Engine Doctor

Hi Richard . I have a black horse ( or is it a seagull ) artf ultimate . I bought it at the swapmeet at last years Hop farm show.I had a SC 120 lying idle so fitted it and Its a perfect match. Flys superb with plenty of vertical.etc. Obviously cant prop hang like the guy with the Brison 52cc motor but is a great flyer . The other good thing about it is that it fits in the car all assembled so no fiddling about at the field.

Hi Ben .All fourstrokes try to back fire when primed and flicked like a two stroke.  First of all discard your plastic spinner ( never use plastic on a f/stroke ) and fit an ally spinner. You will have to addapt the the spinner adaptor nut to a lock-nut to enable the cap screw ,that pulls the spinner cone onto its back plate to be fitted . Starting a fourstroke is slightly different to a two stroke . First prime the engine until nice and wet . Dont connect your glow start yet . now flick the motor over as usual to make sure its not locked with fuel . When happy that it spins ok connect the glow. Now use a chiken stick ,or as I do and flick the motor backwards agianst compression using the spinner the motor will (should ) backfire and spin in the correct direction and usually carry on running. If you wish  to use a starter motor then prime the motor flick over WITOUT the glow connected to ensure it isn't locked now still without the glowconnected spinit over with the stater for a couple of seconds  to empty out excessive fuel . now connect the glow and sin with starter again . you should get an instant start. Once a four stroke is warm then a starter will get it going without all the priming etc . All the forgoing  assumes that the fuel mixture has been set up .  Good luck and let us know how you get on E.D.

Hi Be very wary if you use WD40 for freeing up gummed engines. I have experienced enines firing when flicked over with wd 40 in them and it can be very painful .Beware. E.D

Hi Shaun The slow running mixture screw is the screw at the front of the carb and screws in and out horizontaly.It adjust the slow running mixture by either restricting or allowing more air into the carb when the throttle is closed. If you look in the slow running air intake you will see the end ofthe slow running mixture screw .turn it until it about half way across the hole.The throttle stop screw screws into the top of the carb . turn this screw until the carb  can be completely closed  (no air gap) . Open the throttle enough to start the engine with the throttle trim on your TX and start your engine . Adjust the fuel mixture for correct running at full throttle . When you ar happy with the full throttle setting close the throttle and alow to idle for a few seconds. now open the throttle fully . If your engine coughs and splutters and speeds up slowly it is too rich and the slow running mixture screw needs  turning out . Only make small adjustments ,say 1/8th of a turn  and retry. If you open the throttle and the motor dies and hunts for fuel then the idle mixture needs richening (srewing in) Adjust until you get a reliable idle and good pick up.Hope this helps . E.D

Hi Steve . Do keep a plug socket set up as you may have to remove the unit from the model for service /repairs etc. To make sure that the plug doesn't come un-done during flight try putting a 1/2 knot in the leads before plugging them together then any strain on them will pull them together .Only use a 4.8 volt (4 cell ) battery for the ignition ; a 1300 mAh will last you all day . The newer Crrc Pro engines are good value for money and very powerful. I am still running an early 45cc motor and it just gets better and better . It pulls a 80 somthing inch Eurobat vertical and is very reliable. Good luck. E.D

I never win anthing ,but that has change sometime ! Bring it on

Hi John .When you say a beginners kit ,do you mean begginer as in flying or building ? If its flying you probably know that a Spitfire is not a googd idea ;if its  building then a spitfire may not be a good idea to start on but try a simpler scale project .If it really must be a Spitfire then try the BMFA classifieds or the classifieds on this RCME site with a wanted add. You didn't memtion how big you wanted to build ? Balsa craft (now extinct)did a spitfire kit about 40 odd inch ,if you can find one. Pilot (also extinct)did a proper builders kit,again about 48 inch, a few years ago but you will probably have to pay a good price for one of those ,quite rare now. Apart from Plans the only "proper kit" I'm aware of thats easily available is the DB Spitfire  for 30cc plus engines. The Top fFight Gold edition kits may include a Spitfire they were about 65 inch span ,but not sure. DONT be tempted to buy a PICA  kit , unless its  a really early one . They were laterly produced in italy and the materials and, well every-thing about the kits are IMHO awful/rubbish. I am half way through a DB Hurricane build for a mate. although the plan shows a Super Tiger 3000/3250  I am fitting a 50cc petrol for reliability . The DB kit is pretty good with the built up wing kit . Prior to that I built a P40 Warhawk from a Pica kit and it was hard work with all the rubbish parts having to be re-made from proper materials. Hope you have luck in finding a project but chat to your club mates before jumping in. Regards E.D>

Got a lovely YS waiting for it . Yes please !

Yep use the fishing trace ( as above ) and plastic tubes (snake leftovers) then thers no chaffing or wear. 2.4 shouldn't be affected by metal to metal noise but range check it anyway with the engine running. Good luck

Hi Kevin .If you use a small vent to the tank( Air will pass through a very small opening ) the tank will be able to breath and due to the fuel being drawn by the engine ,fuel will not come out of the breather.I have in the past put a building pin in the end of a piece of metal fuel tube then squeezed in the tube around it , when the pin is removed  it leaves an ample hole for air to enter and no fuel (or very little )will come out of it. I fit this pipe to the fuslage and connect with normal fuel tubing to the tank . Dont forget you dont need a pressure pipe to the exhaust on a pumped motor. Regards E.D

