Why do I blog?

I get asked this a lot because it takes time and effort to keep up at it and I can be prolific. Besides being a narcissist, I do it for the reasons I stated way back when I started it on October 29, 2010. I really enjoy sharing that I am the average pilot. I am a mediocre flier, a mediocre builder, and a mediocre fixer. I know some stuff, and don't know a lot of other stuff. I started with helis, and have been flying one or another on and off for over 9 years, and still can get embarrassingly happy dancey over getting one to go around in a circle and land.

(This is the first pic I ever posted. I have no idea what heli this is... or if its even mine!)

When we go to the clubs, we see all the shiny, all the skills we don't have, we are embarrassed to try new things because we don't understand them, we are embarrassed by the basic things we don't understand, we are embarrassed when we crash or have near misses. Not just because meritocracies make us compare ourselves to others, but also because the others often forgetting their own struggles, can be unknowingly harsh to newbies, house proud. Everyone else seems to know what's going on and got skilz. Most clubs have a Bell Curve of member personalities, but it's not always evident that most love to share and teach. And every club has "that guy" that flies everything 3D, that guy who knowns the tech, that guy who builds marvels. The point is, where do newbies hang out, and who represents them?

Me. I am "Joe Schmuckatelly", the average guy. I am clever, can solve problems, understand how airplanes fly. But I came into this knowing nothing about RC. I had flown three U-Control 0.049 nitro planes as a kid, but I didn't understand them as I had no one to teach me. I started because I like helicopters and bought a Syma 107 (second pic) and loved it. I wanted more. I wasted a lot of money because I had no idea what I was doing and bought the wrong equipment. I quickly realized I probably needed to learn how to fly RC in general, and bought a Spektrum Dx6 and a cheapo foamie Cub from an US Chinese vendor,  immediately putting it in a tree. And I started teaching myself, I started experimenting. I learned that one could join a flying club, and learn how to fly from some really great guys who loved this sport more than their mommies. I had taught myself a lot, and was learning so much in just a few visits at MCRCC, my first club, and I got hooked. These flying monkeys literally got me.

I made a promise to myself that I would blog my successes and my failures, everything. I wanted to share that everyone first learns to move the pawn, and that most of us are mediocre and that is just fine. I wanted every persons to know that we are all making this up as we go along, that even pros shank one into the ground on a regular basis, that the hobby is "more fixing than flying", and that they were right on track with everyone else. I wanted to share that the hobby is for everyone, not just the 3D stars. That "276 days since my last crash" counter is so high because I didn't fly much last year, and winter came. Usually it's about a week. Don't be impressed. If you aren't crashing you are trying hard enough.

So read. Enjoy, and realize we are all doing just fine.

All I need is the new Walbro

I took the Stik out to the garage today to see what would happen. In my last post I noted that I had thought I found the sweet spot for the idle, albeit high.

Recall that the carb kept needing tuning every time I took it out. Recall further, I screwed this engine up when I rebuilt it trying to get better performance, when it already was fine. It was my first RCGF, a few years old, and needed a cleaning anyway., so I rebuilt it and the carb, and it's never been right since.  Joe Nelson of RCGF, and I are sure it's the carb.

Well, the carb went back to its antics and ran great WOT and most of the time at half, but idle dropped to a high idle probably around 3500, then would slowly step down and then stop over  aminute. Am I crazy thinking an engine should be able to sit at idle indefinitely?  In my last post I noted I purchased a Walbro WA-80 carb, which is no longer in production. I found two new ones at about the same price on eBay. On Flying Giants a poster noted that a smaller carb works better for these small engines, so instead of the stock 10mm, the WA-80 is about 7.1 mm. They note far better performance. So I took the engine off the airplane, and removed the carb. As soon as the new one gets here I will install and put this thing back together. I can't wait to get this engine back to it's flying performance!

I also slowed the servo to about 0.7s, and honestly, it provided a nice smooth progression from idle to WOT. I may do this on all my gassers. It lows the transition in the carb preserving the vacuum, as opposed to jamming it forward and losing vacuum causing the engine to lean as you need more fuel.

RCGF Updates

RCGF updated their website! Sweet look. By the way, saw they are selling the 15cc Beam Mount side muffler engine for $209, the rear muffler for $199. That's the same price as the 10cc. And a 30cc TWIN is coming. Check it out!

I have had great luck with these engines, except for the 10cc on the Stik. I think it's a bad carb... The need to re-tune it every time I start it suggests this, and the curious way it runs at times, like there is a fuel flow issue. Joe Nelson thinks its the carb too. I finally decided to change it. I went to the RCGF website yesterday and it must have been while they were updating it as the website URL could not be found. Gave me a fright that it folded! Nope, as noted, new site. But since they were closed at the time, I went looking for what to buy. As I looked at Google pickings there was a discussion on RC Universe about carbs on these RCGF and similar engines being too big, like 2-4 times too big, and that this made them run  inefficiently, rich.

** RCGF-USA uses only Walbro carbs now.**

"I would offer that the carb that comes on the 10cc rear exhaust engine is a Walbro clone with a 10mm or so venturi, that is 3-4 times the size it needs to be. To get good throttle response requires a super rich low speed mixture. After many hours messing around trying to civilize this engine, it was discovered that if you slowed the throttle opening using the same process you would on wing flaps or gear doors, allowed for a dramatically leaner low speed mixture.

