Bladerunner

Freaks!

Hi Keith. Even if you run your 4S engine dry you may still suffer from corrosion. You should also note that specific to four-strokes the crankcase contains some corrosive by-products of the combustion process, not just unburnt methanol. The crank-case lubrication system (for bearings, big-end, cams etc) is fed from piston blow-by, and finally exits the crank-case via the breather vent. There are many folks that squirt additional fresh oil into the breather to inhibit corrosion and this can be done via the silicon tubing that is normally attached to vent oil from the cowl area. Also, using fuel with a bit of Castor oil goes a long way to preventing corrosion in four-strokes. There are many synthetic/Castor blends on the market containing 3% - 6% Castor that do the job nicely. Enjoy your engine.

Hi Nick As LiPo's age(time and usage) their internal resistance increases unavoidably - i.e. there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. So you will eventually end up with a pack that charge's fine and still has usable capacity, but will no longer sustain high discharge rates, or will overheat at high discharge rates. If you find that your battery pack appears to be running progressively warmer, then it may be that you are beginning to witness the age of the pack. Trust that helps.

Timbo, the PCT is typically installed as part of the pack assembly, and monitors each individual cell plus the entire pack parameters. They are quite small these days, in the form of a small electronic circuit board, with wiring to the pack pos and neg and each junction between the cells. If your pack has one installed, you could'nt miss it once the pack wrapping/packaging is removed. Trust this helps.

Hi folks. I really enjoyed reading the article, and pleased that it was so well spelled out. Well done Timbo. It won't be long before I totally convert to Lipo on all my gear - only my Tx remains NiCd. W.R.T the protection circuits(aka PCT), I was refering to standard Li-Ion(3V - 4.2V per cell) technology, as you would find in your laptop or pda. These cells characteristics are very much the same as our typical Lipo cells, except they cannot sustain the high discharge currents safely. The battery packs have a mandatory built-in PCT as a minimim. Many also have an electronic fuel guage that measures capacity amongst other things. The two primary functions of a PCT are: (1.) Safety of the user. (2.) Protection of the battery pack. The PCT prevents over-charge(voltage too high), over-discharge(voltage too low), short-circuit's and excessive temperature from damaging the battery pack. It includes a switch mechanism that can either disable charge, discharge or both. The circuit is self-resetting, so as soon as the fault condition is removed, the switch is re-activated. They are available for various cutoff configurations, depending on the application. Voltage settings range from 2.2V per cell to 2.7V per cell minimum, and 4.2V per cell to 4.35V per cell maximum. Products are designed to work within these ranges. One major exception to the above is the new A123 Lithium Ion cells, which have a much lower operating voltage range. Trust this helps.

If the Tx being used supports 8-cell series NiMh/NiCd battery packs, then it will work with Li-Ion/Lipo. 8-Cell series NiMh/NiCd termination voltages can be as high as 1.5V - 1.8V per cell for a total pack voltage of up to 14V, when using charge currents between 1C-3C. This then quickly settles to between 1.4V - 1.5V per cell. Tx's are designed to cope with these peak cell voltages(although many of us still use the old trickle chargers which don't get to such a high peak). Within the engineering fraternity, 8-Cell NiMh/NiCd is often regarded as the general equivilent of 3-Cell Li-Ion/Lipo, because the min and max levels equate so closely. The only additional advice I can add is that ideally an on-board battery protection circuit should be installed in the battery pack. These often have min/max cut-off's set at 2.6V and 4.3V respectively which yields a pack range of 7.8V to 12.9V.

Never heard of that happening to Saito. Send it to the distributors repair center and get them to review it.

Saito's are great engines. Top quality, easy to use and plenty of power.

Yes.

Send it to Just Engines. They specialise in anything engine related. Good service too.

Just run it. You should'nt have any serious problems.

Steve, that should work fine. Most folks use some tubing on the breather to help duct the oil. I use 4-8 inch tube on my 4 strokers, and no problems. However, make it as short as possible, and follow the manufacturer recommendations when provided. Some of the newer engines feed the breather to the carb, thus reducing the oil residue.

The new Nijhuis Spitfire looks fantastic. I bet this one will prove to be very popular.

I noticed the same thing. Read somewhere that there is a version-II due in a few months, so that could explain it. I got the PC-interface and 20A shunt just in case.

There are only 3 things I can think of regarding the over-heating (and assuming you've followed all the advice listed above): 1.) You are still running lean - don't rely on your high-speed needle to determine this. There could still be dirt or obstructions to the flow of fuel. Check it again if unsure. 2.)You are running too high a content of nitro, which is overly advancing your timing. I would not run much more than 10% in an irvine without shimming. They are made for lower nitro content. 3.) You have over-propped the engine. Try a smaller propeller. 11x6 would be a safe maximum on the 46. Trust that helps, and hope you find the problem.

The above assumes that you have checked all the fuel plumbing: tank, tubing and filters.

For a start, check your glow plug and tighten all the nuts and bolts on the engine. If the problem persists, I would remove the carb, disassemble and give it a good clean. This is especially true if you use castor in your fuel. Those Irvines are solid, trouble free engines - yours probably only needs a bit of maintenance.

Seems a simple solution - subscribe and the pain goes away... Oh and quit whining.

You should also give it a good clean if it's been standing for a while - check carb and tappet clearence. This is especially true if you are using castor in your fuel and the engine stands for a long time. Good luck.

Just to be clear, the above method applies for ABC and ABN type 2 stroke motors only. That means, non-ringed engines. Always follow the manufacturer guidlines where possible.

You don't want to run an ABC engine in that way. Blubbering rich is going to eventually ruin your liner/piston fit. The engine must reach operating temperature. I do it this way: With the throttle open to max (engine running), screw in the high speed needle until the engine just transitions into a clean 2-stoke sound(once you reach that point do not screw it in any further). Run for 30 seconds in that condition, then screw out the needle half a turn for 10 seconds. Then screw it in again so that it again runs at a clean 2-stroke sound for 30 seconds. Repeat this alternate cycle until the tank is empty. Fill the tank and repeat, for a total of 3 tanks. Done. Set your idle and go fly. Works every time.

Jeez Vince, it aint that bad. I get where you're coming from, but RCME is a commercial enterprise and they offer benefits to those who pay. Simple. What you should be asking is whether you might qualify as a subsciber having proved to them that you regularly purchase the magazine.

I have 2 parkflyers at present, having planned to fly them at the local park around the corner. They fly great but gather dust as I can only fly them at the field - which I have'nt attended for some time. However, summer is arriving fast and I aim to correct the imbalance forthwith!

Whats the point of parkflyers if most bylaws make it illegal to fly in the local park(in London anyway)? Seriously, it's a joke that the hobby stores are selling these when you can only fly them at the club, and then you may as well get a "proper" model!

Enough of this morbid curiosity...sure is funny though!