Frequently Asked Questions
Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Please write in with your questions; that is the only way we can keep this column format going. When referring to published Qs and As (for follow-ups), provide the number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites are placed in a group, separate from the text, at the end of this column under "Sources." A new feature, "Tips," is provided in addition to questions and answers. These hints are numbered in the same sequence as the Qs and As.
Q479: Fuel for old ignition engines
Q479: "I recently obtained a practically new Orwick .64 antique ignition engine. I have every intention of using this engine, which cost me a lot of money.
"My concern right now is obtaining the correct fuel for this engine so that it provides me with many more years of service. I received no instructions with this engine so I'm at a loss as to what to use. Can you make any suggestions?"
A479: The Orwick .64 is one of the classic old-time (or antique) ignition engines. In its day it was a top-of-the-line power plant. As a result, today it brings a high price as a collector's item.
I owned a replica Orwick .64 in the 1988–1995 time frame and won many first places in Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) Class C LER (limited engine run) ignition events with it. Having been involved with electric power exclusively since 1995, I sought expert advice to answer this question. My choice was fellow AMA Model Aviation Hall of Famer and many-time SAM Champion Larry Davidson.
According to Larry, most fliers who use old-time ignition engines (for fun or for SAM events) use a methanol-based fuel. It is generally referred to as "glow fuel," but in this case it is used in ignition engines. The methanol is mixed with castor oil in a ratio of 75% fuel to 25% oil. Modelers generally purchase this fuel from FHS Supply & Manufacturing (Red Max brand) rather than mix it on their own. Larry indicated that this combination runs cooler than a gasoline-based fuel and that the engines are easy to start and operate. Another reason for using methanol instead of gasoline is that today many additives are placed in gasoline sold across the country. Methanol is methanol; there's no question about it.
There is one exception to the methanol fuel/oil mix. The SAM fuel-allotment event (known as "Texaco") is limited to a metered amount of fuel; you run the engine until it is out of fuel. For this event, SAM fliers use a special fuel/oil mix to get the longest possible run time on the allotment: 75% Coleman lantern fuel and 25% Klotz KL-100 oil. You can usually find Coleman fuel at stores such as The Home Depot and Klotz oil at motorcycle shops. With this mixture you can get close to twice the engine time than by using the methanol/oil mix.
One more point: I just passed on fuel recommendations specifically for old-time ignition engines. Modern chainsaw-type power plants, such as those used in 1/4- and 1/3-scale aircraft, use a more traditional gasoline/oil mix. Since the latter are newer, they come with detailed instructions that include specific fuel recommendations. Take the manufacturers' advice for those large engines.
Q480: Using ParkZone AR6400 brick with a brushless motor and right-stick controls
Q480: “I removed the RC system brick (AR6400) from a ParkZone Sukhoi RTF model and placed it in a design of my own. I needed that particular brick because it will permit me to use a micro brushless motor. But I only needed rudder and elevator control.
“When I went out to fly my plane I found that my rudder operated from the left side transmitter control stick. I wanted and expected that both the rudder and elevator would be on the right stick.
“Is there a way I can use my brushless motor with the 6400 brick and also have the two controls on the right stick?”
A480: Yes, and it is much easier than you might think. I wrote about this in the construction article for my Scratch Foamy micro-flyer that was published in the May 2010 Model Aviation. I’ve received this same question from several other readers, so I’ll repeat it here.
The brick that comes with the ParkZone Vapor RTF will give you rudder and elevator control on the right-side transmitter stick. But as you point out, you can’t hook up an external brushless ESC and operate a brushless motor with that arrangement.
To get both functions to work with a brushless motor, you do need the ParkZone AR6400 brick that comes with the Sukhoi or P-51 (and soon in other four-channel micro RTFs). If you simply install the brick and do nothing else, the rudder will operate only from the left-side transmitter stick.
Solution: program in coupled aileron and rudder at your transmitter. Once that function is on, turn up the mix to 100%. After doing that, the rudder will operate from the right-side transmitter control stick, along with the elevator.
I used the Spektrum DSM2 DX7 transmitter. The same can likely be done with the DX6i as well, although you might need to use the program mixing function. If you want to use a brushed motor, you can use the Vapor brick. For brushless-motor operation, you need the AR6400 brick and the rudder coupling described above.
I used an AP03 micro brushless motor in my Scratch Foamy. To operate it you need an externally mounted micro ESC; I used an LCD 1-gram, 3-amp unit. You also need an adapter cable that connects this ESC to both the battery cell and the AR6400 brick. You can purchase that cable from Bob Selman at BSD Micro RC.
When you switch from brushed to brushless operation on your 6400 brick, you will need to do a slight amount of reprogramming; it is detailed in the instruction booklet. You use transmitter control-stick inputs (in a certain sequence), and it takes only a minute or two.
T481: Tip — three-view drawings book
T481: I have been designing models for a number of years, and I get many of my scale-aircraft inspirations from three-view drawings that I accumulate from a variety of sources. Today we have Internet search engines to help us, but I still like books containing three-view drawings.
Jim Newman, a longtime model-airplane illustrator, has come out with a new book titled A View From Here, available from the Carstens Book Store. The book contains 96 pages and is printed in an 8 1/2 x 11-inch soft-cover format. A total of 96 three-view drawings is included, and a brief story accompanies each one. It sells for $14.95. I’m sure that the AMA store will carry it in the future.
Q482: Checkerboard trim for electric ARF/RTF models
Q482: “I have several E3D type electric aircraft that were purchased as either ARF or RTF. The color schemes are kind of on the bland side, so I wanted to dress them up.
“I've noticed aircraft with a checkerboard trim pattern on the top and/or bottom of the wing. Can you buy this kind of material or can you make it yourself?”
A482: You can buy checkerboard trim sheets from some iron-on-covering suppliers. Try a Google search and see what comes up.
Casey Brandsema, a fellow SEFLI (Silent Electric Flyers of Long Island) club member, makes his own checkerboard trim. He showed me a simple setup that allows him to cut squares from tape material.
Method:
- Lay down a small sheet of glass, or even an old mirror, and place tape along the surface.
- Using a square and an X-Acto knife, cut along the lines to form squares. The width of the tape dictates the size of the square (a 2-inch tape yields 2 x 2-inch squares).
- Peel off the squares and attach them to the surface of the model. The squares go on individually, so you must align them, but it takes little time to cover an entire wing.
Finding good tape material might require visiting several craft stores. Give this method a try!
Sources
- FHS Supply & Manufacturing
(800) 742-8484 www.fhsoils.com
- ParkZone
(800) 338-4639 www.parkzone.com
- Spektrum
(800) 338-4639 www.spektrumrc.com
- BSD Micro RC
(417) 358-9521 www.bsdmicrorc.com
- Carstens Book Store
(888) 526-5365 www.carstensbookstore.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
