Engine Doctor

No that's definitely an"engine running OUT" procedure. Its nearly April the first beware ! Or have you upset someone Years ago modellers used to add metal polish like Brasso to the fuel to speed up running in. Machining in those days was not cnc. And quality varied wildly as did somecofvthe materials used.If you over did it with the Brasso the engine was clapped _out before it was fitted to the plane. Grinding paste is much more aggressive and will destroy modern engines if it didn't block the fuel jets first. Just use good quality fuel run rich for a tank or so then fly it just slightly rich for a few more tank fulls an its done. Petrol engines take a bit longer but still use clean fuel /oil mix with no additives. Edited By Engine Doctor on 30/03/2015 15:51:09

I t might be worth checking the info you left when registering . The new system seems to work ok as have had a couple of calls re adds .

That would be Chinglish then

Posted by Allan Bennett on 27/03/2015 20:33:25: I'm not sure about oil-based enamel on foam Certainly I can vouch that water-based acrylics don't attack it -- I've used them on Depron, Elapor, and regular styrofoam or whatever it was the Mk 1 version of the Multiplex Hi yes paint like Humbrol enamel , the type in tins will/should be fine on foam but beware of the Humbrol aerosols as I believe they contain a solvent or possibly a propellant that will attack foam. Its still best to do a test piece as paint formulas seem to change quite a lot these days . Humbrol is I believe now made in China and it isn't the same as it used to be so probably best to stick to water based acrylic.

Hi Make sure the enamel is a oil based and not acrylioc type as it can eat the foam .You can get artist acrylic(water based) silver that sprays well . Its quite cheap on e-bay or from craft shops. I haven't used the silver but have used solid colours on foam and it works well. Once dry seal with Ronseal matt or Satin clear . I sprayed it straight from the can in a small touch in gun at 50psi .

That looks very much like our old club toffee bomber and is indeed a T 240 by President . The engine was a Magnum 108 and markings were MMFC (Medway Model flying Club ) that I painted on. If it is the same model as I cant see all the markings, then I was the keeper for more than a few years and still have the toffee bombing box that was slung underneath the fus. We sold it probably 5 or 6 years ago at one of our swapmeets I think, due to not being used  much and it taking up too much space in my workshop and no other club member would look after it. It used to be Yellow Profilm until a mishap probably 10 or 12  years ago when the fuslage was badly damaged . The wings were repaired and a second hand fus covered in olive drab was obtained and the wings recovered to match. It WILL need wing struts to fly. Have you got another pic of the side markings ? It is /was a pussy cat to fly but the engine used to over heat so ducts were fitted in the cowling that cured the overheating ..Hope you have some fun with it And would be interesting to know where its been . E.D. Edited By Engine Doctor on 26/03/2015 11:18:38 Edited By Engine Doctor on 26/03/2015 11:23:50

The Mystic is a great flying model The one I flew for a club mate  had a ST 90 for power that would keep cutting out suddenly .Not a problem though as it would glide on .........and ................on........ and...............on and always made it back to the patch  .Ive  never flown the smaller versions though . Edited By Engine Doctor on 26/03/2015 10:51:49

Hi Roger .Its not at all difficult . Do make sure you have some decent allen keys though as cheapies will round off and possibly damage the screw heads. Also have a clean plastic box/tray available to put the parts in as you remove them .Good luck and let us all know how you get on. Hears a you tube film of a OS 52 FS being stripped down . The OS is  almost identical to the SC so it should help .  . Edited By Engine Doctor on 26/03/2015 10:39:50

The black oil may just be carbon deposits but do check for any metal in the oil . let the sun or a bright light shine on it . If it looks pearly or glitters slightly then it will be metal from a bearing etc.A quick check for bearing wear can be made by holding both tips of the prop and try rocking it back and forth if there is any play in the crank bearings you will feel it . Also check the cam bearings ,often forgotten and they get very little oil. A quick look in the cam box,( two cap screws on the side) will be enough to check them . If full of brown muck then change them . If the bearing have worn then the performance will suffer quite a lot . Bearings are available from any good bearing supplier . and a complete set will only cost about £15 .

That does look like a brittle gudgeon pin ,or has the gudgeon pin siezed in the piston and con rod ?Hopefully a new piston ,pin and conrod will sort it if they are a reasonable price.

Hi the rattle can acrylics are not proof against glow fuel but the clear acrylic is supposed to be fuel resistant .They should be OK over brown paper for decoration as the paper should form a protective barrier over the foam ,this should be the same for solarlac or Clear coat. Provided you dont spray very wet coats and allow to dry between coats it should be fine .Make sure to protect any uncovered foam as any solvent based acrylic or solarlac including clear coat will dissolve the foam. As stevo says Ronseal will proof the paint but will brown over time.Flair spectrum clear in satin or gloss is fuel proof-ish and doesn't discolour like ronseal. If you have spraying equipment then solarlac clear coat is totally fuel proof and will go over car acrylic with no problems if thinned with solarlac thinners.

