The end of small glow engines
07-06-2014, 04:24 AM
#201
Top Fuel for me please. It would be nice to use less oil on all of them. That is pretty much the biggest expense and power robber, not to mention slime creator. I think the rod bearing is the first thing to fail. Maybe a new super bearing material could solve this, Teflon impregnated titanium or whatever,
07-06-2014, 04:57 AM
#202
Moderator
ira d- I stand corrected. I'd love to see how the performance is between the two.
I think the biggest thing that will keep glow alive over the next 20 years or so is simply tradition. There aren't enough racers and power freaks out there to keep more than one or two companies in business, but there are plenty of traditionalists that want to stick with what they know. I'm including myself in that group, because I'm not keen on replacing my glow engines with small gassers and relearning how to take care of them. I'm also too cheap to spend the money it takes to get a good electric system for my bigger planes, even though I know it will boost their performance. So for the foreseeable future, I'll have all 3 kinds of power and will enjoy them all for what they are.
I think the biggest thing that will keep glow alive over the next 20 years or so is simply tradition. There aren't enough racers and power freaks out there to keep more than one or two companies in business, but there are plenty of traditionalists that want to stick with what they know. I'm including myself in that group, because I'm not keen on replacing my glow engines with small gassers and relearning how to take care of them. I'm also too cheap to spend the money it takes to get a good electric system for my bigger planes, even though I know it will boost their performance. So for the foreseeable future, I'll have all 3 kinds of power and will enjoy them all for what they are.
07-06-2014, 05:49 AM
#203
What glow engines need is a micro needle bearing retrofit type of kit. That's the whole reason they need the high oil. A side effect of high oil content is ignition retardation but that can be accomplished with adjusting the heat retention of the glow plug. Needle bearings on both ends of the conrod would greatly increase longevity at a much lower oil content.
07-07-2014, 03:35 PM
#204
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In the long run, I see it as being close to a wash when you compare electric, glow, and gasoline power plants. I say this taking into account used engines are worth less than half of what they were new so resale is poor. Then to buy new gasoline engines or new electric stuff... It adds up quickly.
Cheers, Pete
07-08-2014, 06:30 PM
#209
Without getting into how it happened, I got a taste of glow fuel last week. Incredibly foul taste, and the burn is at least 2x as bad as 151. I rinsed my mouth with water for 10 minutes. Yuck.
07-09-2014, 01:46 AM
#211
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The line is full. Gas, electric and all that goes with it. Our flying club, one of the best , has it all. Thirty two covered pavilions with 110 outlets. work stations. The works. The gas folks with pit crews and restraints, the electric guys with all their support equipment and at the same time the glo guys are flying the crap out of their 25 to 90 size planes. At our field the glo guys fly more than the rest. Why? They pump in a little fuel, stick on igniters and fly and fly. Most of the glo dudes show up with the planes already assembled. Get them out and go at it. There may be a end to small glo. It sure is not at our place.
07-09-2014, 11:07 AM
#212
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Wish I could say that at our club. Seems its go big or get ridiculed. out of about 60 members only 4 of us have ever flown anything under a 40 size glow engine in the last 15 years. However I truly love to show up with an Irvine 25 and show them what a very high quality small glow engine can really do and it isn't even an OS. Drives em crazy.
Seems ours is a JR/OS club unless you want to run a gasser then its DLE (I think). Oh yea, unless its a 4 stroke then it has to be a YS because nothing else makes any power.
Maybe I should toss my Saito 40 and 45 and 50 and 62 and 100, and my OS40Surpass and and and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Seems ours is a JR/OS club unless you want to run a gasser then its DLE (I think). Oh yea, unless its a 4 stroke then it has to be a YS because nothing else makes any power.
Maybe I should toss my Saito 40 and 45 and 50 and 62 and 100, and my OS40Surpass and and and,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
07-09-2014, 12:08 PM
#213
This is what it would take to kill off all glow engines.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dhMuuvi922E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dhMuuvi922E
07-09-2014, 12:45 PM
#214
Senior Member
Thread Starter
To some members of our club that is what they would like to see happen to get rid of glow engines. They don't seem to be able to make them run properly so all glow engines are the devil.
07-09-2014, 05:59 PM
#218
I picked up a new (used) engine off eBay this week. A little Enya .15 IV R/C. I'm eyeing a few other smaller engines too. I might kit build a small plane for a pair of these little Enya .15s. They're cute.
07-09-2014, 07:59 PM
#220
I oiled this one up, it's got a decent pop to it. It could use a bath in Evaporust™ though. I'm going to keep my eyes open for another one. It came with an 8x4 MA on it but I think a 7x4 is more appropriate. I think I have some 7x3 wood props but no 7x4's.
