RCU Forums - View Single Post - tuning an engine
View Single Post
Old 02-12-2008 | 02:42 PM
  #3  
MinnFlyer's Avatar
MinnFlyer
Senior Member
My Feedback: (4)
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 28,519
Likes: 0
Received 9 Likes on 9 Posts
From: Willmar, MN
Default RE: tuning an engine

True that there are as many methods as there are fliers, but I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the "Hold the Nose up" thing.

Holding the nose up is a standard way of checking that the engine won't lean out too much when it has to draw fuel from the tank when the tank is below the engine - But I have seen many people do this wrong.

The proper way to do it is this:

Hold the airplane in such a way that you can easily rotate it to a nose-up position (Yea, I know, it seems like that shouldn't even need to be said, but it does).

When the person with the Tx brings the throttle to full, wait a few seconds for the engine to reach its full RPM. Once the engine has reached full RPM, point the nose skyward. It doesn't have to go STRAIGHT up, but as close to it as is comfortable. (I have seen many people point the nose up at the same time as the pilot increases the throttle - wrong!)

Now hold it there for a few seconds and listen for a change in RPM.

If the RPM drop, you need to richen the high-end needle valve.

If the RPM increase: If the increase is minor, this is ok. If it's a big increase, you're probably running too rich.

The RPM should stay the same, or increase SLIGHTLY.