ORIGINAL: jetmech05
There isn't a bad question...that is what the forum is all about......but at times people ask questions like the amp draw of a glow plug...that really has very little to do with operating an airplane....not saying your question had no merit......
You were basing your question off of past experience......most of us, including me, has never taken a temp reading...can a temp reading be useful? I suppose so if you have a problem and know the correct temp as a base data.....
In all my years of flying...I've only seen one engine fail due to over temp...on a helicopter.....where the cooling airflow is limited....There was no smoke and he was using 30% nitro......
Like I said IMHO I wouldn't get too wraped up in temps....more power to those that do...I just find that info is not that useful to me
A good tune by ear on the ground...and a good smoke trail while airborne has worked for me
GOOD FLYIN
jetmech05
Your comment regarding a good smoke trail is very timely. I am rebuilding an SSE that I crashed several months ago and am replacing the OS 46 with an EVO 46. Was having problems tuning the EVO, first had air leak which turned out to be caused by the carb not seaqting aginst the o-ring properly. Once air leak was fixed started tuning when I got it where I thought it was close, I went to WOT for 30-40 seconds and checked temp at the base of the glow plug, it read 310 degreed F. I opened the needle valve until temp was at 289 and guess what, a nice trail of smoke appeared. Looks like our two techniques both produce the same results, it's nice when divergent opinions come up with the same end.
Gary