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I need info on a 'McKay' engine


Den Moran
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Hi, everyone. I have started to set up a Great Planes Stearman, and have an engine that was previously used in an Ultimate biplane. A member at my club told me it was a 'McKay' make, and explained its requirements ( Petrol!) etc,, so I should be ok to bench test it, before mounting it in the aircraft.

The Moki 30, which is of similar size ( and appearance), and the manual for the Stearman say the prop size is ok at 17 x 8, so no problem there,as I have three of those in my box!

If anyone has any info on 'McKay' engines, such as where to get a manual etc., or general advice, it would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks! Den, South Wales

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Hello Den . I have just sold my McKay 30 . They are great powerful petrol engines . If you fit a Krumscheid silencer they are very quiet but still powerful. They are re-badged Moki engines still made in Hungary. Stuart McKay still imports them and is very helpful . Link They also do the glow version . Your will have a hall sensor fitted into the back plate if its a petrol engine and obviously a Walbro carb.

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I have a Mackay 30 in a Great Planes Stearman with a Krumscheid silencer which, whilst quite expensive (£90) certainly keeps the noise level down. The only draw back is that it needs the engine mounted sidewinder which means the head and spark plug poke out the side when if it were mounted inverted it would be totally concealed.

My inial experience with the engine was somewhat traumatic. The engine cut on the test flight. Fortunately it was quite high so I was bale to glide in but short of the runway which damaged the undercarriage. The second test flight was worse! This time the engine cut just after take off. I foolishly tried to turn back onto the field, tip stalled it and did a lot of damage. I eventually repaired the model and after a lot of testing decided the electronic ignition module was at fault and replaced it with one from HobbyKing and it's been fine since then. It uses the already installed Hall-effect timing sensor.

I run the engine on good quality fully synthetic Silkolene oil at 50:1 and it's not seized yet It is a bit of a hangar queen, I'm afraid, mainly because of the faff of rigging the model. The annoying thing is that all the threaded fastening are those strange US ones, rather than metric.

btw mine has a front carburettor which make it easy to access the choke though the front (obviously when the engine is stopped!). Starting is the usual - turn it over a few times with the throttle wide open/choke closed and ignition off; then ignition on and flick it a few time until it fires (either by habd or with an electric start); stop it; open the choke and it will start easily by hand usually but in any case almost instantly with an electric starter.

Geoff

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Just a few photos of my Stearman.

 

img_0524.jpg

In flight. I'm afraid I've given up on the spats.

 

pict0533.jpg

The engine installation showing the silencer and the original Mackay electronic ignition unit. The ignition battery is supported on an aluminium bracket insulated thermally from the engine, as well as on a soft pad for vibration. I was bit concerned about that but it's been trouble free so far.

dscn2013.jpg

I got fed up with having 8 nuts and bolts to fit the interplane struts so I permanently attach the bolts and us fuel tube in lieu of nuts. They've never shifted and the struts remain in place.

 

dscn2012.jpg

Here you can see just the spark plug poke through the cowl.  I had thought to expose the whole cy;inder head if there was any overheating but it hasn't proved necessary.

Geoff

 

 

Edited By Geoff Sleath on 08/10/2018 11:33:50

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