One thing I forgot to mention on previous post was that various chemicals /solvents can an do de-nature various plastics leaving extremely brittle. I once painted some flair scale wheels with silver Solarlac paint. A few months later the wheels shattered like egg shells on a gentle landing ! The replacements were painted white humbrol enamel and were fine some years later. The solvents were probably the cause but beware. Also beware if stripping fibreglass parts as some paint strippers will eat into or dissolve the gel coat. Any chemists out there who can offer an explanation about the embrittlment of plastics ?

If the profilm will stick to the emulsion it should be be ok . Just dont use a high enough temp to melt any foam underneath

Hi Mark All above advice is good but dont build the Wots Wot yet its for later . Best advice in above is ......go along to a club , have a chat with their instructors and join . Good luck.

Posted by David Davis on 15/03/2015 15:33:23:   I cannot get the idea of buying an Enya out of my head. I've had them in the past but never really appreciated them for the solid reliable engines that they are, and have always sold them on. I'm considering something in the 40-60 range. God knows why for I've got a Super Tigre 40, an Irvine 46 and 53, an OS, Meteor and K&B 61s and none of them are currently in a model! I suppose I just want a piece of aeromodelling history.     Go on go for it .The four strokes are brilliant if a little expensive . They do crop up regularly second hand and spares are available for most Enya's,even the very early ones from Steve Web models. I have an old Enya 60 FS in a x2 lady Bird . It flies brilliantly on low throttle and is a delight on warm summer evenings . Edited By Engine Doctor on 16/03/2015 15:45:57 Edited By Engine Doctor on 16/03/2015 15:48:11

Just a tip I picked up some years ago, to keep the glass cloth weave nice and straight and to stop the cloth from fraying while cutting , spray a coat of hairspray /laquer on it while its layed out flat . It holds the weave in place until you apply the resin. It works with polyester or epoxy resin but have not tried it with water based types. The resin dissolves the laquer quickly one applied. It is very useful when laying up carbon fibre cloth if you want to see the weave when set. Another tip is to remove any puddles or excess resin with kitchen towel. The paper towel soakes up the excess and leaves a perfect uniform coat saving un-necessary weight. If you have used the lay up resin that hardens and remains sticky , give it a wipe over with acetone . It removes the stickyness and allows for easiersanding but is very smelly and mightvupset SWMBO. Edited By Engine Doctor on 16/03/2015 10:22:03 Edited By Engine Doctor on 16/03/2015 10:26:02

I knew a guy who swore by it ..................................he crashed a model every visit ! . Its an ill wind as the saying goes but he bought any models going cheap in the area

Ripmax should be able to supply them. If its the rocker type ,had one snap on a ff9 and Ripmax sent it OK .

You should be able to do it but you will have to use different radio gear/motor set up. FR-SKY do a micro 5 channelrx @ 3grams and hobbyking do 2gram servos ideal for this type of model. They are not expensive either.

All joking aside ALL clubs and flyers should have a first aid kit available. There have been some horrific accidents over the years and the new generation of flyers aren't immune ! The modern electric powered models seem to be treated as harmless by many probably due to their quiet running but even a small electric motor can do serious damage . I have in the past taken fellow modellers to hospital with lacerations to hands and our first aid kits helped enormously, especially keeping blood off my car seats . The Hobby king kit is apparently available from the UK Wharehouse according to thier site so customs shouldn't be a problem. If ordering from the global wharehouse beware as the postage IS added to the total for vat purposes. Our club keeps a first aid kit available at all times. Its basic but that's all that's generally needed. The advice given about torniquete is worth listening to . Clubs can also get first aid lectures from the local St Johns or Red Cross . Edited By Engine Doctor on 13/03/2015 09:12:12

And they have priced it just in the value that our friends at customs look at ! By the time postage is added you will probably get a bill from C&E for vat and a handling charge from royal mail totaling £11 plus !

Hi have a word with a club member who's familiar with petrol power . There are quite a few differences to glow power . A couple of hours chatting to a petrol flyer is worth a who page of instructions and pictures .

I sold my Dv111 some years ago now . I flew very well . Powered by an Enya 40ss . with a modified silencer ,it was very quiet . I had strip ailerons fitted . these gave excellent roll response and needed no differential.Wing was flat . It actually looked as if it had anhedral due to the taper on the top of the wing. Do make sure that the U/C wing-lett is at zero deg incidence and is fitted firmly as it will affect the performance .

Re Chrome Oracover. I have used it and it will go around compound curves etc ; however if over stretched it goes milky and looks awful .It also looks too bright . Why not try some litho plate. You may have to use a few pieces to get the curves as per full size but will look very authentic .

We pay a club member to do it he also looks after the mower . The club supplies a mower and pay expenses etc .It doesn't cost a lot and we can guarantee the patch is in good order . We tried having rotas etc years ago but it always caused more arguments and no one really looked after the mower. The out field is cut by a contractor as required. Mower is in for service now ready for the coming season. The sheep option as said is a "No go" , so if you do share your field with sheep then you may have difficulty finding a club member who's willing to do it . Hi Stevo. No we don't use verniers but a depth gauge does come in handy now and again  Edited By Engine Doctor on 08/03/2015 17:09:25