quantum95h

Hi All,

I just bought the pulse xt plane. Great plane! Flys perfect, easy to keep straight and level a really nice plane. However, after one flight it is in pieces!!! The engine died on me over trees and I could not make it back. Needless to say I was mad! A whole 15 min flight with a new plane. I had an evolution .46 engine and I have to get a new one, with a new plane. I have heard that the evo engines have some problems. I am looking at an OS engine. Anyone have thoughts on those or other engines? Which is your favorite/best in your opinion and why.

Thanks in advance for the feedback

Quantum

wcmorrison

My Feedback: (2)

Tree crashes rarely damage the engine. Recover the engine, do not turn it until you have thoroughly cleaned it. Remove the needle valve restraint device. Install the engine in your next airplane and break it in per instructions found on this web page. Do a search on break in. While Evo engines are advertised a broken in, they are not fully broken in til at least a half of gallon of fuel has been run through them.

Engines that quit on first flights are usually adjusted to lean, heat up in flight and stop. New engines should be run on the rich side, that is a quarter turn out (richer) during early flights. After that the high speed needle valve should be always adjusted to the rich side by a 1/8 to 1/4 turn (out). Engines unload in flight, turn faster and thus need more fuel. So they tend to go lean in flight. An already lean engine will get to lean, heat up and quit.

Evo engines are just as good as OS engines. It is in the tuning and adjustments that make engines reliable, not their manufacturers.

Get some help if you can not do it yourself. There are many clubs and club members out there that will help you.

Cheers,

Chip

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

Okay, at the risk of feeding a troll, I'll take the bait.

Since this is your first post on RCU, there is a high probability that this is your first experience with RC planes, or at least with glow engines.

There are those that will tell you the Evolution engines come from the factory pretuned for reliable flight. While some may have experience that validates that, I do not agree. Every Evolution engine that I have dealt with in the past two years has needed some tweaking, and about half have had the limiters incorrectly installed. Having said that, once the limiters were (re)moved, the engines could be tuned for reliable flight, and proved to be very good engines.

The OS engines are also very reliable, but just like every other make of engine, need some tweaking to account for your particular climate and conditions and airplane setup.

I like the Thunder Tiger engines, since they are practically clones of the OS engines, but at about 1/2-2/3 the cost. Once properly tuned, they are easy to start, idle nice and low, and have excellent throttle response.

Super Tiger engines have a very good reputation, and the few that I've dealt with as an instructor have all been reliable, again once properly tuned.

Based on your posting, you said it dead sticked after 15 minutes. Its entirely possible, depending on your flight style, that you simply ran out of fuel. There are so many factors that can contribute to a dead stick. I'd highly recommend you find someone in your area with experience that can help you get things set up on the ground before you fly. That will significantly extend your planes life.

Brad

Pepe J

My Feedback: (2)

Welcome to RCU.... I don't think the problem is with your Evo engine as any engine can be tuned to die after 15 minutes of flight. I set my High and Low speed needles with only a few ounces of fuel in the tank, this way when you fill the tank the engine will be at a slightly rich setting.

A tachometer is very useful for tuning and a good investment if you don't have one. If you are new to RC flying, you may want to consider going to electric power till you develop your flying skills? This way you don't have to worry about a glow engine dieing on you in mid-flight.

wcmorrison

My Feedback: (2)

I did not catch that, bkdavy is right. You proabably ran out of gas. Most sets are for about 15 minutes for flight time. When I take up students I limit the time to 10 minutes of flight, gives plenty of reserve for a couple approaches to the runway.

I am assuming you recovered the crashed aircraft. The receiver, servos, and other parts are very reuseable, just need to be range check prior to next flight. And I neve met a crashed airplane that could not be rebuilt at least once.

If you are a new pilot get and instructor, you will have a lot more fun.

Cheers,

Chip

skiman762

It probably has the 11oz Hangar 9 tank 10oz useable so he did good to get 15 mins

Rcpilot

My Feedback: (78)

Best engine?

The one that runs good without a lot of fussing and fiddleing. It costs under $120 and has a 2yr warrenty.

There are lots of good engines on the market today. 99% of the problems people have with engines are end-user related. Not knowing how to break them in or how to tune them are probably the 2 biggest problems.

Get help from someone experienced.

autoglide

I have the same set up you did. The Pulse XT and the Evo 46. Is a good transition trainer into aerobatics, nice construction, easy flying no bad tendencies. I have never had a problem with this engine and other than adjust the needle valve each flying day it has never quited on me. I agree with the colleagues in this forum, after 15 min you probaly ran out of fuel! I never fly longer than 5 to 8 min hits.

If the engine is still in one piece do what wcmorrison say. Clean it and break it in. A good rule of thumb for next time. As you are ready to launch, hold your plane straight up full throttle and close the needle valve until it peak in RPM, then open it 1/4 to 1/2 until you notice a change in RPM. That way it won't lean out in flight. Next time use a stopwatch with alarm or have someone with you to check on the time.

Good luck.

quantum95h

Thanks guys for all the advice. True I need some more practice. Believe it or not I started flying when I was 14 years old after 10 years or so of flying I took about a 15 year break. Got busy, you know how it goes..... The problem was not running out of fuel. I was able to take off, land and take off again in that 15 min or so. I refueled after the first flight because I did not want to run out of gas. The reason I asked the question is because I have been out of it for so long. I had an OS engine and liked it, it did quit on me a few times. Sometimes out of nowhere and sometimes I did run out of gas. I think those of you that said the evo engine needs breaking in (eventhough they say it does not). Also I think the lean/rich ajustment was a problem. I was running about in the middle. As for the engine, the plane hit so hard in the dirt that it was a good 6" in the ground. I am not kidding, I really had to pull on it to get it out. Completely full of dirt. The intake was caked. I don't really feel like taking a risk in cleaning it out and hoping it works fine. Dirt could have got to the cylinder and a new piston is almost as much as a new engine, close at least. The most embarassing part is that I am a pilot (piper, cessna, single engine) But remote, I forgot about how easy it is to lose prospective. I almost had it and then stalled it, could not see which way it was headded and then nose dive!

Anyway thanks for all the advice and hopfully I will have more than one post here with you guys!

Thanks

Quantum

Pepe J

My Feedback: (2)

No....planting it 6" 's into the dirt is a good thing! Chances are you didn't bend the crankshaft because of the soft dirt. The big no-no here is NOT to turn it over by hand. Just cover your thumb over the carb. and rinse it off with the garden hose. Now dissemble the engine. Wash it out in hot soapy water and rinse it off. The carb. may have to be totally disassembled. After you dry it, then reassemble and oil it up. Chances are your engine will run like new if you didn't bend the crankshaft? Usually all that needs to be replaced is the high speed needle valve.

Piet Le Roux

According to the ratings on RC universe the most popular glow engine in production is the OS 46 AX , I have had one for about a year and a half and the only dead stick I had was with a empty tank.