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Old 12-12-2002 | 04:08 AM
  #9  
ajcoholic
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From: Timmins, ON, CANADA
Default micro pump and ECU

I would take a pic of it, but it is over at my parents place in a spare bedroom for winter storage. I keep all my planes out in my garage but didnt want the turbine out in the cold all winter. I can if you want, but it is a smallish reciever sized box, square, with the plugs for the pump, battery and connections for the RPM, and receiver. Has two led's on it, and also the plug in for the LCD panel.

For startup, I use plain old propane! Just a pure propane cylinder from the hardware store. I use a bernzomatic valve I stole from my oxy/propane torches and it works well. I use a festo one way valve off the engine, and an ACE RC retract quick disconect for the hookup (twist on). I just crack open the the gas and got to know where it should be from trial and error. If you use TOO much propane, I find the ECU will not start the kerosene flowing to the engine, IE, it will run up to about 25,000 rpm and sit there. If you close the propane slightly, it will then continue spooling up and ramp up on the kero. The start sequence I get now is so fast, once I light the plug, I turn on the gas. Blip the starter motor for a second, the gas usually ignites right away and I turn the starter back on. Once it hits 20,000 or so, you can hear the kero kick in, and it quickly gets to 29,000 and I kill the starter. Wjile I am closing the propane valve, and disconect the line and remove the glow lead, it has gotten to idle (45,000) and is ready to go. All in all takes maybe 15 to 20 seconds.

One thing, I find the glow plug has to be glowing HOT for good starts. I use my field box power panel turned all the way up.

One more thing... I amusing a 5 cell battery pack for my fuel pump. on 4 cells, I cant get to 160,000 rpm. On 5, the red light on the ECU stays on (too low % of pump voltage) so I made and installed a bypass valve like in the Kamps book (basically a pressure activated overflow - adjustable by spring pressure). Now I get full power settings at 95 to 97% pump voltage, and I simply have the overflow line going back into the main tank. All that wasnt covered in the manual, but as a kit engine you have to figure out some of this stuff on your own I guess.

Andrew