Obviously you can fly, so there's no need to cover that bit... so just "IC engines for newbs". Really, there's SO much to know about IC engines that noone can give you a definitive answer, but here's some basics.

Right, as you've figured out, there's two main bits - an engine and a tank. Obviously there's a fuel line from the tank to the engine's carb. What you may not realise is there's also a fuel line from a nipple on the muffler to the tank. This feeds a small amount of air pressure from the exhaust to the tank so you don't need a pump to keep the fuel going to the engine when you're climbing. While I'm on tanks, there's also a bit of fuel line INSIDE the tank - two bits actually. The main bit is attached to the engine feed line - it has a hollow bit of metal on the end called a "clunk" (so called because it clunks around inside the tank). This is a weighted fuel pickup which is always in the lowest part of the tank regardless of the plane's orientation. The other bit goes on the pressure line and should be pointed up to the top of the tank so that when you're filling it, the fuel doesn't come out of the pressure line till the tank's full. Oh, you'll want to make sure you get the right fuel for your engine. Glow fuel has "nitro" in it (nitromethane) which acts as a sort-of chemical turbocharger by carrying air. Fuel comes in various percentages of nitro from 5% to 20% or even higher. Just use as much nitro as the engine's manual recommends - nitro's the most expensive part of the fuel and more than the engine requires is wasted.

Speaking of filling the tank, you're gonna need to know how. If your engine's out in the open (eg: most trainers) it's just a matter of pulling the fuel line off the carb, attaching it to your fuel pump (you'll need one of these too), pulling the pressure line off the exhaust, and pumping till the fuel squirts out the pressure line, then putting all the bits back where they belong so you can start the engine. If your engine's enclosed in a cowl you'll either need a third line into the tank with a plug in the end which pokes out of the plane somewhere, or to cut the engine feed line and plug in a filler (Du-Bro and Great Planes make them). This is like a T piece which has a valve that closes off the line to the carb and allows the fuel to flow only to the tank, when the (included) nozzle is plugged into it. I like fillers, but they can get jammed or leak so many people prefer third lines, or other solutions.

It's also a good idea to put a fuel filter between your tank and engine. If you use a filler place the filler closest to the tank and the filter closest to the engine.

You'll need to know how to tune the engine - the instructions for your engine should cover this but I'll go through it quickly. Fuel burns most efficiently at the correct ratio of fuel to air. The amount of air's controlled by the size of the carb's inlet etc and the amount of fuel is controlled by a "needle valve" (two actually, a main one and a low end one. We'll deal mainly with the main one.). This is a small metal needle that's attached to a screw on the blunt end, and screwed into the fuel delivery part of the carb. The further you screw it in the less fuel is delivered thereby adjusting the mixture. Less fuel is called "lean" and more fuel is "rich". When you first start your engine you should have the mixture set very rich (screwed out). Once you have the engine running open the throttle all the way (to increase the revs) then slowly start screwing the needle in while listening to the engine's sound. The revs will increase as you get closer to optimum till it gets to a peak. If you continue to make it leaner it'll start slowing and quickly die. What you want to do is lean the engine till it peaks, then back the valve off a few "click" to richen it slightly. This is because the higher you fly, the thinner the atmosphere gets, so the leaner the mixture gets. An engine running lean will quickly overheat which at best will cause a "deadstick" (engine stopped in flight) and at worst wreck your engine. That's a "quick and dirty" tune up - there's better/more complicated ways to do it but that'll do for 9 times out of 10. You'll need to recheck your mixture every flying day (but only need to go through the above procedure the first time) - it'll usually be close but as weather (and air pressure) changes so will your mix - the same goes if you fly at a different site with a different altitude. I mentioned a second (low end) needle valve - it's for controlling the mixture near idle and the "transition" (moving from low end needle to main). This should be preset at the factory and you probably won't need to touch it. While I'm on fuel - it's possible to "flood" your engine (fill the ignition chamber with fuel). If you find it impossible to turn the prop chances are your engine's flooded. If you force the prop to turn you'll just bend a conrod - what you need to do is remove the glow plug, turn the plane up-side-down and let the fuel run out, then replace the plug (firmly but not so tight that you strip its thread).

