way.
Posted on: 12/9/2008 9:15 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8228003

RE: OS 32F Questions
[quote]ORIGINAL: Vertical3-D something I did not see mentioned is that helis use a cooling fan(centrifugal fan like a mini leaf blower sort of) and shroud so really they do have quite a bit of airflow over that head, the shroud fits fairly close to that big square head, I would also suggest against buying a used one though unless from a known person who you trust as they get worked pretty hard, even my hirobo shuttle I had with the OS .32(not sure which one) worked that engine hard, its just a lot to spin and a lot of weight to lift....but on a funfly plane that your gonna run hard an beat it may be an advantage as mentioned here... [/quote] I would never buy a used heli engine unless it came with new bearings, piston/rod/ring/sleeve. Reason being that heli fans tend to suck in a little clutch dust that will usualy find its way down the carb when its running. This causes a lot of premature wear as compared to most plane engines.
Posted on: 12/5/2008 8:20 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8214912

RE: engine temp help
[quote]I agree 100% with Fuelman's post, however the extra shim wasn't addressed...perhaps this could be one of those "mechanical" issues he mentioned. [/quote] Yes Argess, another one of those variables I did not mention, great point. If you need another shim, then you are running too much nitro. That alone can cause you to run erratic or hot, and yes, that would be noticable
Posted on: 12/5/2008 7:53 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8214864

RE: OS 32F Questions
Like said above, buying a used 32F is a crap shoot. They are great running engines if they don't peel, which only a few did. But if you can find a new one, then grab it. I just sold a NIB 32F that was traded to me, i got top dollar because they are harder to find now days and in my opinion were just as great running and as powerful as the 32SX. If you want another engine in that size range, the Webra 32 is awsome, and so is the super Tigre 34. I have three ST34's and two Webra 32's and no more OS 32's if that tells you anything. The webra is stronger than the OS and you will never peel the liner out of it. The ST 34 is a hair stronger than the OS 32 and super friendly and a lot less expensive. I do have the older Italian made ST 34's and have no experience with the chinese ones.
Posted on: 12/3/2008 12:16 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207417

RE: YS 140L VS Saito 180
Both engines are going to be fairly well matched. You may find the 140L flying it just as well as the 180. Play around with props and you should be happy.
Posted on: 12/3/2008 12:07 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207400

RE: Fuel for thought
I have two Enya 120R engines. They are absoutly wornderful engines. powerful and reliable, fantastic throttle response. They do take a couple or three gallons to get broken in good. For fuel, I have found that any of the modern 10% castor/synthetic blend fuels out there will be just fine. I had detonation issues when trying to run more than 10% nitro so I would suggest using 10%, especially if you are at lower altitudes like me. I like the 16x6 props, the Master Airscrew wooden scimitar performed the best all around. I also found that the sonicTronics "Glo-Devil" "saito/enya" four cycle plug worked the best of all, even better than the Enya #3.
Posted on: 12/3/2008 12:00 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207381

RE: big tigre fuel
[quote]ORIGINAL: Flyboy Dave ....which recommendation are you referring to ? Todays recommendation for the 2300 for instance is: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXFV80&P=SM#tech REQUIRES: Propeller: 16x8, 18x8, 18x10 Glow Fuel: Minimum of 18% high quality oil by volume in fuel, Nitro content should be between 5-15%. SUPERTIGRE Recommends Fuel with 18% oil MINIMUM. The plane is a Joe Bridi Big Dirty Birdy. It was an early 2 meter pattern plane. They are rare now, possibly obsolete. I have a new header and long pipe for it now. [;)] FBD. [:D] [/quote] hey Dave, so thats what your ugly mug looks like!!!! That big yellow dirty birdy looks like my Bridi Escape on steroids. Nice looking plane, but I would have used pink polka dots. BTW, the origonal reason that the bigger tigre's got to recommending a low oil fuel was to keep the fire lit on those that had "carb issues" Many of them had horrible midrange richness problems and one of the easy ways to cure that was to cut down on oil content, requireing both needles to be slightly leaned to compensate for the low oil volume in the fuel and sneaking up on a cleaner midrange. I have found a number of solutions to the few stubborn big tigre's out there. First, a hot fuel and a cool plug, why I have no idea but it seems to work. The other way, with the horribly rich midranges found on some big tigre carbs is to use very low nitro (I like 0% to 3%) and low to regular oil contents. I figured this all out by accident since I ended up with two ST 3250's at the same time. One ran like crap and the other ran great on "normal" fuel. Playing around with the fuels and plugs made me determine that the carb was the determining issue. Swapping carbs proved it. Moral to the story, some of the big ST carbs were out of tolerance and instead of fixing the problem, hobby services made the recommendation to run low oil fuel which made the problem much less noticable and worked just fine in the other big tigre's that actually had a good carb. When a carb swap fixes all the engines ill's, fuel is not the issue. If you have one that does not run very well with the carb you have on standard 10% or 15% fuel, throw away the carb and install a good one.
Posted on: 12/2/2008 11:53 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207357

