The Disclosure Post
In all fairness, the whole story should be given here. I don't "ground run" my engines. They are not glow engines and don't require all the dumb "bench running" and mixture/rpm cycling crap.. I set them up on the plane and go fly. My tuning is done at the field and the rough mixture is set just prior to the first flight while the end mixture is dialed in after flying and as the engines break in.
When I first ran the engine I knew something was amiss when I was not able to obtain max rpm as high as it should of been. The engine ran ok and had enough power but I knew there ws more there somewhere. When I returned home I called Bill and told him about it. His first words were "I'll send you another one in the morning" and for me to send the one I had back to him. It was fairly late in the evening where he is at so nothing could be done till the morning No discussion, arguement, nothing. Just send it back and he'd send me another one, no problem.
Since I've worked with engines for some time in one way or another I already knew that the issue was something simple and that a little tinkering with either the carb or the timing would be the fix. I told him that I would handle it myself if he had no objections and declined his offer. That offer was made several more times in the conversation while we discussed the possible issue, and that if I was unable to resolve it the offer remained in place. Sound like another manufacturer we have all heard about? I believe it does.
In any case, the starting point when you're timing an engine is Top Dead Center, or TDC. When you're checking for TDC, locate it, and look at the magnet and find it under the sensor when the engine is at TDC the issue becomes obvious. OK, looks like someone got distracted or called away when they were setting the timing. None of us have ever been distracted when we were doing something and forgot where we were when we came back to it, right? Right. So the hub got snugged down where it was at before the distraction so it wouldn't move and was forgotten about. A simple "oops".
The fix was easy and took little time so there's no complaint about it. The manufacturer offered to do whatever was required to straighten it out and was kind of surprised that I was willing to see it through myself. It was made clear that he would send out another engine should I be dissatisfied for any reason. The engine runs flawlessly and provides EXCELLENT power for what it's intended for, and it runs smoother than any single I've run before, at any rpm level. I couldn't be more pleased with the engine or the level of service from the manufacturer. Better still, I got to play with the engine and find out how easy it is to work with if I ever want to change anything. What could be better than that?!
I'll attach a copy of the note I sent to him after the timing change for all to see what my thoughts were at the time.
Pat
The e-mail, sent 3/12/07 below;
Bill,
Well, after all was said and done I have to say the TS52 is a great little engine. Putting the ignition timing at the correct location took care of everything. Currently, with 1 gallon through, using the provided 50-1 Stihl, it's turning the MSC 22-8 at a static 6720. Doesn't sound like a lot compared to Menz and Mejzlik type props but the thrust produced with this prop is amazing. I'm a 3D flyer so speed and max rpm is not what I'm looking for. Instant response from a dead stop and the maximum amount of air moving over the surfaces at any speed is the goal here.
Excellent response in vertical performance pulling a 17lb, 15 oz plane out of a dead stop hover, with acceleration continuing for the duration of the pullout. Super reliabilty with the abilty to idle down low without stalling. I may still be a touch lean on the top end. Near the end of a 500 foot vertical upline you can start to hear it sag a little the last 50' or so. Mid range is a treat!! Super smooth, making maneuvers like high alpha knife edge, harriers, and hovering that much easier to do. It's easy to find that middle rpm range and leave it there throughout a harrier and not have to "blip" the throttle like you would on an engine with a sloppy middle.
I haven't gone back to the 23-8 Xoar to see what it turns, the MSC is working too good to pull it off. Like the Xoar, it almost sounds like it's on the edge of being ripped at peak level flight speeds. First time I've had a 52cc engine be able to do that with the MSC. As you've noted, those are some wide paddles on that prop.
Thanks for the great engine. A little work in the set up but a whole bunch of performance.
Pat Roy