RE: OS 120 AX Problem ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: w8ye A 160 is much easier to tune and more forgiving than a 120AX. [/quote] Very true.
Posted on: 9/13/2012 3:23 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11227631

RE: OS 120 AX Problem ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: airraptor why did you buy extra mufflers when the 120 comes with a pits muffler????? [/quote] I bought the wedge shaped Slimline mufflers because they fit entirely inside the cowls and made a neater installation for my application. The exhaust pipes protrude, of course. The OS 1.20AX is sold with or without a muffler. The square cylinder shaped OS Power Box Muffler with the 90 degree adapter would not fit inside the cowl so I purchased the engines without the OS mufflers.
Posted on: 9/13/2012 5:20 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11227062

RE: OS 120 AX Problem ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: Merlin Man ... I now want to try to use a Pitts Style again and wonder if there are any that have had success with this set up ?? [/quote] Yes, I am having success with two OS 1.20AX engines side mounted on a scale twin war bird using Slimline large volume Pitts style mufflers. The engines are being run with no pumps, no regulators, no check valves and no plugged exhaust pipes. They are very easy to start by hand (chicken stick). One of the engines quit during the second flight of the model while transitioning between high and mid throttle, which is a common complaint about this engine. I found that I was being too gentle with them during break in by running them too rich. I said "enough of this rich crap" and I leaned them out and they've run very well ever since. The pictures show the wedge shape of the muffler which allows it to fit entirely inside the cowls.
Posted on: 9/12/2012 8:49 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226840

RE: Gas Engine interference
[quote]ORIGINAL: Len Todd Did you use a non-conductive throttle linkage? ... [/quote] If you are referring to me and my difficulty with the RCEXL opto kill switch, the answer in this case is yes. However, most of the time I use a conductive flexible metal cable passing through a thin plastic tube because it is easier to route it around obstacles without binding. For short direct linkages I use a conductive metal rod as shown in the picture. In all cases there is no metal rubbing against metal at the ends or anywhere between.
Posted on: 9/12/2012 7:15 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11226764

RE: Gas Engine interference
The RCEXL opto kill switch created a problem for me until it was removed. On 12/2/2011 I posted my problem with the RCEXL opto kill switch in Post #139 on page 6 in the "Has anyone tried the new PTE36R ?" thread http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10672914/mpage_6/key_/tm.htm Preceding that post there were a number of posts in which people were trying to help. Post #142 and Post #150 followed my post and may be of some interest.
Posted on: 9/10/2012 3:44 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11224204

RE: FIRST LANIER R/C AIRCRAFT
[quote]ORIGINAL: Steve Westphal About 40 years ago, my Father won this plane at an Omahawks club fun fly. I believe it is their first model. It is a pattern ship along the lines of a ''Kwik Fly.'' ... [/quote] If it kind of resembles a pattern plane or a P51 (without the air scoop) it may be the Lanier Jester. That was one junk airplane and somebody might just send you money to keep it and burn it. Beside the design and numerous quality flaws the entire rear end of the fuselage including fin and stabilizer would flutter violently in flight and you couldn't slow down enough to make it stop that rapid twisting motion of the tail. Lanier obviously knew the problem existed because their instructions said you had to pour liquid foam into the fuselage. I looked around in the box but there was no liquid foam. Lanier expected you go out and find foam somewhere and buy it yourself.
Posted on: 9/6/2012 9:44 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "ARF or RTF"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11220336

RE: Has anyone tried the new PTE36R ?
If you use the RCExcel on the PTE-36R make sure that you recheck the ignition timing. If it is advanced too far it may kick back and give your fingers a vicious WHACK.
Posted on: 9/5/2012 7:32 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11218963

RE: Throttle servo buzzing for DLE20
As I look at the first two sketches on that throttle linkage diagram it appears that the servo applies more of an up and down action to the push rod than a push pull action in its first 20 deg of rotation. Since there is so little throttle arm movement around idle, my question for anyone who has actually set up his linkage according to the diagram is, are you able to shut down your engine using the throttle cut feature on your transmitter or did you have to install an ignition kill switch? Thanks for your answer.
Posted on: 8/28/2012 9:32 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11209067

RE: JetCat P-60 Plug Failure
I closely inspected all 3 circuit boards in the ECU, and see no apparent burned spots. Same with the turbine circuit board. Nothing seems to be out of place or burned. I guess it needs to go to JetCat?
Posted on: 8/27/2012 3:04 PM by Author "rocketman-RCU" in the forum "JetCat Turbine Direct Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11208140