Hi Dave . No I never had one in the first place. Have you tried an add on the BMFA classifieds ? or here on this forum . There are a lot of very friendly helpful modellers out there who have helped me in the past. The other options are Steve web or try a Google search for Enya engines . I know theres a great site for OS engines with exploded views and spares list etc ; possibly the same for Enya.  Most manual s / info sheets seem to contain the same information re safety, running in ,oil content of fuel and so on. Unless you want one for collecting reasons or for an exploded view then almost any  of the current info sheets will give the requied info Re the tube from the crank case ; try to keep it as short as possible to exit the cowling or use a short lenght to fit the nipple then fit a larger diameter tube so that it can drain during running. Regards E.D

HelloEric  Yes that  green veridgris stuff is the result  of the  the copper being is being dissolved/attacked . You probably noticed that the coper was also turning black. A simmilar reaction occurs with the brass tubing but as their is only a small ammount of copper in the brass the tubing is degraded and becomes brittle and porous quicker as only the zinc is left . Perhaps someone on here is a chemistry wizz and can give us en explanation ? Since I have started using the aluminium tubing i havent had any problems. Regards E.D

Hi Dustin . I regularly use a three line set up . The main differenc to the set up mentioned above is that I only set the pressure pipe from the exhaust to the top of the tank ; the other i set into a bottom corner of the tank (or the center bottom on a round tank) I usually fit a short lenght of fuel tubing to the end to stop it rubbing on the tank. This allows you to fill and empty your tank from the same pipe by simply tipping the model to the side that the tube is set to , almost every drop of fuel can be drained. Fitting a fueling valve into the fuel supply tube should be avoided. They have been known to vibrate and allow air in causing unreliable engine runs , not good.  I also use either a ripmax or a Dubro sintered metal filter clunk . Thes clunk/filters ,super filter the fuel and allow every drop to be drawn into the fuel line ,similar to the felt filters used in petrol engines.Fuel left in the tank ,even small amounts can make its way to the engine and cause corrosion in bearing ,efectively ruinning your engine. One last thing ,when putting your tank together throw away the brass tubing supplied and replace it with aluminium tubing . The modern brass tubing supplied with tanks will rot very quickly if you use nitro in your fuel, as the nitro methane attacks the copper content in the brass leaving pitted and split brittle tube s that allow air leaks. . Hoppe it helps good luck . E.D

Hi LHR Dave . I had problems with a an Enya 60  4stroke some years ago . It was a pig to run and kept on throwing the prop. I tried all makes of F/S plugs and  eventually I fitted a taylor short reach ,idle bar ,plug( this helps reduce the compression ) .Fuel was sythetic  oil with 10% nitro. This made the motor very easy to use and it ran  and idled faultlessly from then on. I still have the engine but rarely use it now  as its comparatively heavy and not suitable for the type of models i'm flying. Spares are still available I believe from Steve Webb. They have spares for Enya engines from way back  and the service is excellent. Good Luck E.D

Hello Timbo Thanks for the input. I had decided to pair the motors (two out board and the two inboard ) as you suggested . The motor combos you suggest are what I had been looking at but didn't want to go down that road without getting another opinion ; although the other  motor you suggeted, would be better with 10 inch props ,which I recon would just about be posible . Decisions !  Regards E.D.

Hi to all the electric guru's out there .I am conversant with ic   powered models  but have only dabbled ,quite successfully ,with smaller electric models but this is my first electric multi motored  job and would welcome some input . It is a 72 " lancaster bomber , not sure of plan as i bought it in a moment of madness. Weight without motors and radio gear is 5 1/4 Lbs. Watt ( excuse the pun ) I would like to know is  Do you think this model would fly on four 120 watt bell motors turning 9x4 props? Any suggestion would be welcome ,but please consider cost as exotic motors will be out of the question. Thanks. E.D

If it fly's as good as the Ultimate then i'd love one

Hi all , I'm just building a pinto for a club mate . As said earlier there isn't a mention for the hatch fixing . I eventually fitted small circular Neodym magnets (available on interenet 50 for £2-99 inlc post ) 4mm dia X 1mm thick . works very well . The rolled balsa on the rear decking was reasonably easy although the hatch was trick as it has a compound curve. I planked this in the end using 1/2 " strip .Rest of air frame is straight forward although the sheet tail plane is likely to twist or warp . To solve tis I cut the tips off about 3/4" and replaced it with firm strip with the grain going from front to rear . This makes it more twist resistant . I am waiting now for the owner to send me the motor and servos before finishing it . Covering will be in Light span , very light  and strong but resembles tissue . More later . E.D

Re theDIY  water slide and self adhesive transfers/decals  I have been spraying the the printed sheets with a fuel proof acrylic laquer before cutting them out . It saves getting over spray on the model and the adhesive around the edges seems unaffected by fuel etc . E.D.

 Sorry about not answering your last post,you have probably found the idle mixture screw by now. Its on the side of the carb and sits in a small "U" shaped metal plate. Regards E.D.

Give it a try . You may have one of the very rare ok ones. If it is an OK MDS then dont try and squeeze too many revs out of it and dont run it too lean as that will definately finish it off . One of our club members has had a MDS40 for some years now and it still runs very well , but nothing spectacular. Good luck E.D.

Have you thought about a YS fourstroke? really powerful and utterly reliable . They are about the same price as a OS .The downside is they do like high nitro fuel . E.D

Oh and they fly well too !

Them CMPRO planes certainly do go !!!

 I think that is funny    Buy her some vouchers for the optician for Valentines day , or next time she might throw something really expensive on the fire.