Falcon32

Hi Guys
I am about to fit a smoke system to my DL50 powered Extra and need to know what size tank to use for about 5 to 6 minutes of smoke.
Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks

Falcon

apalsson

My Feedback: (1)

Falcon,

A 50cc should use up some 4 - 6oz of smoke fluid per minute, so for judicious use of smoke, a 16-20oz tank should do the trick
What are you planning to use for smoke fluid?

Falcon32

Hi apalsson
Thanks for that calculation, it's more than I thought.
I think if I can set it on it's side I should get a 16oz tank in there.
As far as the fluid is concerned I'm not going to pay a lot of money for a branded name, I'm sure I read on here some time ago that a good mix was 50% diesel fuel/25% kerosene and 25% something else which I forget, so will have to go back and look again, do you have a recommendation.

Falcon

apalsson

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Falcon,

The rate I quoted is probably at the higher end of the range. It comes from the calculation of oz pr min = 2 x CuIn which is what TME suggest as the max oil flow
So 4-6oz per minute from a 16oz tank isn't bad (3 - 4 minutes of smoke)

In the past, I have used a 50-50 mix of liquid paraffin and baby oil but recently been using what is called "Summer Spray Oil" in Australia

I found this TDS for what seems to be the same stuff but mine comes through Castrol
http://www.tds.castrol.com.au/pdf/45...il_09_2003.pdf

Skywriters apparently use this a fair bit

I found that anything based on Diesel or Kerosene is very hard on the covering of our planes. If you use that (any smoke fluid for that matter), re-seal all seams on the parts of your plane that are exposed to the oil residue

mrbigg

My Feedback: (21)

Plus that stuff smells nasty and doesn't look the whitest. I've used Super Dri and B&B oil. Only used about one tankful of the latter but it was similar to Super Dri.

rcpilotjwg

I am either putting a DLE 55 or OS Max 33 in my Edge 540 GP 27%.  As far as smoke goes I have to mix 50% liquid paraffin and 50% baby oil for really white smoke?  Will that have a terrible odor? I just don't know much about gas RC becuase this is my first gas engine.  I used to fly glow engines before I took a 10 year break from RC to fly the real planes. 

I am really excited and anxious to learn

rcpilotjwg

thx and also how do you make smoke blue or red in color instead of white?

apalsson

My Feedback: (1)

Hardly any smell at all unless you get the scented baby oil ... then your plane will smell like a baby's bottom

TimBle

you cannot colour a liquid smoke fluid to produce a smoke trail of colour. If you do the sye used will stain your aircraft,, the brids in the air, the runway, your clubs mates cars and anything within range.

Falcon32

Hi apalsson
Thanks for the info on the smoke fluid you use, is it a pesticide?
I'm not sure I would want to use it if it was.
I might try the baby oil though.

Falcon

apalsson

My Feedback: (1)

No, this oil is used as a dispersant when spraying crops where pesticides, herbicides or fungicides are added. The oil forms a very fine mist that carries the added chemicals.
The oil itself is quite safe and is commonly used by full scale skywriters
Here is a link to a better MSDS http://chemdata.lupinsys.com/getdoc/43643/msds

Falcon32

OK Thanks, I'll have to do a bit of research to find some in the UK.

Falcon

TimBle

you will have to look under the Chevron Texaco brand