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Old 01-29-2004 | 11:02 PM
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FHHuber
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Default RE: smoke system

You will find the smoke system to be somewhat of a pain in the neck... I have one in the Triplane.
It CAN be worth the extra maintenance on the airplane, but plan on doing the maintenance.

I used the TME smoke system kit. Everything you need except the smoke fluid tank and the battery for the pump is enclosed.

You can tap the original muffler on the Surpass 4-stroke for the smoke. It works fine ($1.40 for a pressure tap... $30 + for a smoke muffler...) Tap it 90 deg from the factory pressure tap and the same distance from the muffler end. (maybe a little closer to the engine, NOT further.)

Use a 5 cell pack to power the pump. 500 mah is plenty for several tanks of smoke oil.

If you use the same size tank for oil as for fuel... you get less than 1/4 of your flight with smoke on. Smoke oil goes quick.

Smoke oil loves to seep under monokote seams. Brush some Lusterkote clear on each seam. (or you will be recovering often.) I'm not sure how other coverings do... I expect all heat-shrinks to have similar problems.

Inspect the system regularly... if you accidentally use the wrong type fuel tank or stopper... you end up wth a plane full of smoke fluid. (and its worse than spilling glow fuel in the plane.)

take short pieces of copper wire and twist around each tygon tube connection. (The DuBro hoze clamps for this size tube are useless on tygon. ) Squeeze them tight! The barbs obn the pump hold fine... everything else I have had without wireing it in place has slipped free.