Originally Posted by
av8tor1977
I have a Super Tigre 90 converted to run gas as well. These type conversions didn't hold that much interest with me.
Another thing I got pretty deep into developing is what we called "Gas/Glow". Running a gas engine on gas and a glow plug with a special fuel mix. I originally started with it because ignition systems for conversions were so expensive. Once the Chinese marketed inexpensive ignitions, the concept didn't make much sense anymore. I had one plane left running "Gas/Glow" and finally just converted it to conventional CDI ignition and avoided the fuss of "Gas/Glow".
Av8tor
I never held much for the combination "gasoline as fuel/glow as ignition principle" for reason that it is a combination of the worst of two worlds: Gasoline is, let's face it, a pretty finicky fuel that requires both accurate fuel metering, as well as accurate ignition timing. Gas/glow conversions, they run, and that's about it. They can power a plane, but you still require the ground equipment to GET it to run (fieldbox with glow power, starter, etc etc etc) and they barf out black crud on account of the rich setting required for glow ignition and the incomplete combustion that creates.
From what I have seen, less than stellar throttle response as well.
From a technical POV, accurate fuel metering is a challenge that is fun to solve, and the results (astonishingly clean running engines) very satisfying.
From a practical POV,
incidental conversions (only one engine, just for the fun of trying it) are not interesting AT all... One plane out of a dozen in my fleet running a cheap fuel would be a gimmick, and I'll freely admit to that: What for, if the rest of the planes still require expensive and difficult to get glow fuel (mind you, I'm in Europe, where glow fuel is really becoming problematic WRT cost as well as availlability).
You still need that heavy fieldbox, starters, glow drivers, an additional fuel can, cleaning utensils etc etc.
One glow engine preferring this mix, another preferring an oilier or leaner mix, more or less Nitro, hotter or colder glowplugs, etc etc, So much variations, people don't see the forest for the trees anymore.
But from that same practical POV I converted my entire fleet of ex--glow engines to run gasoline. And suddenly it made an LOT of sense...
Gasser conversions become so easy and simple in operation, that I have no need anymore for a fieldbox (I got rid of mine). A tiny toolbox with bare necessities (mainly for assembling the plane at the field) suffices. No engine related stuff, or maybe a single spare sparkplug.
Fuel is one single mix on which any engine I own runs equally well. and even the most extensive outing (glider tow meetings, shows and events) never cost me more than a quart of fuel for the entire day so basically I only bring planes and TX, and a small container of fuel, which I could, if necessary, pick up at any of the gas stations I pass on the way to the clubfield. If I wanted to... I barely ever need to on account of the astonishingly low fuel consumption of my engines, but I could if I would, and that was never the case with glow fuel.
Suddenly even a .30 fourstroke running gas, fitted to a 60"wingspan trainer, makes a LOT of sense: Fuelled up at home (with a whopping 6 oz of fuel), there's easily 6 ten-minute flights in it, and literally all I need, are plane, TX and my fingers to get the thing running. At the end, there's 2 drops of oil on it, so cleaning can be done when back home.
That beautiful summers evening that it would be nice to go flying but the hassle of preparation, and the hassle of aftercare keeps one from doing so? It takes me 2 minutes to throw the plane in the back of the car and that's all I need for a few hours at the club.
You've got to take my word for it, but this was a cold start, more than 24 hrs after last being run, running on the tailings in the tank from the day before.
It ALWAYS starts like this...