You'll need to know a bit about glow plugs. These are for the initial ignition - they contain a coil of platinum wire which glows orange when you connect it to a battery. This starts the ignition but once the engine warms up (30-60 seconds) ignition is caused by a combination of residual heat, pressure, and a chemical reaction between the fuel and the platinum. After a while the platinum wears away leading to poor performance - replace the plug when this happens (you'll want a glow plug spanner). There's a range of different "heats" for glow plugs, every manufacturer uses their own nomenclature. Different heats are a way of adjusting the engine's timing (where in the stroke the fuel fires). Hotter plugs make the engine fire earlier (advancing the timing), while cooler plugs fire later (retarding it). Some makers just use "cool, medium or hot", others (such as OS) use a numbering system. Typically an OS number 8 plug works fine for two strokes. You'll want a method of connecting a 1.2 - 1.5 volt battery to your plug - you can get panels that run off 12V batteries and will control fuel pumps and wash your wishes too, or just get a big 1.2V battery and some wires. Most people tend to use a "glow driver" which is just a nicad battery with a connector that plugs onto your glow plug. These are generally rechargeable and come with a wall wart to do so.

You'll need to pick the right prop for your engine. You probably know a fair bit about props coming from electrics so I won't go into much detail, other than to say stay within the engine manufacturers recommendations, and make sure the prop nut is tight.

Remember you have a throttle. You don't need to fly flat out all the time. Full throttle is for take-offs and aerobatics - a correctly matched engine, prop, & plane should fly nicely on 1/2 - 2/3 throttle and this will extend your flight time. Oh, and try to land with at least 1/4 tank left. Apart from the benefit of being able to "go around" if you stuff up a landing, engine vibrations will cause your fuel to "froth up" which will degrade performance and possible stall your engine, and the emptier the tank the more this happens. Wrap your tank in foam to help avoid this.

Starting procedure is as follows (assuming you've already tuned the engine previously). Restrain the plane or have a friend hold it. Fill the tank. Turn on the plane and open the throttle completely, but do not connect the glow plug yet. Cover the carb inlet with your finger and give the prop two full rotations (to suck fuel from the tank to the carb - called priming the engine). Close the throttle (important: don't forget that bit!). Connect power to your glow plug. Use a stick or a starter motor to spin the prop anti-clockwise till it fires. (do not use your finger, if you're fond of keeping it attached to your hand!). Once the engine fires leave it idle for 30-60 seconds to warm up, then remove the power from the glow plug. Check the mixture and run the engine through its full rev range to ensure it's operating correctly. It's a good idea to have a friend pick up the plane and hold it's nose upwards while you run it at full throttle for a few seconds - if the engine falters or slows richen the mixture up a little and try again. Now go fly the plane! To stop the engine after your flight reduce your throttle to its lowest, then adjust the throttle trim to minimum - if it's set up correctly this should starve the engine. If not it's possible to very carefully cover the carb's inlet to starve the engine if you can get to it without losing a finger in the prop, otherwise you have to wait till it runs out of fuel (this is a good reason to set it up right at home before you go flying.) Do not try grabbing the spinner, throwing a rag into the prop etc to stop the engine - you're just asking to lose an eye or worse.

Finally, take a rag and a cleaner (window cleaners work fairly well). Your plane WILL get covered in oil and you'll want to clean it at the end of the day. Glow fuel is typically 12-18% oil and not all of it burns, as it's intended to lubricate the engine then blow out the exhaust.


Like I said, that's just the basics - there's an awful lot more to know - but it should get you started. If you have any further questions feel free to ask. Enjoy smelling like castor oil.