RE: engine temp help
46U, I don't want to sound like a jerk, I just want to explain where I'm coming from. What causes too hot?, (barring mechanical issues which will show up with or without a temp gun). When somebody twists the needles in too far for the conditions at hand, because they have not tuned to sight and sound where no lean sag has occured. Thats what causes "too hot" Let me put it another way.... If there was no temp gun ever invented, we would only know the engine is too hot if we leaned it out to the point of seeing it and hearing it sag or fade when wide open. We would automatically know to richen it up. Just like the airplane and heli flyers. It is about recognizing the symptoms of a good tune vs a lean or rich tune. With all the experienced (engine tuners) racers, flyers and boaters I know, including myself, not a one has ever needed a device to tell them if he is too hot or not. If the engine is properly tuned for the conditions at hand, it will not be running too lean and therefore it will not run itself too hot due to tune.
Posted on: 12/2/2008 11:17 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207240

RE: Whats the Point?
You might want to get downunder to chime in on this thread about raising compression ratios to enable the engine to run extremely well on zero nitro fuel. You could start with removing the head shim or shims and using a hot plug. if it still does not help enough, increasing the compression ratio by machining the head button will be necessary. As for methanol availability, any good race shop or speed shop should be able to get it or have it on hand. I looked at the link above and it was overpriced plus you have to pay hazmat shipping on top of that. The oils they have listed are no good for methanol fuels either, they will not mix. If you are going to mix your own zero nitro fuel, find a good speed shop that has the methanol and a methanol compatable oil like castor or Blendzall Castor.
Posted on: 12/2/2008 10:53 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207147

RE: engine temp help
[quote]ORIGINAL: hoochie187 Hi there does any one know what temprature a force 25 engine should run at, cause i cant seem to get it lower than 260, even richening the hsn, seems to still go up in temperature. Anyone got any advice, it is brand new and i am breaking it in. Thank you [/quote] There is no definate answer to "what temp". What one person thinks is the appropriate temp for your engine to be at may be different than yours because of so many variables. Fuel, plug, air temp, altitude, humidity, gear ratios, etc.... all have influence on how hot or cool an engine runs. Your engine will never be too hot if you do not tune it too lean (assuming it is getting adequate air to the heat sink). Basicaly put, if you tune your engine so that it does not have any lean symptoms, and you have it tuned for crisp and clean transition, you will not have a lean run (due to tune).
Posted on: 12/2/2008 10:36 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207089

RE: nitro with a little drop of after run oil...
[quote]ORIGINAL: Montana Mike [quote]ORIGINAL: savagecommander yes unfortunatly it is...One of the drawbacks of methanol as a fuel is its corrosivity to some metals, including aluminum. Methanol attacks the oxide coating that normally protects aluminium from corrosion:6 CH3OH + Al2O3 → 2 Al(OCH3)3 + 3 H2O, The resulting methoxide salts are soluble in methanol, resulting in clean aluminum surface, which is readily oxidized by some dissolved oxygen. Also the methanol can act as an oxidizer:6 CH3OH + 2 Al → 2 Al(OCH3)3 + 3H2, This reciprocal process effectively fuels corrosion until either the metal is eaten away or the concentration of CH3OH is negligible. [/quote] MAN THAT IS SOME CRAZY STUFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you feeling okay? [/quote] It's only simple elementary high school chemistry. Not rocket science fellas. I'm with Downunder and Argess, it is GLOW FUEL not nitro fuel, we run it in GLOW ENGINES not nitro engines. It is a pet peeve of mine and just because its used in a bunch of stupid advertising that makes it appealing to those that the word nitro makes it stronger faster or better, does not make it any less correct. No, ARO added to the glow fuel will not do anything for you. Chances are that the petroleum based ARO will just seperate from the GLOW FUEL in tyhe jug anyway. Always run your engine dry at the end of the session, it removes as much of the methanol as possible before using ARO. Do not believe anything about aro not needed if you run fuel "X" Many of the very expensive "ARO's" are nothing more than the red colored Marvels Mystery Oil. It is junk, and expensive junk at that. Don't use it. A good ARO is any castor oil or any "air tool oil", it will cling to metal in the presence of moisture, preventing oxygen and water from making contact with the metal, thus preventing corrosion. After castor or air tool oil, any ATF would be good for an ARO.
Posted on: 12/2/2008 10:19 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Car Nitro & Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8207027

