The Power Plant
The most suitable engine size for almost all trainers is a 6.5cc. (0.40cu.in. or "forty") size. When it comes to choosing an engine for your trainer, the choice is almost mind boggling. So many manufacturers, each one offering several engines in the same capacity range. So which do you choose? You can buy cheap or you can buy reliable. "Reliable" means it starts, ticks over, runs and stops when it's meant to and will probably cost an extra £10 to £15 more than a cheap offering. If you enjoy the challenge of getting an engine to run properly when it doesn't want to - buy cheap. If you want to learn to fly - buy reliable.
A good engine isn't necessarily a powerful one. What you need in a suitable trainer engine is one that starts easily, is easy to set up and runs consistently. When you're learning, most of the time you are unlikely to have the engine running at much more than half throttle. Ask around at the club and watch anyone else learning to fly. Notice how easy it is to get the engine started. Does the engine run consistently throughout the flight - full throttle on take off then back to about half throttle? Does it falter just after take-off or die in the air unexpectedly?
As a fairly rough guide, a trainer should be airborne about five minutes after the decision to have a flight and should fly around for about ten minutes before landing. Starting difficulties, head-scratching, frustrations and bad language are indicators of possible poor engine performance and/or poor setup.
Talk to your instructor, as a seasoned modeler he or she will be familiar with a wide range of engine types. Showing pupils how to start engines of all types is just a part of their designated tuition programme. They will have learned to differentiate between those engines that start and run easily and those that can be generally tiresome. Select your engine carefully and look after it and you will be rewarded with hours of flying pleasure.
You will also need a set of accessories appropriate to your engine:
Two propellers - one on the model and a spare, which for a 6.5cc. (0.40cu") engine will probably be 10”x6”.
Two glow plugs – one fitted to the engine and a spare.
A spinner.
You may also want to consider a silicon exhaust deflector that will help to keep your model clean by deflecting the exhaust away from the fuselage. As a final comment on this section, please remember to treat your engine with the respect it deserves. Far to many model fliers have suffered damage to various parts of their and other persons’ anatomies directly as a result of failing to appreciate the awesome power of a model engine propeller spinning at a few thousand rpm. These miniature power plants carry a seriously damaging ‘sting in the tail’ if treated lightly.
The most suitable engine size for almost all trainers is a 6.5cc. (0.40cu.in. or "forty") size. When it comes to choosing an engine for your trainer, the choice is almost mind boggling. So many manufacturers, each one offering several engines in the same capacity range. So which do you choose? You can buy cheap or you can buy reliable. "Reliable" means it starts, ticks over, runs and stops when it's meant to and will probably cost an extra £10 to £15 more than a cheap offering. If you enjoy the challenge of getting an engine to run properly when it doesn't want to - buy cheap. If you want to learn to fly - buy reliable.A good engine isn't necessarily a powerful one. What you need in a suitable trainer engine is one that starts easily, is easy to set up and runs consistently. When you're learning, most of the time you are unlikely to have the engine running at much more than half throttle. Ask around at the club and watch anyone else learning to fly. Notice how easy it is to get the engine started. Does the engine run consistently throughout the flight - full throttle on take off then back to about half throttle? Does it falter just after take-off or die in the air unexpectedly?
As a fairly rough guide, a trainer should be airborne about five minutes after the decision to have a flight and should fly around for about ten minutes before landing. Starting difficulties, head-scratching, frustrations and bad language are indicators of possible poor engine performance and/or poor setup.
Talk to your instructor, as a seasoned modeler he or she will be familiar with a wide range of engine types. Showing pupils how to start engines of all types is just a part of their designated tuition programme. They will have learned to differentiate between those engines that start and run easily and those that can be generally tiresome. Select your engine carefully and look after it and you will be rewarded with hours of flying pleasure.
You will also need a set of accessories appropriate to your engine:
Two propellers - one on the model and a spare, which for a 6.5cc. (0.40cu") engine will probably be 10”x6”.
Two glow plugs – one fitted to the engine and a spare.
A spinner.
You may also want to consider a silicon exhaust deflector that will help to keep your model clean by deflecting the exhaust away from the fuselage. As a final comment on this section, please remember to treat your engine with the respect it deserves. Far to many model fliers have suffered damage to various parts of their and other persons’ anatomies directly as a result of failing to appreciate the awesome power of a model engine propeller spinning at a few thousand rpm. These miniature power plants carry a seriously damaging ‘sting in the tail’ if treated lightly.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
to be continue :see the next post
to be continue :see the next post
No comments:
Post a Comment