basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

I was wondering what you guys are using for fuel. The stuff marketed for 1/2a is outrageously priced and I have tried a couple commercial sport fuels but they don't run very well in the 1/2a engines. I have several TeeDees and a new Norvel .074 I'd like to start playing with. I looked on Powermaster's site and they list their 1/2A fuel as 15% nitro and 18% castor. Is that all I need? Is the synthetic in my other fuels why they don't like to run on it? I asked a similar question over on the RC fuels forum but haven't gotten an answer in a weeks time.
Thanks,,,Matt

kamakazi

My Feedback: (1)

Matt, that stuff your using doesn't have the nitromethane content that 1/2A engines need to develope their max rpm's. Cox fuel for example is about 35% nitro and thats why your regular fuel of 10 to 15% won't give the results you want. The high price of 1/2A fuel is because of the high nitro content. Nitro is "spensive" as us Arkies say, have a nice day, Harold aka "Kamakazi"

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

the stuff marked for 1/2a is a marketing ploy,, they figure you need small stuff for your small engines and planes and your right it is way overpriced $7-8 a pint is high$ ,,most here would advise you add oil to get to %20..........I use anywhere from %20 nitro Cool Power at $18 a gallon,, to %35 nitro Norvel fuel (on their site) at $12 a quart...I'm sure others will chime in here...the cool power is pure synthetic and most everyone here says to use castor although I have had no ill effects from not using it,,and there doesnt seem to be any difference in the goop it leaves behind...........you may want to buy I small bottle of it in order to not tote a gallon jug of it aound...........Rog

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

I fly helis using 30%nitro with all synthetic oil. Would that likely produce good results? I could add castor but it's already at 20% oil.
Matt

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

I dont have the exp to advise you here, I have some SIG fuel that is %35 nitro ,%20 oil Klotz 1/2 castor & 1/2 synthetic..........works great but high $

Norvel fuel is %35 nitro %18 oil Klotz but the oil mix isnt broken down on the bottle other than non petroleum lubricants... it is however manf buy SIG..works great

the cool power I have used with good results however I have not had that many flights with it maybe 1/2 a pint worth........Rog

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

Hello Dweller, I've been useing 30% Cool Power in my Norvel and Cox engines with excellent results. I definatly add castor to bring the oil content up to 25%. You need some castor as it doesn' break down and loose it's protection properties (like synth oil does) at the high temps the small motors often reach. I bought the CP fuel as I needed fuel and it was all the LHS had. I wasn't going to pay 20 bucks for a quart of the 1/2 A fuel. There has been mention in this fourm of the synth oil causing premature glow plug failure but this hasn't been a problem for me yet. The next fuel I buy fuel will be 25-30% nitro with all castor if I can find it.
By the way I've run the CP in the following engines. Norvel .061, .074 - Cox .049TD, .09Medalian

Darren

PsychTeacher

I have been using NFX fuels in my small engines for over a year now. I use the 25% nitro in my Norvel .074 and the 35% in my throttled TD .020. The TD runs great and idles great on this fuel. My throttled Pee Wee .020 doesn't idle reliably on anything I have found except the expensive Cox fuel. The NFX is bad enough, at $9.99 and $10.99/qt., but the Cox price is ridiculous. With a 1/3 oz. tank, I can fly that TD a long time on the NFX quart, however.

Regards, Ben

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

Actually the Sig 35% is what I used to use in the old days when I flew controlline combat. I ran it in all my combat engines. I no longer have a source for Sig fuel. LHS only carries CP and Wildcat. He makes a run to GP in Champaign every so often to avoid the hazmat surcharges on shipping. Any other fuels would incur the shipping costs. I will plan on picking up some castor and mix up with a quart of my heli fuel.
Thanks,,,Matt

SST

My Feedback: (2)

