glow engines are fading away
#101
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Location: Southampton, UK
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Many people equate spark ignition with gasoline fuel. BUT... Some folks use glow fuel with spark ignition too - which is what I would do -IF- if I converted some to ignition. BUT - the added cost of the ignitions is a turn-off; for the price of a couple or few ignition units and spark plugs, I can buy a gallon of nitro and a 5gal pail of methanol
and probably some oil too for the same price or cheaper.
and probably some oil too for the same price or cheaper.
But it's not the ignition that causes the difference in power, it's the characteristics of the fuel - calorific value and fuel/air ratio. It's part (but not all) of the reason why 'nitro' works - it makes the engine even thirstier (an even higher fuel/air ratio) than it is on straight methanol, so you get more power.
OS now make some gasoline engine that use glow plugs, which is the opposite way around. But they are 'special' glow plugs. I won't buy one, I was fool enough once to buy the OS Wankel engine. When they stopped making the first version they stopped making the special plugs it needed too, and unlike the 'mark 2' version it won't go on regular plugs. So I am stuck with a perfectly good engine but I can't get a plug for it.
OS aren't going to catch me like that a second time
#102
Yes, they do.
But it's not the ignition that causes the difference in power, it's the characteristics of the fuel - calorific value and fuel/air ratio. It's part (but not all) of the reason why 'nitro' works - it makes the engine even thirstier (an even higher fuel/air ratio) than it is on straight methanol, so you get more power.
OS now make some gasoline engine that use glow plugs, which is the opposite way around. But they are 'special' glow plugs. I won't buy one, I was fool enough once to buy the OS Wankel engine. When they stopped making the first version they stopped making the special plugs it needed too, and unlike the 'mark 2' version it won't go on regular plugs. So I am stuck with a perfectly good engine but I can't get a plug for it.
OS aren't going to catch me like that a second time
But it's not the ignition that causes the difference in power, it's the characteristics of the fuel - calorific value and fuel/air ratio. It's part (but not all) of the reason why 'nitro' works - it makes the engine even thirstier (an even higher fuel/air ratio) than it is on straight methanol, so you get more power.
OS now make some gasoline engine that use glow plugs, which is the opposite way around. But they are 'special' glow plugs. I won't buy one, I was fool enough once to buy the OS Wankel engine. When they stopped making the first version they stopped making the special plugs it needed too, and unlike the 'mark 2' version it won't go on regular plugs. So I am stuck with a perfectly good engine but I can't get a plug for it.
OS aren't going to catch me like that a second time
#103
I'm considering adding CDI to my OS Gemini 120 twin. It will use less fuel, gain more power, and use less oil, while still running on Glow fuel. It's already a heavy engine, so adding 10 ounces wont make much difference. I think it may be a good fit for my .60 Corsair, which will need all the nose weight it can get.
I found a kit from the UK for $143 plus shipping. If over the life of the engine I use 10 fewer gallons I will have saved more than it costs.
I found a kit from the UK for $143 plus shipping. If over the life of the engine I use 10 fewer gallons I will have saved more than it costs.
#104
My Feedback: (3)
A few companies still making engines were overlooked. There's the British Lasers. The Sanye plant in China for ASP, Magnum, and Evolution 2 strokes. Did we include Jett and Nelson? I forget. A couple years ago there were the Russian racing engines that were hand made and hard to come by.
I won't convert to electric for outdoor flying. I love glow too much for that and have never been interested in gas engines. I do have a lot of indoor electrics and they are a blast to fly. Before I moved I could hover my little coax helicopter thru the living room, dining room and into the kitchen and hover over my wife's head. She gave a Christmas gift of a larger quad copter with a very good camera that links to my iPhone, and she bought me a good indoor one with a camera. I do fly those outside trying to get up close on squirrels and critters, but it needs some mods to prevent the plastic body from loud vibrations. IMO, there's a place for electrics for flying at home but glow rules for going to the club's field.
I won't convert to electric for outdoor flying. I love glow too much for that and have never been interested in gas engines. I do have a lot of indoor electrics and they are a blast to fly. Before I moved I could hover my little coax helicopter thru the living room, dining room and into the kitchen and hover over my wife's head. She gave a Christmas gift of a larger quad copter with a very good camera that links to my iPhone, and she bought me a good indoor one with a camera. I do fly those outside trying to get up close on squirrels and critters, but it needs some mods to prevent the plastic body from loud vibrations. IMO, there's a place for electrics for flying at home but glow rules for going to the club's field.
