Model airplane engines can teach you many lessons about running other engines. Most of them are two-stroke, and many have only a mixer without a throttle. Tuning an engine for flight requires a good ear and some experience. Control line planes will be set up so they are missing a bit when level; running full speed during a climb, and slobbering a bit when nosed down. It makes your flying safe, and your engine will run for years if you understand how to regulate your mixture.
This little speed racer has a .15 Cubic Inch engine, and a single blade, counterbalanced prop. The tip is supersonic, and a two bladed prop would not work at that speed. Listen for the change in the engine speed to kick in when the speed comes up on the plane. The additional air hitting the engine leans out the mixture, maxing out the RPM. I am sure it takes some preparation runs to get that right, and sometimes you just are not going to get that top speed.
Odd coincidence. We were reviewing color slides last week prior to doing some scanning, and among them is a photo of me flying a control line aircraft, but the photo isn't clear enough to tell which aircraft I was flying.
ReplyDeleteIf, (big if) I remember correctly, it has to be either a store bought plastic Stuka, or what was pretty much just a wing that my Dad made from a kit.
Dad and I never went farther with the control line flying, and we never went into RC flying because it would have been very expensive in the mid sixties.
A good post that woke up a lot of dormant memories. Thank you.
now that was a noisy little beggar!
ReplyDeletelooks like a lot of equipment is required.....