RE: JetCat P-60 Plug Failure
I also noticed that the propane valve makes a clicking sound as it puffs out increments of propane to the turbine. I think my other JetCats do this but I'm not sure. Anyway, I still don't understand how I can have voltage on the glowplug and no fire. Wouldn't that mean zero amps or zero watts?
Posted on: 8/26/2012 3:02 PM by Author "rocketman-RCU" in the forum "JetCat Turbine Direct Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11206756

RE: Throttle servo buzzing for DLE20
[quote]ORIGINAL: oldtyme ... I have put on a heavier duty (Dubro) servo arm to prevent any distortion because the standard Futaba servo arms wanted to twist when operating the throttle. The rods are supported in several places so there is no flex that I can determine. The spring is on the carb throttle arm as it arrived. So why is the servo buzzing at full open throttle? Yes I tried another servo. [/quote] If your throttle linkage requires a heavy duty servo arm and the servo is buzzing I would suspect that there is a significant amount of drag in your throttle linkage system. Some servos briefly emit a nearly inaudible buzz as they stop at a null point or they may continue to buzz slightly if they feel a mild resistance from the throttle return spring. I don't know if a throttle spring can be powerful enough to bend a servo arm but you can disconnect the spring (don't remove it from the shaft) to find out if it is causing the buzz.
Posted on: 8/24/2012 11:00 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11205196

RE: JetCat P-60 Plug Failure
Yes, I'm using an MC-9. And yes, I watched the plug element with the plug out and grounded. The computer sees the plug as good and does the startup sequence, but it doesn't glow. This is really interesting: I put a volt meter on it, and it shows 1.5 volts with everything shut down, and the volt meter moves up toward 2 volts during startup, but no glow. I again tested the plug on a 1.2 volt hotshot and it is still good and hot. This makes no sense to me.
Posted on: 8/23/2012 6:23 PM by Author "rocketman-RCU" in the forum "JetCat Turbine Direct Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11203971

RE: A123 Question
[quote]ORIGINAL: Truckracer Lets be clear here, on a Lithium-ion battery measuring voltage at the field can tell you the state of charge in the battery but it will not tell you the capacity of the battery. ... [/quote] You are correct, I should have said "monitoring their state of charge is a quick and simple procedure". Just as with Nickel-Cadmium batteries, I stop measuring and stop flying when the voltage drops to a predetermined value.
Posted on: 8/22/2012 9:39 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11202935

JetCat P-60 Plug Failure
I burned 3 straight plugs on startup, then went in to test functions and reduced the voltage from 2.5 volts down to the default 2.1 volts. Now no glow at all. Have adjusted it back to 2.48 volts and no glow. I have checked plug on 1.2 volt hotshot and it glows fine. Ecu battery was topped off to 8.5 volts, and still no fire on startup. Now what?
Posted on: 8/22/2012 12:56 PM by Author "rocketman-RCU" in the forum "JetCat Turbine Direct Support"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11202386

RE: A123 Question
I've continued to use Lithium-ion batteries because monitoring their capacity is a quick and simple procedure that can be performed with the voltmeter in my field box. Lithium-ions are reliable, lightweight, have good longevity and are safe to charge in the plane. Remember, many electronic devices that we use in our homes have Lithium-ion batteries such as cameras, laptops, phones, universal remote controls, iPads, etc., etc. and the batteries are charged without removing them. I never have to charge at the field because I never have to guess how much of the charge remains as one has to do with A123 batteries. A123 batteries are great for DeWalt power tools since there won't be a disaster when the battery suddenly quits. By the way, A123 Systems Inc. has failed because they were turning out bad batteries. They will go completely out of business if the government rejects the huge bail out offer by a Chinese company. Who knows, you may be using some good Chinese batteries soon
Posted on: 8/21/2012 11:26 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11201747

RE: A123 Question
Lithium Ion w/regulators.
Posted on: 8/21/2012 3:46 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Batteries & Chargers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11200624