#105
Problem I have with electrics, can't tell when teh engine is dead and you have no more power. With Glow/Gas, very easy, it gets vewy vewy quiet, and then you say Oh S***.
#106
My Feedback: (1)
the added cost of the ignitions is a turn-off; for the price of a couple or few ignition units and spark plugs,
on the other hand, as for Gas engines, it's rather easy to lighten them up, you could mix 1/3 Glow Fuel to 2/3 Gas and use a Glow Plug,, no Ignition Box, no Battery, No Plug, No Switch, No Wires,
Jim
#107
#109
Probably referring to the engine I mentioned - a 10FP. The true chrome liner set I have is for an OS .15 car engine (made by Duratrax); with the shorter stroke of the .10, It will become a .12 and it won't peel.
I dont care what anyone says - I've had 3 OS engines in my hands in the past year that were peeled. I don't trust them.
I dont care what anyone says - I've had 3 OS engines in my hands in the past year that were peeled. I don't trust them.
#111
Actually the idling thing is what I actually like about the leckies. Powered gliders it is a bonus too. The prop never stops at the correct spot for landing though. Just to P off our OS hater here. I have had almost 100 OSs in my hand in the last year,? and one had a peeled liner. It is a .32 SX and is just starting at the very top. It is likely OK, but the bearing is gone, and I don't think I should spend good money on bad.
#112
Actually the idling thing is what I actually like about the leckies. Powered gliders it is a bonus too. The prop never stops at the correct spot for landing though. Just to P off our OS hater here. I have had almost 100 OSs in my hand in the last year,? and one had a peeled liner. It is a .32 SX and is just starting at the very top. It is likely OK, but the bearing is gone, and I don't think I should spend good money on bad.
#113
My Feedback: (102)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Colonial Beach, VA
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Talking about Tim's OS, he didn't state the size, I still think the peeling liner thing is pure voodoo BS except for some badly abused ones. I have 5 LA's that I run on full synthetic fuel and they haven't peeled.The .65 and the .46 have flow as both glow and Diesel,conversions.
#114
I'm sure there are a lot of people that share your experience. There's a lot that share mine as well - they just don't raise a stink on Internet forums like I do. Doesn't matter to me either way. If someone wanted to trade me equal displacement engines of good quality - like Italian Super Tigre, Enya, Rossi, Novarossi, Picco/Skyward, etc., I'd happily pass my OS engines onto them in trade. If someone were to go that far, you'd never hear another comment from me about OS.
#116
Overpriced Shat.
#118
My Feedback: (2)
I had a peeled 40FX and a peeled 65LA. They both had a lot of hours on them when their liners went bad, so I am not upset, and I continue to buy OS engines. I know from my work experience that plating is a fussy, demanding, hard-to-control process. Even the best military aerospace platers using the best processes occasionally have problems.
But I agree that OS/Tower Hobbies charged too much for replacement pistons and sleeves. It would have been a good gesture for them to sell piston and sleeves at their cost, given the problems we had.
But I agree that OS/Tower Hobbies charged too much for replacement pistons and sleeves. It would have been a good gesture for them to sell piston and sleeves at their cost, given the problems we had.
#119
#120
#121
Its anyone's guess since it is basically trade secret. Whether it's single step or double step, it's still problematic. The AX and LA engines peel in the same manner that the SF and FX engines did.
#122
When it comes to plating, not all base metals will accept chromium, and need a nickel layer applied first. That is what two step is all about. That is also how they plate plastic by applying a submetal that can adhere to plastic and that chromium can adhere to. The layers are micro thin too. A proper chrome job though will use a base layer of copper which is then polished smooth prior to plating with nickel. Nickel is used as the filler metal, and the chrome is extremely thin.
Last edited by acdii; 11-21-2017 at 09:33 AM.
#123
I think the newer process is called ABL (layered?) The old ones are just nickel on the base metal. I have one old LA .25 that is actually blue, but it works good. Maybe the problematic ones weren't etched properly for the nickel, but the copper sticks well and then the nickel onto that. I think the hotrod stuff polishes the copper. It would be copper nickel chrome. The chrome does peel without the bumper even getting hot. I only did chromate and passivating at work. It could be troublesome when the tanks got oily or used a lot. Even chrome liners can peel in some batches. Fox tried and gave up in the end.