Spring has sprung and I am getting ready to out to the field for some flying.

Over the winter I had a couple of small projects on the go in order to get a couple of planes ready for the spring.

First picture shows an AP15 with a muffler. The muffler should look familar - it is a OS-40S 4 stroke muffler. It was not a direct screw in fit. The OS threads are M10 x 1.5 and the AP 15 needs M10 x 1. I made a new header pipe out of 10mm stainless tube threaded m10x1.5 on one end for the muffler and m10x1 on the other to screw into the AP15 (all screw cutting done on my lathe). I then but a bend in the tube using a simple jig in an arbor press. I also had to make a thin M10x1 lock nut as well. The control line venturi was also made in my lathe as was a split tapered collet and new prop nut in order to mount a MP Jet 40mm aluminum spinner. The spinner is sold for use with electric motors, is very well made is very light. This is the third ap15 I have mounted one of these spinners on and it works out very well. Looks better and runs more true than any plastic spinner.

On 10% powermaster fuel with 18% oil 50/50 castor/synthetic and MAS 8x4 prop 16500 without muffler 15600 with. The OS muffler while not quite as quiet as the original very restrictive AP15 can muffler is so far working out very well on this motor.

Second picture is a Norvel V7 converted for airplane use. Required making a brass cotter to hold the CS 061 throttle in place, split tapered collect and prop stud and nut to take an MP Jet 40mm aluminum spinner plus a turbo plug button and a modified standard Norvel 074 head. The picture shows all the little bits and pieces I made up for the conversion.

On the same 10% fuel noted above, an OS P3 turbo plug and Graupner 7x3 nylon prop - 16000 with a 6000 idle. This is after about 6 ounces of fuel. Two things I did notice, the fuel nipple of the CS 061 carb does not hold the fuel line very well and was prone to coming off and the engine runs with a bit of a wet nose. Now, the wet nose observation may simply be the fuel nipple leaking and I mis interpreted what I observed.

All in all, a good day of some engine test running (ran a couple of Cox 049's as well) after a very long and snowy winter. Being Sunday and the neighbours where outside enjoying the day I didn't mess around too long. They tolerate my occasional running sessions so I try not to over do it.

cheers, Graham in Ottawa Canada