Os ft 160
12-15-2018, 11:50 AM
#1
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Location: Brampton, ON, CANADA
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Os ft 160
I am in the middle of building a 1/4 scale Sig Piper Cub which I intend to fly off floats. I have two new engines, a DLE 35 and a Zenoah G26. The 26 is too big and wide necessating a lot of cowel cutting plus a little low on hp and heavy for float flying. The 35 is too long and a little high on hp plus the modifications that I would have to do on the firewall makes these engines the least desireable choice for this build. My buddy got out of the hobby and gave me his planes, lucky me! In one of them is an OS Ft-160 which although is only 2hp at peak is significantly lighter than the 26 and would look amazing under the cowel of the cub. The fit inside the cowel is almost the correct length and the twin cylinder heads means minimal cowel removal. My question is, is this a suitable engine for this kit? I wanted a gas engine but money is tight and I have this as an option. Do you think this would be powerful enough for the cub to fly off water?
12-15-2018, 02:42 PM
#2
My Feedback: (3)
I had a G26 in my 1/4 scale cub and replaced it with an FT-160. I think they are fairly similar in power (bit more than scale but not by much) but the FT-160 sounds a whole heck of a lot better. I really not sure whether or not the FT-160 is enough for the extra weight and drag of the floats.
12-18-2018, 04:31 AM
#3
Banned
Here's a quote from Sigs web site: "Nationals Scale Champion Mike Gretz flies his SIG 1/4-scale Piper J-3 Cub, equipped with a set of these 46" floats, off Diamond Lake near Montezuma. An O.S. 1.20 four-stroke engine provides more than enough power."
Note a national champion flies the cub with floats using an OS 1.2 (20cc). Stick with the 1.60 and save yourself a lot of grief.
Note a national champion flies the cub with floats using an OS 1.2 (20cc). Stick with the 1.60 and save yourself a lot of grief.
02-07-2019, 01:37 PM
#5
I have a 1/4 scale Cub fitted with the OS FT-160 twin, more than enough power for both wheel and float flying. I have flown it on the floats a couple of times.
Suggest you use on board glow system and keep the engine a couple of clicks rich, they do not like being leaned for peak RPM as I have learned. Dead sticks on climb out are not fun.
Suggest you use on board glow system and keep the engine a couple of clicks rich, they do not like being leaned for peak RPM as I have learned. Dead sticks on climb out are not fun.
02-09-2019, 04:10 AM
#6
Banned
I have a 1/4 scale Cub fitted with the OS FT-160 twin, more than enough power for both wheel and float flying. I have flown it on the floats a couple of times.
Suggest you use on board glow system and keep the engine a couple of clicks rich, they do not like being leaned for peak RPM as I have learned. Dead sticks on climb out are not fun.
Suggest you use on board glow system and keep the engine a couple of clicks rich, they do not like being leaned for peak RPM as I have learned. Dead sticks on climb out are not fun.
02-09-2019, 06:31 AM
#7
Converting a glow engine to gasoline is certainly an option. Since the connecting rods are bushed the oil content in the fuel remains the very close to the same so the mess remains pretty much the same. The deal breaker for me is that the engine would loose about 20% power output. Not sure it would still be a viable engine for this Cub on floats. If somone really wanted to go CDI on this engine, may as well do so and still run Methanol or better yet, tune the engine correctly and run as designed.
02-09-2019, 12:29 PM
#9
Being able to lean the engine more would indicate that the Fox plug is a bit colder then the OS F plug. What the colder plug does is retard the ignition timing. End result would be less power and could easily be why you perceive the need for on board glow as well.
02-09-2019, 01:15 PM
#10
My Feedback: (3)
Maybe in theory but I haven't experienced any loss in rpms, so therefore no loss in power. The on-board glow is simply because 1) the OS twins have been known to drop a cylinder from time to time and its extremely beneficial to be able to reignite the cold cylinder and keep the plane in the air, and 2) makes starting the engine infinitely simpler not having to attach any glow leads (let alone 2 leads) to start the plane.
02-09-2019, 09:34 PM
#11
I had a remote glow connector on mine. Just plugged my glow power to the side of the cowl and I was good to go. I never had a cylinder drop out on mine but have read where others have. I did however run only OS F plugs and 15% nitro 16% oil Byron fuel. The engine was on a World models Cap 232 and although it sounded cool was less then spectacular on performance so was swapped out for a Saito 180.