RE: Prettner Calypso Plans...
I used to have a Calypso with a fox 74 on it. Excellent combination. Just today I was looking at the pattern page link and saw the pic of the Calypso's and figured out that the plane was a Calypso. Anyway, I picked it up at a swap meet for a few dollars, mounted an engine and flew the snot out of it for three or four years. I loved the way it flew and never used it in competition. I would very much like to get another Calypso, preferably a kit if any were out there, or plans if I could build one with a built up wing instead of foam. The other plane I would like to get a kit of would be the Fifty Caliber, twin engine. Did a kit ever exist of that?
Posted on: 11/24/2008 10:34 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Classic Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8180338

RE: Why discontinued?!?!?
[quote]ORIGINAL: panzertank I was hoping to buy the Tribute 36 PNP from horizonhobby. Apon inspection of their webiste i found that it had been discontined. Does anybody know why this was? Also, do you know where i could get one of these? any help will be greatly apprecaited thaks [/quote] Do not waste your money if you can find one, it is not a great flyer, built too light where it should'nt be. Seen two of these things snap in half in flight with not so violent maneuvers. Get a real profile, buy something from OMP or Swany's House. They are tough as nails and fly like a 3D profile should. The Fusion, Yak's, Mojo's, Primo's are the real deal that the big companies try to mimick.
Posted on: 11/23/2008 9:25 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Profile and Fun Flying Planes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8174744

RE: webra Speed .55GT Aero
I have yet to own a 55 but have a few 50's and two 120's. Two of my favorite engines. I have found that the 50's being run directly out of the box without any added head shims performed best with 5% nitro and a hot plug. There were two 10% fuels that would run without symptoms of detonation or needle chasing (Cooper's 10 Plus, S&W 10 Hi-Rev), the rest of the 10% fuels I tried had issues, but ran and were slightly down on power compared to 5%. With a shim, 10% and 15% became no issue, but there was no significant performance or tuneability increase over 5% fuel without a shim. I am not sure how the new 55 is port timed or compressed, but I am sure they are similar to their predesesors where low nitro fuel is needed for maximum performance, tuneability and durability. If I am not mistaken, Cliff of Swift Electronics, passed away a little while ago. I hope it is not true, so if someone knows for sure, chime in.
Posted on: 11/23/2008 8:51 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "Extreme Speed Prop Planes"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8174669

RE: If you could have only one 3D plane which?
Full fuse: Ultra RC Giles 202 Profile: Fusion 90 or 65" yak from OMP, or MoJo from Swany's House
Posted on: 11/22/2008 8:40 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8173552

RE: Nitro Price Record
[quote]ORIGINAL: scarletboa i've been looking into making a home-made fuel with 0% nitro does this sound right? -methanol (obviously) -klotz oil (somewhere between 10%-15%) is there anything else i would need to add to the fuel? [/quote] It sounds like a good place to start, since you will be running so much leaner needle settings, it is imperitive that you use at least 15% oil but preferebly more. One of the reasons you can get away with much lower oil content in high nitro fuels is because the fuel flow rate is almost double with 30% nitro than if you used zero percent nitro, so you must compensate with adding more oil to the mix to achieve a good lifespan. I would use about 3% acetone in the mix to aid low speed idle and cold starting, and of course I would use the hottest plug available for that engine. I personally would not use Klotz lubes unless you use straight Be'Nol. If you have it available, use Blendzall castor, I believe it is part number 460. Any motorcycle shop should have it, its very popular. As for the engine, you will need to raise the compression ratio up to between 13:1 to 14:1. Removing the head shim will not be enough in most cases. Hope this helps
Posted on: 11/22/2008 12:09 PM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "HPI Monster Truck Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8172164

RE: 3d plane for an ax 55
[quote]ORIGINAL: kgeb Ok it sounds like a Primo, Mojo, Chinn Yak or a OMP Fusion. Of these 4 which of them are toughest (because if you do 3D you will make mistakes) and also the most user friendly to learn more 3D stuff? [/quote] The OMP Fusion or Swanys House MOJO. ....Actually what you should do is build one of each and get a second engine!!!!![sm=tongue_smile.gif] Both are equaly outstanding designs and very forgiving. The Fusion can be flown on low rates like almost any 50 size pattern plane or go banananas on high rates with learning 3D. The MoJo is a fantastic 3D learning tool that is as forgiving as it is good.
Posted on: 11/22/2008 9:34 AM by Author "Fuelman" in the forum "3D Flying!"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8171758