RE: One engine out fuel shutoff
[quote]ORIGINAL: maxpower1954 ... Single-engine flight is very doable PROVIDED you have some understanding of what's going on and have a few hard and fast procedures to follow. [/quote] Yes, it is very doable PROVIDED you can see well enough to determine which engine is dead before the plane rolls over, PROVIDED you have enough altitude to recover from the roll over and apply your hard and fast procedures, PROVIDED you don't get caught down wind on a windy day over unfriendly surroundings, PROVIDED your knees don't buckle and you pass out from terror and stress while trying to save a heavy scale twin ... [:D]
Posted on: 8/6/2012 6:58 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11182728

RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
[quote]ORIGINAL: Brad330l My pilot is one of those 'Ugly Ones'.[:)] [/quote] Naw, Brad, [b]THIS [/b]is ugly!
Posted on: 8/5/2012 5:44 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11181464

RE: Windshield washerpump ?
Has anyone tried the Sig Gas Passer? It runs on 12 volts, pumps both ways and is compatible with gasoline,glow fuel, kerosene, smoke oil, and water. I have one and it has given no trouble. It can be seen at the bottom of this web page http://www.centralhobbies.com/fuel/flpmp.htm
Posted on: 8/3/2012 4:26 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "RC Fuels"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11180083

RE: Stuck Choke
Maybe soldering flux leaked between the shaft and the carb body.
Posted on: 8/3/2012 2:14 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11179934

RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
[quote]ORIGINAL: jrf ... I have spent two days looking at pilot figures with no success. I am a bit lazy and would like to have a prepainted pilot, but have not found any that will fit. What figure are you guys using? [/quote] Slimline 7021 John Wayne/Duke Pilot Legends Series. Some Slimline pilots are better looking than Duke while others are down right ugly.
Posted on: 8/3/2012 1:56 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11179918

RE: SAito 82 - Inverted - Rough Idle
Uncas, I agree with those who say that an on board glow battery is not required if the needle valves are set correctly. What you described originally was a Saito .82 that was far too rich to idle without power to the glow plug then you adjusted the idle needle valve until it was too lean to start. Do you think maybe you missed the ideal setting by making your adjustments too large? Once it reaches the point where it won't start, try turning the idle needle valve CCW in very small increments (1/16 turn) until it will start. I can't speak for OS 4-strokes but I know for sure that I've never had to use on board glow for Saito .72, .82, 1.00 or for YS 1.10 4-strokes, or any engine that I've owned for that matter. You may have heard that the tanks are too high in the planes in picture 1 below but the UCD 46 has a Saito .72 and one of the UCD 60's has a Saito 1.00. The one in the foreground has an OS .91FX 2-stroke. Not picture here is the newest UCD 46 in the fleet that has a Saito 82. Pictures 2 and 3 show two YS 1.10 powered planes. As you can see all of the engines are inverted and all run flawlessly without on board glow. If they didn't run well I wouldn't be inclined to keep installing engines inverted.
Posted on: 8/1/2012 5:04 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11177727

RE: OS 1.20AX Unexplained Flameouts.......>>>
Taz_Hobbies, Yours seems to be a fairly common complaint about the OS 1.20AX in the forums. I have two of these engines on an 82 inch F7F Tigercat and one of the engines had the very same problem that you described. Believe me, I'd rather dead stick an Ultimate than wrestle with one engine out on a scale twin model. To get right to the point, you used the word "fat" with reference to your needle valve setting and "fat" was precisely what was wrong with my engine. While flying, I throttled back to the mid range to test the retracts and the right engine quit. Richening the needle valve during a ground run up only made it worse and it quit also on an acceleration from mid range to max. The idle setting was already as lean as I could get it so I leaned the high speed needle and that fixed the problem. When you are adjusting the top end of these engines they start "2-cycling" early and it makes them sound lean when they are in fact nowhere near lean. So, lean it out.[:)] On the Pitts muffler subject, the Tigercat has two Slimline Pitts Q Series Mufflers. Those are the larger volume ones with the wedge shape that fit entirely inside the cowl and they cause the OS 1.20AX no problems with fuel draw.
Posted on: 7/27/2012 10:16 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11171336

RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
Ian Rehbein, Thanks for pointing out the ESM electric retracts as sold by Troy Built for the less painful price of $314.95. I don't need them now but I'll keep them in mind for future projects. The struts appear to be the same as those in the pneumatic set of retracts that I bought from them. Like Staggerflyer, in the past I considered the electric option but was totally unwilling to dish out the kind of cash that they were asking just to raise the wheels when a pneumatic system could do it for only $169.00. When I was looking for retracts Troy Built was selling a complete set of pneumatic F7F Tigercat retracts, including metal hub wheels, for $169.00. Sure, pneumatic retracts have their problems but you can pay a lot of money an buy a new set of strange, weird and quirky problems with electrics.
Posted on: 7/16/2012 5:56 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11157934

