Electric, Nitro, Diesel, Petrol, Balsa, Foam, plastic or Ply - Whats your likes and dislikes ?

[TheFlyingBrit]

My old diesel collection which I ended up giving away to a 70 engine enthusiast.

My Enya 40SS in my first WOT trainer before some half wit tosser crashed it. As you can see I normally look after my engines and keep them in good order this one is over 20 years old. Still runs after the crash but needed a new needle valve for the carb the old one was snapped off.

After the crash

Finally all that remains of my Extra 300 again someone flew it and crashed it, on its maiden too.

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

Obviously my fully refurbed 2nd WOT looks a lot better with its new electric motor and it fly's great too.

 

[speedbirdted]

dug out the OS46 today that came out of my WOT trainer
View attachment 184542
Im not taking responsibility for its condition, it was like that when I got it with the plane. I started it once and it did run well actually. I am donating it to a good friend of mine, who will appreciate it more than me. Plus he helped me a couple of month back retrieve my plane from a 30ft oak tree so I sot of owe him one.

Weight reduction! The blue doesn't do anything performance wise anyway...

The LA engines are good runners but are not great performance wise. I have one on a pylon racer (only because club 40 rules require it) another on a trainer and another couple in boxes somewhere. They're real docile, usually a one flip start, and will idle until the sun goes down. Be gentle to them mixture wise though; no engine likes being run lean too long, but plain bearing engines (no ball bearings, just a bushing) especially hate it. Surprisingly I've found the differences in horsepower between the 40 and 46 is maybe 100 rpm on a given prop; I've beaten guys running 46s with a 40. Speaking of propellers, because of the bushing, ringing them out on smaller props to 12k+ rpm is really not beneficial. I don't think they're even ported to give more power at high revs anyway. I prop mine for around 10.5-11k, and race using a 10x7 APC which gives me about 10.6k. Plane goes plenty fast.

Another thing I've heard stories about is LA engines being really good with Davis Diesel heads. I don't know, I've never tried it...

 

[CorsaiRC]

I've never flew anything other than electric, so I can't really say one or the other is better but I think electric WOULD be better because of the reliability.

 

[OliverW]

I've never flew anything other than electric, so I can't really say one or the other is better but I think electric WOULD be better because of the reliability.

Honestly electric is just as reliable as gas. Gas rarely quits on you. Its just as likely as an electric motor burning up. Glow is a little less reliable than gas, but still runs fantastic

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

Weight reduction! The blue doesn't do anything performance wise anyway...

The LA engines are good runners but are not great performance wise. I have one on a pylon racer (only because club 40 rules require it) another on a trainer and another couple in boxes somewhere. They're real docile, usually a one flip start, and will idle until the sun goes down. Be gentle to them mixture wise though; no engine likes being run lean too long, but plain bearing engines (no ball bearings, just a bushing) especially hate it. Surprisingly I've found the differences in horsepower between the 40 and 46 is maybe 100 rpm on a given prop; I've beaten guys running 46s with a 40. Speaking of propellers, because of the bushing, ringing them out on smaller props to 12k+ rpm is really not beneficial. I don't think they're even ported to give more power at high revs anyway. I prop mine for around 10.5-11k, and race using a 10x7 APC which gives me about 10.6k. Plane goes plenty fast.

Another thing I've heard stories about is LA engines being really good with Davis Diesel heads. I don't know, I've never tried it...

My Enya 40ss was faster than an OS 46LA, I love Enya engines they are bullet proof.

 

[OliverW]

My Enya 40ss was faster than an OS 46LA, I love Enya engines they are bullet proof.

My Enya .30 is putting out more thrust than my friends OS .40, its got crazy power!

 

[CorsaiRC]

Honestly electric is just as reliable as gas. Gas rarely quits on you. Its just as likely as an electric motor burning up. Glow is a little less reliable than gas, but still runs fantastic

You sure, because from what I've heard gas engines kind of have an expiration date.

 

[CorsaiRC]

You sure, because from what I've heard gas engines kind of have an expiration date.

as do electrics but electrics kind of store better.

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

Although I still have my nitro's I only fly electric these days mostly for the convenience to be honest and the fact they are fun.

 

[OliverW]

You sure, because from what I've heard gas engines kind of have an expiration date.

100% sure. The bearings and pistons are what wear out. Electric motors have the bearings wear out around the same time gas motors do.

 

[OliverW]

as do electrics but electrics kind of store better.

How so? Gas engines last forever

 

[OliverW]

How so? Gas engines last forever

As long as you don't leave them out in rain for like 15 years, but electric motors will rust shut in those conditions too... I don't understand the argument

 

[Quinnyperks]

Normal size elevator right?

 

[OliverW]

Normal size elevator right?

