CAPtain232

My Feedback: (40)

I am going to build a new test stand. I want one that will work on everything from a small norvel .o61 all the way up to a DA 150 or even bigger. Do you guys know of anything like this on the market?

If there is nothing available, I was thinking of building something like this........ The idea is to have a replaceable firewall. This way you can drill a firewall for 2 or 3 different (smaller) engines or one of the larger gas engines. Would you buy one if they were available? What would you be willing to pay if it comes supplied with a 24oz fuel tank, fuel line, 1 firewall, some pieces of 4-40 rod and nylon clevises for throttle hook up?

I was thinking about having a BOLT TOGETHER STEEL SAWHORSE with a cable (similar to a dog tie out cable) and an anchor (similar to the dog tie out anchor) as an accessory. I also think that this accessory would sell for ACTUAL PRODUCTION COST just to provide the service and to make the effort to ensure that the stand is used safely with the bigger engines. The idea behind the bolt together saw horse is to help keep shipping costs at a minimum. I haven't done a drawing for it yet as I just completed the TEST STAND drawing at about 4 o'clock this morning.

****the drawing is not complete. there will be a "rail" at the bottom to keep the firewall from slipping out through the bottom. I also think that there will be a piece of steel flat stock that will fit in between the wooden firewall and the clamping screws to keep the screws from digging in to the firewall****

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Some day I'm going to make my own, for dyno testing. The part with the load measuring beam will be permanent, as will the tank mount and throttle link. The beam will be on a pipe segment, mounted on gimbals. A smaller pipe, with engine mounted, will slip into the pipe segment, and lock in with a pin. If I design it right, I'll measure torque and thrust simultaneously. And RPM, temperature, barometric pressure & humidity.

The replaceable firewall/pipe setup is because of the problem you've noted with getting muffled ½A engines to fit on a mount designed for large glow (or gas) engines.

Good luck with yours!
Dave Olson

CafeenMan

Captain232 - I think the design will work as long as the rails are strong enough. It's not shown on your image, but I assume you plan to bolt the firewall in place.

I don't like the design simply because it means I have to mount the engine to a mount and the mount to a firewall. Often I just want to check out an engine and might not even have a mount for it yet. I'd rather have something more universal that I can drop the engine into, such as my PSP test stand. But it will only work with beam mounted engines which is 95% of what I have.

CAPtain232

My Feedback: (40)

Take another look at the drawing, there are thumb screws (not labeled) there to "clamp" the firewall in place. The whole idea is to have a test stand that will work for basically ANY motor. Yes, as you have stated, you will have to provide a mount for any of the beam mount type of engines, but you are going to have to have the mount to bolt the engine into the airplane, so it really is not an issue. You are right that it might be a little bit faster to get you engine mounted up with the PSP stand, but I suppose that that is only an issue if you really must have that engine running right now. Otherwise the difference is only a couple of minutes.

CafeenMan

Cap - OK. I wasn't bashing your design. I apologize if it came off that way.

I often have engines handed to me for whatever reason. Normally they're coming from someone who's had it sitting around for a while and it belonged to a deceased family member or something. I usually just want to see if it runs, but I don't actually have a plan for it at the time and more often than not I don't have a mount that fits.

I saw the screws, but thought they were holding the rails in place. The design is definitely universal and should work well.

I bolted my stand to a steel tool stand from Sears. I think it cost about $30.00 but with steel prices going up, it's probably a bit more now. I would trust it for anything up to about a 2.0 engine and after that I'd either stake it or sandbag it. Whatever is necessary. I think the stand can handle any engine we use, but it could get pulled over by a huge brute engine.

What are the rails made of? I'm assuming some type of metal?

CAPtain232

My Feedback: (40)

Hey keep the comments coming.... It will only help me make this thing better....if it ever goes anywhere.

The actual test stand itself will be all steel. Everything welded together. The rails will be welded to the front plate.

Ernie Misner

I think that on one of the removable firewalls, I would mount a conventional engine stand for smaller beam mount engines.

This would cover all the bases!

Ernie