aspeed

OK, I just spent the afternoon running some B Bee's, Black Widows, and Silver Bee's.  It's a nice day, and the field isn't dry yet.  Without checking internally for reeds, just running each one and changing heads,  I will say I haven't changed my opinion on reedies.  None went over 19,200 rpm, only 2 went over 18,000, 2 went  about 16,000 (with single port cylinders)  and 2 sounded overcompressed or overheating.  Just wouldn't really run.  They may need overhaul kits/new style reeds.  I only have one Surestart backplate to play with, and I am out of energy and interest to play with it right now.  These were all with the 4 1/4" -4" prop and only 10% last years fuel.  I am aware that the little guys thrive on the high nitro, but I am not impressed yet.  A couple motors wouldn't even hold a setting for a whole tank.  Even the Wen Mac equalled the best of these.   I'll stick to the rotary valve motors for now, and maybe give a last attempt at a Surestart later.  The TD heads were good, the Merlin was the same, or only slightly slower in a couple motors, and the low compression head barely worked at all.(it may have just been a old dud)  I made a short reach plug insert from an old TD head and sanded a bit off the bottom to get some compression back, and it ran the same in the quicker motors, and kind of sounded overcompressed in some of the other slower ones with the fluttering symptoms of overcompression.  I didn't add shims, just used one for now, but it did work somewhat ok.