Great Planes Spirit with .049 power pod
 

Out at the field last night with my Spirit. I have a cox surestart with a Galbreith head, and a home-made muffler on it that I have mounted on a power pod to get the glider up there. My brother took some great pictures of it, so thought I would post a few of them here. The engine's power with a 6x3 nylon prop is a perfect match for the glider, it gives it a nice gradual climb out, and will take it as high as you want with the bladder tank I am running. 15cc's of fuel will run if for more than 4 min, and I get a great launch height with that run time.

Chris

RE: Great Planes Spirit with .049 power pod
 

Cool pics. Ain't aeromodelling fun ?


Luke S.

RE: Great Planes Spirit with .049 power pod
 

Thats some fancy tin work you did there,,looks like a good flyer...cool..Rog

RE: Great Planes Spirit with .049 power pod
 

I agree with Luke, "aeromodelling is fun ".

I like the muffler, very "Buck Roger's" like. I have a Spirit that I have flown off a high start for many years. I have it trimmed out and it is a nice flying glider. Getting out the high start or a winch can be a lot of work especially if I have need to just go get a few flights in. I have contemplated building a power pod for the plane and I think you have just inspired me to get off my can and do so, should make for a nice simple no hassle weekend project. I think I will use a diesel however, perhpas one of my Cox reed valve conversions (see picture) or a PAW.

The Cox really is as much a conversion as a custom kit built engine, uses bits from a number of different engines, crankshaft is a Davis diesel heavy duty reedy crank, crankcase from black widow or texaco, back plate from a very old Babe Bee, tank from a Texaco, stainless steel reed, piston/cylinder from a TD and diesel head from RJL. Works well, spins that 7x4 Master Airscrew prop at 11,000. This one currently is on a Playboy Junior which is not nearly as large as the Spirit.

I like electric powred gliders but there is something about glow and diesels that keep me coming back.

cheers, Graham in Embrun near Ottawa Canada.

RE: Great Planes Spirit with .049 power pod
 

I bought a k-mart foam plane and am working on making a power pod for an .020..already did the .049 on the nose bit..course it may not be able to get out of its own way ,but I bet it gets higher than the other kids:D...Rog

RE: Great Planes Spirit with .049 power pod
 

Thanks guys. Luke - aeromodelling is DEFINATELY FUN.
Graham - The power pod certainly works for getting the glider up there, but the glide performance suffers from the massive increase in parasitic drag. Glad I inspired you! I think I have still had my longest flights from a highstart. I was contemplating converting a cox to diesel, maybe I will have to give it a try one of these days. Is it any quiter than glow? My club has noise restrictions created by somebody who dosnt know much about the decibal scale. [:'(]

Chris

RE: Great Planes Spirit with .049 power pod
 

Morning Chris,

Yes, lots of drag but a quick and easy way to go flying, especially on field without the room for a hi-start. Electric sailplanes with folding props are fine but running a small diesel or glow still has it's appeal and is a bit simpler without the attendant batteries and chargers.

As a diesel mine is a wee bit quieter than as a glow but not much, mostly because it is turning slower with a bigger prop. You will need the Davis heavy duty crank if you dieselize one. I have broken a number of car crankshafts which are a bit heftier and stronger than the normal reed valve cranks. If you break one of the Davis cranks you are really pushing it.

I have a PAW 80 (049) which has a single exhaust port rather than the normal 3 radial ports. Without a muffler it is very quiet, as quiet as any 049/ 09 with a muffler.

I do like the idea of modified reedy with the integral fuel tank. I am trying to come up with a good idea for a simple way to mount the PAW like the old Cox TD fuel tank/mount which are too small for the PAW.

cheers, Graham