A lot depends on the application. I run Omega 15% with 3 head shims in my .074 Norvel, with a 7X3.5 Cox gray prop. It's turning 16,500, and flies my SST .09 with authority. It will nearly pull vertically out of my hand, and will preform outside loops from level flight. I use the same setup on an engine-converted Sig Ninja, and even though this is a relatively heavy slope machine with full-size gear, this engine pulls it suprisingly fast! I also use the 15% in a Norvel .049 with 3 shims and a Cox gray 8X4 in an Astro Flight Mini Challenger. This is a 56" span EP thermal sailplane converted to glow. It won't handle a lot of speed, hence the big prop. It will spin it at 6,500 rpm for 9 minutes on 1/2 oz of fuel! However, I use Byron 25% (16% all-castor) in my Goldberg Ranger 42 with .049 Norvel, one shim, and Cox black 5X3, turning 17,500. I'm using full-size batt & RX, and full-size rudder & elevator servos with a HS81 on throttle. Still uses 2 oz of nose weight, but flies like a bird. I tried Sig 35% champion fuel in this engine, and it wouldn't run reliably, however it's not fully broken in yet. The old addage about needing lots of nitro for Cox engines seems to hold true. I've always found that with my Cox's, life begins at 25%. But the Norvels seem to have a wider tolerance. I've seen them run on everything from 10% castor/synthetic blends, to 35% all castor heli fuel. I would just recommend not to use pure synthetic in these small engines, as they don't seem to last long with it.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Well, for what it's worth, I use Cool Power 25% nitro in the 1/2A engines, both Cox and Norvel. But each gallon of CP gets four ounces of AA castor oil added before fuelling the planes.

Bill.

Andrew

I'm running a mixture of 15 oz Wildcat 25/18 and 15 oz Wildcat 15/16 plus 2 oz racing castor for a full quart. Final figures are 18.8% Nitro, 22.2% total oil (synthetic + castor) and 8.2% castor alone. Engines are all NORVEL Big Mig .061s with 3 shims and either 5.5x4 or 6x3 MAs.

the "other" Andrew

Lynn S

I have found that my Norvel .049 will overheat and go dead using the straight Byron's fuel. (25% nitro and 16% castor), but I can add enough castor to bring it up to 20% and it runs fine.
If I ran the straight Bryrons fuel at a rich setting it might not overheat.
I don't think you really need 30% nitro, the engine will run that much hotter.

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

Your right Lynn, the engine will run hotter. Down there in Tennessee 30 % nitro might be a bit much. But try flying at 6000 ft ground altitude where I fly and you need it. 10-15% fuel up here is the equivilent of you using FAI fuel down there.

Darren

jessiej

[I also use the 15% in a Norvel .049 with 3 shims and a Cox gray 8X4 in an Astro Flight Mini Challenger. This is a 56" span EP thermal sailplane converted to glow. It won't handle a lot of speed, hence the big prop. It will spin it at 6,500 rpm for 9 minutes on 1/2 oz of fuel! ]

That's interesting! I had not realized that the Norvels would do the big prop, low RPM trick. Ill have to try it on an old timer.

jess

Japanman

I ran a mix of 50%coolpower and 50% castor at 18%total oil content and 15% nitro and in my bigmig it ran well for many flights with one shim and a windser 6by3. Then I discovered that the bigend crankpin had worn triangular.
From what I have read here about others experience- especially those who run high perfmance engines engines, this might have been avoided if I had run pure castor at 20%.

J.M

Larry Driskill

I agree with JM. . . I my experience and testing, I have found that pure castor makes more power and reduces wear in small, plain bearing 1/2A engines.

Jim Thomerson

I run TD 09's on 10%, nitro, 20% oil 50/50 synthetic/castor, Sig Champion fuel with results to suit me. Not peak HP but good power and very reliable. I generally run 1/2A's with more nitro.

Jim

Bipe Flyer

I use Red Max fuel from FHS Supply. I get a custom mix of 20% Castor and 25% Nitro. Their web site lists different oil percentages and blends for different applications, but they'll do custom mixes to the customer's specs.
http://members.aol.com/FHSoil/RedMax.html

WRX

My Feedback: (1)

Things to look for in a good fuel:

Oil content (15 to 18 percent good for longevity) (norvel suggest 16-20 percent)

Oil types: Castor, Synth. Caster better at keeping your engine cool, synth better at lubricating. Most fuels use a blend of the two. I usually run a 50/50 or a higher synth than caster mix. Too much caster (think Blue thunder) keeps you cool but will not lube well (but is smells good).

Oil quality Wildcat and norvel use 95% or better purity with their caster and synth oils. Most of your average fuels use around 80% pure or worse.

If you get powermaster be sure to check out the lable. They mix different batches that contain different percentages of oil that range from 13 to 18 percent.

check out www.nitrorc.com, they have a good writeup on fuel selection.

Lynn S

That sounds good. Do they have a minimum order such as 4 gal. ??