doom

My Feedback: (4)

OK experts. I built an old royal spirit of st.louis,Put a saito 45 on it.Looks good with the 2' cylinders. Flew it the other day,Not enough power. Not to much damage in the crash. Took off engine and put it on test stand,Tune it in. Around 9200 on tach. Tried another flight,Didnt crash but wasnt far from it. Plane is 6 to7lbs. 12x6 prop. Would a 56 be a better choice and be around the same size and weight. I would like to keep the scale look.I awaite some helpful advice.

Campgems

Great looking plane.

The Saito 45 is kind of a wimp when it comes to power. I have an orginal quicke 500 that I put a Saito 45 on to tame it down for me as a rookie. It tamed it to the point it wasn't much fun to fly. It weighted a lot less than 5 lbs.

I think that if you like the looks of the dual rocker covers, a Saito 56 may be a better choice for you. They, by all accounts are a little power house. OR, a Saito 61.

Don

Campgems

I was just thinking about reading the book, "Spirit of St Louis" when I was in high school. I was reading the part about where Lindberg was about to fall asleep and was dipping so low the the spray off the waves were hitting the plane. I was so entraced by the book that I totally missed the bell indicating the end of the studdy hall period and when I finally come up for air, I was twenty minutes late for my next class. That was almost 50 years back.

If I remember the take off from Idlewilde Airport, it sounds if you have a very scale power plane. He barely made it off the runway.

Great book, I need do to a model of that plane. Thanks for sparking some memeories.

Don

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

You could be assured of enough power with a Saito 62 which fits in the same space.

However, a 56 has considerable more power than a 45. The 56 turns a APC 12-6 at 10,000 easily

doom

My Feedback: (4)

Thanks,I thought the 45 seemed weak.I have a 65 but it quite a bit larger than the 45.Is the 61 the same visual size,Trying to keep scale looks.Is a 56 the same weight and visual size.Oh is was a scale take off alright,Barely missed the tree's at the end of our runway.Wasnt going hardly fast enough for the rudder to be effective to turn it back and land. 56 0r 61? which one.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Saito doesn't make a 61. It is a 62 and is the same visual size as the 45.

Saito also makes a 72 and a 82 which have the same crankcase bolt hole position spacing as the 45. Their chylinders are larger though.

WMB

My Feedback: (1)

I've got another Saito45 on a 4*40 at 4.75 lbs and 11x5 APC, 9800rpm ready to fly. Flies it well. It DID take a bit of break-in to run as well as it does. Had it on a Sig Senior at 7 lbs, flew but not much fun.
I also have a 65, smoothest and easiest to start/tune of my Saitos. A little on the portly side though.
An 82 in a 5.75lb Zero lacks nothing in the power dept. Flown with APC 12x9 and 12x10.
I think the 62 would be a great match for the Spirit.
Love those Saito's, MikeB

proptop

My Feedback: (8)

Beautiful airplane there![8D]
I will 2nd the recommendation of the Saito .62

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

I flew a Goldberg Anniversary Cub on my Saito 45, and it now flies my Sig Rascal Forty. I dunno, seems like enough power to me. As long as you are happy with the plane actually flying on the wing and not just being overpowered and flying on the prop.

doom

My Feedback: (4)

OK a 62 is what I will put on it.The 45 runs great,Just need some more power.Thanks on the compliments. I made a wheel to roll that aluminum to get it to fit.Also did the cockpit.

donkey doctor

Hello; Nice airplane, but at that weight, the 45 will be a little slow. That 45 will "come to life" with a "S" camshaft. It still won't likely have enough for your plane at 7 lbs. I use a 11 x 7 on my 45's or a 10 x 8 if ground clearance is an issue. I have 4 or 5 of those lovely engines, but I do prefer the 56 for power. I have 5 50's as well, another fine engine.

buzzard bait

Is the 12x6 the only prop you've tried? It's a pretty big load for a Saito 45. I would try a 12x4 and a 12x5 before I'd buy a new engine. A 62 is more like what I'd use on a sport model than a scale model of a 1927 airplane with a 225 hp engine. Watch the old Jimmy Stewart movie to see how the plane flew. Jim

doom

My Feedback: (4)

I was useing a 12x6 prop,and 12x7. Take off was as scale as you can get,When I had to turn is where I really lost speed almost to the point of stall.I have that movie on tape,The part when he looks out the window and the flames are comeing out the pipes is cool as heck.

buzzard bait

David, that plane has a lot of wing area and can probably fly pretty slow. I believe you need more pulling power at low speed. Your 10x6, 10x7 and 12x6 will not give you that. I would try a lower pitch, with a 12 inch diameter. I would get both a 12x4 and a 12x5 and see which works best. I think one of those props will also get you in the sweet spot for that engine. The 10x7 is not enough load and the 12x6 is too much, and I think both have too much pitch.

Much cheaper than a new engine, if it works.

When you turn, there is more drag and the plane slows down if you are maintaining height. A lower pitch prop with a 12 inch diameter should pull you through.

Yeah, there are a lot of things I really like in that movie. Nice model, by the way - must look terrific in the air.

Jim

doom

My Feedback: (4)

Well is a 45, a 56 and a 62 relatively the same size out side demensions. I would rather throttle back as to not have enough.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Those engines all have the same outside dimensions

scott17

How does the 45 compare power-wise to the 40a?????

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

The new style 40 seems to have more power. The new engine turns more rpm than the old 45.

A friend had a 45 on a Korda Record Breaker R?C for several years. For some reason he took the 45 off and sold it. He put his 40A on the plane and it flies even stronger.

doom

My Feedback: (4)

Just one more thing.I have been running regular 4 stroke fuel in my engines,Seems like I read some where that cool power 2 stroke fuel is better in saito's.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Regular Cool Power does not have any castor oil and is bad for Saito or any four stroke engine.

Some Cool Power 4 stroke fuel does have castor oil and is labeled as such