The Effects of Atmospheric Conditions on Engine Performance
OVER THE YEARS, how many times have modelers come to the conclusion that their old reliable sport engine has gone over the hill? This deduction usually comes after varnish has been removed from the cylinder wall and piston, plugs changed, filters checked, screws tightened, and needle valve assemblies examined without success in bringing back lost power. Before sending the mill back to Clarence for some freshening, it might be well to take stock of the elements. On this day that the engine goes sour, the sky is heavily overcast with the temperature well into the 80's, and a promised summer storm is moving into the area. These deteriorating weather conditions, with reduced air density could well cause a reduction in power and overheating. Many of us don't recognize the symptoms. It's costing us.
Super Tank
HOW OFTEN have competition people been frustrated by engines that are hopelessly flooded at just the wrong moment? As you are well aware, if a person is not careful, a backflow condition through the pressure line of a conventional tank will flood the engine's crankcase. What about the RC pattern enthusiast who points his ship into a prolonged vertical dive, only to have his engine flame out toward the bottom of the maneuver? With the improvements in engine technology and its related systems (carburetors, glow-plugs, fuels, etc.) the fuel tank looms as the problem child of the power development family. But a solution is at hand which promises to end all the problems we have had to tolerate.
