Fuel Pumps (Glow)

[extra slim]

Setting timers I would imagine, 30 winds to fill, fly 5 mins, 15 winds to fill, 5 mins = half a tank, set timer 7.5 mins..... type thing..

[Chris Walby]

2 hours ago, David perry 1 said:

When i fly glow i do the same.  Im actually just getting back into glow models and am using a hand pump again for this reason. One can time an electric pump of course but nothing as satisfyingly accurate as the gentle grind of a pump full of fuel being mentally counted off.

I am with David and Ron and personally I would never fly an electric without taking the lipo out and measure its capacity post flight. With exactly the same reason I use a hand pump and count the turns to fill, refill and empty at the end of the day.

 

For me its an absolute requirement as I fly either twins or models that have glide ratios like manhole covers. Plus I think its poor form for any sort of forced landing to say you ran out of fuel (electrons or liquid) as the reason when it could easily be managed with telemetry or previous experience.

 

In the big scheme of things, my largest tank (not in the largest model) takes about 50 turns so about a minute max? so hardly delaying the impending flight.

 

Use one pump and carry a spare (prevents sods law of the first packing up!).

 

 

[steve too]

7 minutes ago, Nigel R said:

What do you guys do with this knowledge of exactly how much fuel you used (and have left)?

 

It's a facet of the hobby that I wasn't aware off prior to this topic. I shall have to observe my clubmates to see if I have been flying with a 'fuel meterer' without realising it.

[David perry 1]

34 minutes ago, Nigel R said:

I'm curious... What do you guys do with this knowledge of exactly how much fuel you used (and have left)?

 

I've only ever worried about having "some" spare when draining down.

Well i use it to monitor leaks i guess.  Over the years ive blown off more than fuel tube and i have filled a fuel tank bay before now.  The hand pump alerts me to this error in a away a leccy one might not.

 

Fifty years of modelling...ive made mistakes.

 

 

[Nigel R]

Seems reasonable.

 

My approach is a bit more basic, but, I know how long I expect to be pumping when filling the tank, first flight and subsequent flights.

I know my expected flight time.

After the last go, I expect to drain "some".
Works for me, I guess.

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Nigel R

[Nigel R]

I suppose I'm also only flying a small range of sizes of glow, 40 to 60 2str / 70 to 90 4str, so it's all rules of thumbs for me, and I pretty much always fly for 10 minutes a pop.

 

[Cuban8]

21 hours ago, J D 8 said:

          Wanted one but none available at the above. Like many items today.

Very odd, I'm certain that the 'Sold Out' tab now being displayed wasn't there when I looked before posting. Must have created a run on them?

They're still being manufactured by the look of it,  as several US model shop websites that I just looked at do have them in stock. Not sure about postage charges and all that import rules and regs/customs/cost etc would make it practical to order from them now.

[Mike T]

On 11/05/2023 at 12:28, J D 8 said:

          Wanted one but none available at the above. Like many items today.

If it's any consolation, you may have had a lucky escape as mine was a pain in the proverbial.  The action was stiff from the off, the peristaltic tube kept blowing off and the spindle housing broke.  I got fed up of repairing it.  Replaced it with a commercial fluids dispenser - 30ccs at a stroke.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

You can always go back to the 2 liter tin can a bike inner tube valve and a bicycle pump, long before pumps and electric starters.

[aidan mcatamney]

On 12/05/2023 at 09:58, Nigel R said:

I suppose I'm also only flying a small range of sizes of glow, 40 to 60 2str / 70 to 90 4str, so it's all rules of thumbs for me, and I pretty much always fly for 10 minutes a pop.

 

Same here too

[aidan mcatamney]

I'm still using my trusty Thunder Tiger hand crank fuel pump that I bought in 1998.  So it's 25 years of age and still working.  

[kevin b]

I use an electric pump. Fill it up, fly it, repeat.

At the end of the session I empty the tank and go home.

My only concern is to how many pieces it goes home in . Life is too short.

 

Too many bean counters in this world !

 

🙃

[Ron Gray]

26 minutes ago, kevin b said:

Too many bean counters in this world !

Not sure that measuring (by pump handle turns) the amount of fuel used in a flight, or checking the mAh used constitutes ‘bean counting’. For me it gives me an accurate indication of anticipated flight times depending upon the type of flying that I’m doing and the weather conditions during the flight.

[J D 8]

On 12/05/2023 at 09:58, Nigel R said:

I suppose I'm also only flying a small range of sizes of glow, 40 to 60 2str / 70 to 90 4str, so it's all rules of thumbs for me, and I pretty much always fly for 10 minutes a pop.

 

   Much the same as Nigel, got into the habit of flying 10 minuet [ish] slot years ago when club often had many more members turn up to fly and with four or five up this gave everyone several goes over the day. 

  Don't like if someone comes with a big petrol aerobatic type and hogs the airspace for 30mins or more, nothing to say one can not fly but sharing sky with a £1000 plus job with a free to good home tat/fixed up Wot 4 is not comfortable I find.