RE: Where can I find Stihl Ultra Locally
You are probably looking for the label that says "Stihl HP Ultra" on the silver bottle and not just "Stihl Ultra".
Posted on: 7/14/2012 5:24 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11155428

RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
[quote]ORIGINAL: softshell29 ... One of the contributors to this thread who has great workmanship may also be expert in the dreaded engine out . On RCG he recently posted a video of his Tigercat crashing after engine out. ... [/quote] LOL@ "expert in the dreaded engine out". Hopefully I will never gain enough engine out experience to be given that label. It happened to me once with my Tigercat. On the second flight with those brand new engines, the right one quit. I wanted to test the retracts so I throttled back to the mid range and the plane slowed much more than I expected it to. I figured it was an engine problem but I couldn't determine which engine it was until the Tigercat got wobbly, dropped the right wing and turned right. I throttled back to idle and since I had enough altitude I gave it lots of down elevator to avoid a stalled spin (death spiral). As the air speed increased I eased in some up elevator and added throttle and made a 180 degree right turn into the dead right engine to line up with the runway and land. I carried a small amount of throttle until touch down. So there you have it, support for the points that you raised, or maybe not. After all, one Tigercat didn't survive a right engine failure.
Posted on: 7/13/2012 12:37 PM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11154057

RE: Has anyone tried the new PTE36R ?
[quote]ORIGINAL: MTK I have a new PTE on hand but have not run it. The rear exhaust is very attractive, I agree, but if the engine has no guts it won't do much good.... [/quote] Wouldn't the comparison be more meaningful if you tested your PTR36R with the same pipe and prop that you used on your OS 33Gt?
Posted on: 7/13/2012 8:38 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Gas Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11153755

RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
softshell29, Did you replace your air tank because the Robart tank was larger or did you feel that the Robart was better? [quote]ORIGINAL: softshell29 ... Electric has many drawbacks but one of its advantages is the ease of achieving multiengine opposite rotation. In addition to eliminating Torque, P factor, etc to get straight runs and flight, it increases the odds of surviving the dreaded loss of one motor. [/quote] Electric motors will certainly make it easy for you to set up counter rotating props and test those theories. Judging from how well this Tigercat flies I don't believe that modifying a glow engine for clockwise rotation and finding a counter rotation prop would be worth the effort. Have you had an occasion to find out if that really helps in an engine out situation? It is difficult to visualize that enough torque can be derived from the one running engine to counteract all of that weight and drag of the fuselage and the dead engine side of the wing, especially since you can only run the engine at a lower throttle setting.
Posted on: 7/9/2012 8:07 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11148628

RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
[quote]ORIGINAL: Staggerflyer ... I use two medium sized tanks, at 100PSI. [/quote] The tank that came with my retracts has a diameter of 2 inches and a length of 6 inches but I don't know if that is considered to be small or medium. Are both of your tanks on top of the wings or is one underneath?
Posted on: 6/29/2012 8:31 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11136488

RE: ASM F-7F Tigercat
Hey Staggerflyer, it is good to hear that you're still flying and experimenting with your Tigercat and it's power system. You're being very thorough with your prop experiments and it appears that you're getting close to a conclusion. I started with the MAS 14x9 3-blade because that is what was available at my local hobby shop and I was in a hurry to get the F7F flying. I haven't yet changed to any other brand or size because they seem to be working OK on my OS 1.20AX glow engines. I don't know if anymore oil will help the actuators to overcome the effect of the high speed air loads on the retract mechanism. All of the moving parts were lubricated with silicone oil when the retracts were installed. Maybe they need to be re-oiled. Maybe a grease would be better. I know that these retracts have a very secure locking action and they could probably be torn out on a crash landing without releasing the locks. The Robart adjustable air valve had been set for a slow sluggish retract action but now I have it set for a rapid retract action and that may help the actuators shock the locks loose. My initial air tank pressure is set for 100-110 psi. Is anyone starting with a higher pressure?
Posted on: 6/28/2012 9:00 AM by Author "Rocketman_" in the forum "Twin & Multi Engine RC Aircraft"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11135104