That's an ultra micro elevator smh

 

[Quinnyperks]

That's an ultra micro elevator smh

yeah, it’s super small. A 1.3 meter elevator is Umx. Lmao

 

[TheFlyingBrit]

As long as you don't leave them out in rain for like 15 years, but electric motors will rust shut in those conditions too... I don't understand the argument

Am I missing something here regards bearings ? Surely the longevity of bearings is down to wear. Which in turn is linked to the quality of materials used in the bearing to begin with, the amount of lubrication/servicing they receive and the application they are used in ? Bearings in an internal conbustion engine in theory should be well lubricated (assuming 2 a stroke engine), where as electric have no continuous oil feed so rely on being sealed and packed with grease.
Nitromethane is corrosive which can attack bearings, the exhaust gases can contain small quantities of nitric acid
On the other hand electric motors need efficient cooling so are designed to allow air circulation, the downside is they also allow moisture and other abrasive materials in. So flying in dusty arid conditions or areas with high humidity would also be detrimental over time.
So it comes back to my original points ie quailty of the bearing components to begin with, lubrication, how much you abuse them and where?

 

[OliverW]

Am I missing something here regards bearings ? Surely the longevity of bearings is down to wear. Which in turn is linked to the quality of materials used in the bearing to begin with, the amount of lubrication/servicing they receive and the application they are used in ? Bearings in an internal conbustion engine in theory should be well lubricated (assuming 2 a stroke engine), where as electric have no continuous oil feed so rely on being sealed and packed with grease.
Nitromethane is corrosive which can attack bearings, the exhaust gases can contain small quantities of nitric acid
On the other hand electric motors need efficient cooling so are designed to allow air circulation, the downside is they also allow moisture and other abrasive materials in. So flying in dusty arid conditions or areas with high humidity would also be detrimental over time.
So it comes back to my original points ie quailty of the bearing components to begin with, lubrication, how much you abuse them and where?

Exactly! It all depends on the user

 

[speedbirdted]

Am I missing something here regards bearings ? Surely the longevity of bearings is down to wear. Which in turn is linked to the quality of materials used in the bearing to begin with, the amount of lubrication/servicing they receive and the application they are used in ? Bearings in an internal conbustion engine in theory should be well lubricated (assuming 2 a stroke engine), where as electric have no continuous oil feed so rely on being sealed and packed with grease.
Nitromethane is corrosive which can attack bearings, the exhaust gases can contain small quantities of nitric acid
On the other hand electric motors need efficient cooling so are designed to allow air circulation, the downside is they also allow moisture and other abrasive materials in. So flying in dusty arid conditions or areas with high humidity would also be detrimental over time.
So it comes back to my original points ie quailty of the bearing components to begin with, lubrication, how much you abuse them and where?

Bearings can pretty much last forever, as long as you take good care of them. The procedure I do to prevent them rusting out over time involves running the engine dry and then putting a couple drops of after-run in the carb throat, then putting the airplane away for storage in a position where whatever fuel schmuck is left in the engine is not submerging the bearings, ie not in a nose-down position. My preferred position is storing airplanes inverted hanging from a ceiling, that way whatever fuel and oil is left in them will go into the cylinder, but you have to be careful not to hydrolock the engine when you start it back up after storing it for a while. Some people say that leaving your plug saturated in fuel and oil for a while will mess it up, but I've never had that happen.

 

[JennyC6]

Weight reduction! The blue doesn't do anything performance wise anyway...

The LA engines are good runners but are not great performance wise. I have one on a pylon racer (only because club 40 rules require it) another on a trainer and another couple in boxes somewhere. They're real docile, usually a one flip start, and will idle until the sun goes down. Be gentle to them mixture wise though; no engine likes being run lean too long, but plain bearing engines (no ball bearings, just a bushing) especially hate it. Surprisingly I've found the differences in horsepower between the 40 and 46 is maybe 100 rpm on a given prop; I've beaten guys running 46s with a 40. Speaking of propellers, because of the bushing, ringing them out on smaller props to 12k+ rpm is really not beneficial. I don't think they're even ported to give more power at high revs anyway. I prop mine for around 10.5-11k, and race using a 10x7 APC which gives me about 10.6k. Plane goes plenty fast.

Another thing I've heard stories about is LA engines being really good with Davis Diesel heads. I don't know, I've never tried it...

I've got a bluecase 40 and a bluecase 46 in my stash, can attest, they run real well. They're also VERY mildly ported! They've only got two transfer ports and one exhaust port; good chunk of empty cylinder wall where a third x-fer port usually lives. They really can't breathe.

I don't know what I'm going to do with either of mine tbh. They're weak, but durable. They'd be great on an airboat where surviving a drowning is an important consideration and power less so. I might do some science with them, put them through some bizarre crap, abuse, et-al. They don't owe me more than 20 bucks a pop.

currently planning on mounting one on my test stand outside and letting it sit out in the cold this January, try to start it shortly after sunrise. People say these engines won't start when they're cold like that and I'm curious to see if there's any truth to that. I doubt it to be the case. If I can get my hands on suitable starting fluid to use for ether I might try to track down that Davis Diesel head as well; I want to dabble with model diesels and the fuel has always been the hangup.

as do electrics but electrics kind of store better.

Not really. I run my models out of fuel at the end of the day, I use a fuel with castor in it, and I store them inside my air conditioned bedroom. And kitchen. And TV room. They don't rust.


If I'm perfectly honest my electric RCs...however few they may be...give me more grief than any of my glow models do. My WPL D12 has no power and likes to cry about signal loss if it's >30 feet away, my Mini-T 2.0 has a wonky connection somewhere in the high-current wiring that makes it cut out for no good reason, and my CA-10 scaler likes to test my patience with random failures. But my glow birds, cars? Yeah they work mint.