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i am drawing 2700 watts 60 amps 6900rpm with a 20x10 prop 10min. flying time on 10s 5000mah batt.

Rudolph Hart

No offence intended,with the kind of electric power you guys are talking well..they sound like a vacuum cleaner on steriods

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old fart what kind of vacuum cleaner do you owen

5blue

electrolux with a horizontal sled design but sounds better than a hair dryer ( but not by much)

Planejaw

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Good idea Joe. Any photos of your setup? I've used the after-market arms and they work quite well. Wish the choke arms had a screw holding them onto the brass axle, as opposed to them being peened on. I have cut them off before and may need to do that again.

Rudolph Hart

Sorry planejay i got sidetraked by amps

Rudolph Hart

Sorry that should have been planejaw

seccos

Hello Planejaw,Is it possible to attach some pictures regarding assembly of DLE 20 engine..? It looks very good on your models..I am thinking to use DLE-20 in my Tcraft but I have some concerns relating to carb side , TH pushroad way and TH servo location..Thank you,SS

Planejaw

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SS,

I'll post some photos tonight when I get home from work.

One thing I had to do was to not push the fuel tank all the way forward so that the stopper area does not go into the round hole in the center of the firewall. Makes installation and routing of fuel lines a little tight. I pulled out the fuel tank so that it is sticking out just behind the instrument panel, then drilled two holes in the plywood base that the tank sits on and wrapped a zip-tie around the aft end of the tank, holding it in place.

As for the throttle servo, I mounted it in the left-side throttle servo pre-cut opening, then routed a Sullivan braided cable (inside a sheath) from the servo up through the firewall to actuate the throttle linkage. Installed a Sullivan 2/56 aluminum ball coupler (Sullivan part # S590) on the throttle arm, which is an extended arm. I have an identical setup on a Hangar-9 Cub.

seccos

Thanks for your kindly answer..I will wait your photos for more clarification..I will be appreciate if you share with me engine , TH servo and TH servo positions photos..The fuel tank and TH servo locations are very tight as you sad and I don't know can I change to original locations to somewhere..Actually , I planned to use DLE-30 side carb. version engine but this is an old product and I don't find it anywhere except 1 or 2 locations in US..Therefore I changed to mind for use DLE-20..Your engine assembly prototype will be reference for me..Thank you once more.SS

Planejaw

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SS,

You may not want to get a side-carb DLE-30, as DLE stopped production and went to a rear-carb model as so many people had these engines that would not run well. DLE was also marketing a rear-carb retrofit for the side-carb model.

I've really been impressed by the power output of the DLE-20. It'll easily spin a Xoar 18X6 prop, which is pretty much scale for the airplane. I'll work on the photos tonight.

paparozzi

Thanks planejaw. Me too had quite a challenge to setup a linkage to rear carb crrcpro gp26r and also moved back the fuel tank, But all working good now, The sullivan rod etc looks like a better option. Meanwhile just uploaded a T Craft video to you Tube enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC8N6sl5OX4&list

Planejaw

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Neat video. Great airborne shots also.

OK, going to attach some photos. May have to post in more than one message to get them in. Let me know if the photos help. This first set is of the interior.

Planejaw

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Here's a set of the DLE-20 under the cowl.

Planejaw

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And a few more.

Just waiting for springtime in Michigan!!

ya33a

I Love the video, your club field looks impressive, I envy you having a sealed strip, all the clubs in our area have grass strips... Keep up the good work

ya33a

Very neat installation of the DL20, I noticed tht you have a cable tie on the shielded plug lead from the ignition box, be careful as the vibrations cause the plastic tie to wear through the shielding, so don't have it too tight and it should be ok, - also a separate earth going back to the ignition box will make sure you don't fry the unit if the HT lead comes off the plug. Otherwise a very good setup, I like the way you have the choke on the carby attached to the engine mount.

seccos

Planejaw,

Planejaw

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Thanks for the heads-up Ya33a regarding the cable ties and the ignition shielding. I'll put some more protective wrap around it and not keep the ties to tight. I've had to send one engine back to Desert Aircraft in Tucson, AZ, for some shielding repair after it came in contact with part of a fiberglass cowl on a Yak. I also like the idea of another ground back to the ignition box. The devil is in the details, for sure!

SS
Yes the DuBro motor mount is #688 (DuBro's Stock number), Tower's stock number is DUB 1307. The DLE-20 manual also comes with a firewall drilling template for you to use, in conjunction with the DuBro mount. You can also download the manual and print the last page that the template is on. It's a good fit.

