RE: New composite spitfire
Sandseeker,
If you think we should take this topic elsewhere let us know...don't mean to high-jack.
Grenader,
I was thinking the fg36 might be a little under-powered for the yellow spit...I've seen them with g45's +. I don't think the solo-prop folks make a five blade, so four blade marks and 3 blade marks are all they could support. But I agree they seem like the best option so long as they balance well from the factory. I would not want to have to balance a prop.
I thought the Yellow Spit was a later mark. Do you recall which profile it has?
Thanks for the word on the pump carb...I just read the manual, good to know.
I've looked at the warbirdpropdrive several times before...the website seems full of promises and setbacks...seems the whole thing is on hold. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyway the design looks to me like it would be terribly unstable and full of vibration. No way those long arms, bolted to the firewall, could handle the lateral forces of a belt drive swinging a monster prop. Great idea...poor execution. The FG36, being rail mounted would accomodate a more rigid design...one that could be an integral part of the actual engine mount. That is the way I'm engineering it. Producing a reduction drive for the FG will be the precurser to my true goal of engineering a small single or twin cylinder, watercooled (assisted), merlin/griffin/allison style engine, designed for gas, with integral scale exhuast, reduction drive
(with different gear ratio options). The engine would be offered with various exhaust and radiator options to fit 1/6, 1/5.5, 1/5 scale warbirds like the Spitfire, Mustang, p40, FW190, Me-109, etc. What are your thoughts? Kind of the holy grail of scale engines...maybe. I just don't really understand why it hasn't been done... There's been a lot of money and time wasted trying to gerry-rig the same all over RCU threads. $1200-$1500 seems affordable to me. With a belt driven prop drive and a solid engine block the engine would probably be more resistant to prop strikes from nose-overs and crashes in general. Bend the prop shaft? Buy a new drive shaft unit for $100 and bolt it on! That's the concept anyway...wish me luck.
Rick
Put a good word in to Santa for me.