Those with automotive hot rod experience might relate to a comparison of having a 1050 Holley carb on a 302 small block, using mechanical secondaries. When the carb is opened quickly there is a complete loss of vacuum causing the engine to fall flat on it's face. In the caes of the 10cc RCGF, slowing the carb opening allows the engine to maintain vacuum, resulting in a much more desirable acceleration.

Worth noting is the slow carb opening is not noticeable in use, and the engine handles nicely, much like bigger rear carb engines, and flip starts easily."  ~ AHICKS

Going smaller might lead to loss of WOT RPM, but better and more linear power. The stock carb is 10mm, and the discussion was bringing that down to 7.1mm using a Walbro WA-80 carb. Well, I could not find one... I even wrote Walbro (they are not making them anymore but are thinking about it... and would need a run of 40 before they reopened the line; email with Walbro). The WA-80 supposedly is a perfect retrofit for the stock Chinese one (which, by the way works just fine on the Sukhoi RCGF 10cc). So I bought one of the only two available new, on eBay for $35.

While I do like the Evolution 10cc, I still have lost my heart to these RCGF engines. Hopefully this solves this problem with the Stik's RCGF 10cc. I haven't tried running it since the other day when I finally got her re-tuned again. Her high idle shouldn't still be an issue... We'll see.

The other suggestion I have seen for these really small engines is brought up again by AHICKS:

"Worthy of note, when installing the Walbro carb, many advise the use of some sort of thermal break between the engine and carb. I laminated about 1/4" if fiberglass scraps together with some CA and carved one out from that. A stack of gaskets may work as well, or, see what happens without!"  ~AHICKS

I don't have any materials that I know of to make this thermal break, so will try it without it... Not sure this is a thing?

SCUTTLEBUTT:  Well this is interesting...  VVRC used to be a drop shipper for RCGF-USA (You order from VVRC, but the product is sent from RCGF-USA). RCGF-USA makes these engines in China, but the company is US owned. There were issues with the molds they used in the early years. RCGF-USA developed their own molds for these engines and have solved the QA issues, and now produce great engines at great prices. More importantly, they have always offered personal, outstanding customer service. You talk to the owner, not an employee. I have used VVRC in the past and am disappointed in their aggressive and inflammatory posting. I don't know where Tom is getting his RCGF engines, but if they are from those old molds, buyer beware... I would not buy any RCGF product from anyone but RCGF-USA.

A good windy day

All excited this morning with a plan to get out to SNHRCC  in Hudson, NH,  before the winds picked up. It would be the first flight out there this year. Of course Clarence was there! It's like he lives there...

Charged up a few batteries.

And... the winds got there before me. Steady 4-5 mph with 13 mph gusts.

Its always windy up here on the top of the hill.

The winds must have flipped one of the stands.

Flew the Twinstar, handled the winds fairly well. 

I would later fly the Hacker MX-2, but it hated the winds.

Spent the next 2 hrs trying to get the Stik's RCGF 10cc running, again.

Once I think I got it working, the ignition and receiver packs were low voltage.

Got home and stared up all the gassers!

MXS-R 30cc DLE

Sukhoi SU-26 RCGF 10cc (the good one).

Phoenix Models Waco F5C with RCGF 26cc. Also runs sweet!

The MXS-R 30cc pilot just won't keep his seat. I am tired of his shit...

So I fired him.

Got everything ready to fly! It's time to take the big boys out to Hudson, and, god forbid, the Stik. Somehow I expect that its gonna give me crap again. Its also getting time to get the heli's going!

Yet again...

After spending so much time at home getting the Stik's  RCGF 10cc gas engine tuned, I get to Hudson and she won't start. So I spent the next 2 hrs trying to get her to run and then to idle without stopping.

High idle, then just quits. Hopefully I have solved this. Considering getting a new carb. By the time I got a decent throttle the receiver and ignition packs were low voltage, so no flight test.

Jumper T16 Transmitter: That's a lot of radio...

I ran across a Heli Direct ad for the new Jumper T16 Transmitter. Its gotten some buzz among the non-Spektrum/Futaba committed crowd. They can't seem to keep them in stock, and looking at the specs and the price, its easy to understand why. At $149 this 16 channel radio sports multiple compatibilities out of the box due to a 4-in-1 module, most intersting for me Spektrum DSMX is one of those. The JR module can be exchanged for several other protocols. A large 4.3 inch color non-touch screen, and voice call-outs, among many other choice specs. It does telemetry, but I am not sure what is needed.

A 16 channel quality radio for $149. What gives?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present: The Phoenix Spitfire 10cc!

Today I checked the tune up with the 3 blade prop (lost 2k RPM, now peaking around 8300) and installed the cowl. She looks amazing and I am very excited about her! This was a very straight forward build, my little landing gear diversion aside. No major screw ups. The CG was spot on! As soon as a day off and weather combine favorably the maiden flight will surely be flawless!

Powerplant: Evolution 10cc gas

Prop: Master Airscrew 12x8x3 

Landing gear: Hobby King servoless electric

Receiver Pack: Pulse 2S 2550 mAh

Ignition Power:  off the TechAero Ultra BEC

Receiver: Spektrum AR8010T with satellite

Servos: Tactic TSX-47 metal gear digital