RE: Saito - Pro FG 14 Tips and tricks only!!!
I've got about 4 hours run time on mine, and probably about 30 flights.
I'm pretty happy with mine now. It starts easily, runs reliably and just sips the fuel. It is still not 100% on WOT, but still seems to be improving and getting more responsive to fine tuning.
I figure that I need about 40 hours run time before I start getting ahead on fuel costs, compared to an equivalent nitro 4 stroke. It is good to get away from paying over $11 AUST per litre of nitro fuel (compared to $1 per litre of petrol which goes twice as far as well)!
My observations are that it will take about 4 hours run time for the engine to be fully run in. Do not expect to get it running perfectly straight away. It will improve with age. Tuning can be a pain, but with an upright mount position (as for a Pulse 60), both idle and high speed needles are easy to get at and adjust while the engine is running, meaing you can get it into the ball park fairly easily, and running reliably when you point the nose of the plane straight up. Concentrate on getting it running reliably (eg not quitting in the air) at first, rather than running perfectly from day on.
With good tuning, the exhaust has next to no smell. When rich, it will smell a bit oily. When too lean, it will eventually stutter and quit.