I drilled/tapped the engine-mount for 8/32 socket-head bolts, then also added plastic lock nuts just to be sure. Use some blue locktite also. The engine-mount also comes with bolts and blind-nuts to install behind the firewall. A long set of forcepts works well to get the nuts on the back side of the cowl. Use some small clamps to temporarily hold the engine to the mount then dry-fit the cowl, to be sure you've got between 1/16" and 1/8" clearance from the back of the spinner or prop hub, if you don't use a spinner. If you don't have a spinner or don't want to use one, you can use a DuBro 8mm X 1mm spinner prop nut, DuBro number 734. I have both but decided to use the spinner, which is a Tru-Turn 2/1/2" diameter that I had specailly cut by Tru-Turn (for an extra $9.99) to accommodate a Xoar 18X6 prop. Also need the spinner adapter to accept the 10/32 spinner bolt.

You may have also seen the 12.8 oz lead ingot that I installed on the firewall, as the DLE-20 is quite a bit lighter than the Zenoah 20. I found some lead ingots on eBay, spray-painted with some gray enamel, drilled and bolted it to the firewall with 10/32 socket head bolts and blind nuts. With both LiFe batteries on either side fo the fuel tank, the airplane balances right at the wing-tube.

The switch assembly, just inside the door and on the right side of the pilot, houses a switch for the radio and one for the ignition. Heavy duty adn works very well, as I've used them before. They're made by Miracle Switch, I believe. you can even get some with a fuel dot. My T-Craft uses an Aeroworks Fuel Dot on the right side of the fuselage, just behind the cowl. And by the way, since you're going gas, remember to pull the tubing and stopper out of the stock fuel tank and install gas-compatible lines and stopper. cut some small 1/8" pieces of the silicone fuel tubing and slightly enlarge the screw holes on both sides of the cowl. Slip small pieces of tubing over your cowl-mount button-head hex screws. Be sure that when you tighten the screws (don't forget to use washers), the tubing goes into the holes in the sides of the cowl. This prevents vibration, which will cause your screws to open up the mounting holes in the sides of the cowl. Never let anything harder than fiberglass, come into contact with fiberglass. It will crack and damage it, particularly with all of the vibration you will get from a gasoline engine. Use lots of protective wire-wrap (you can find at most auto parts/electronic stores) to ensure wiring does not come into contact with plywood or metal parts. Lots of Zip-Ties are a must!

I'd recommend using a DuBro or Great Planes Easy Servo Connector (#489) on your throttle servo arm. Great Planes also has a heavy-duty screw-lock connector, #GPMQ3876. Slip your Sullivan braided throttle cable through it, and you will have plenty of adjustment when setting up your throttle. Again, be sure to use blue Locktite when you've got everything set up the way you want it. You can even wick some solder into the end of the braided cable, up through where it will go into the servo connector. helps to keep things tidy and gives your screw more "bite" when tightening it down.

By the way, always go with a three-line fuel tank setup. I've used fuel "T's" before as is often recommended, but if you don't have an excellent seal in the "T" or fuel dot, you'll draw air and get a lean engine run. I have used "T's" for years, but I've gone to all three-line systems beginning this season. Just takes out a little of the potential for future problems.

Sorry to ramble on. Hard to stop once you start!

Keep me posted on your build. Any questions, please let me know.

go vertical

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real simpel E setup

Planejaw

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Wow, that is simple!!

Nice job, very clean!

jmohn

I have mine the same way .... Eflite Power 110 that runs on 8S or 9S. It will hover on 9S and fly 10-14 minutes on either setup. I am thinking about installing flaps on mine so I can do STOL on grass fields easier.

Not sure if the wing structure will allow this?



Jeff

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jmohn
that is a 160 i run it on 10s 5000mah it is awsom for 10 min. flyts no problems so far

Planejaw

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Not a lot of room on the wing for flaps. Have you considered flapperons, if you have the mixing capability on your receiver/transmitter? The only problem with flapperons, is particularly on final approach, as you approach at lower airspeeds, you have a lot less aileron authority and the ability to keep the wings level. You need to be prepared to dance on the rudder a lot more. If you're slipping into a crosswind, don't even think of using flapperons.

Food for thought.

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hay guys did every one stop flying at once i know it is winter but it is a mild one so far i have flown my Tcraft on 3 different days this year i am getting to know it very well what a joy