I am almost done building a POS Zivko Edge 540 ( 45 Inch Wingspan 3 1/2 Lb Flying Weight). I have been flying Electrics for a couple months, and my origional plan was to convert this ARF to electric, however a LHS went out of business and I was able to get a brand new OS 46LA Dirt Cheap, So I've decided to use this Ugly ARF as my Virgin Nitro experiment. I am completely unfamilair with Nitro - I've been strictly Electric.

Here is what I got at the LHS Going out of business sale:

OS 46 LA (with muffler & glow plug)
Fuel pump
Silastic Tubing
Electric Starter (fits on the nose cone)
Reciever(s)

Here is what I think I need:

1) 6.0 Volt Battery Pack with switch (I use Spektrum tx/Rx)

2) Fuel - (Not sure of type , apparently there are various Nitro % ??)

3) I've also seen people use a stick that goes on the glow pug - Not sure what its called

I would really appreciate your input of anything else I need, including any Brands you really like or Products I should avoid


Thanks

heres some answers for you
1 yes you need a flight pack and switch 4.8 or 6 volts ok more speed and power on the 6 thats all i ever used
2 you will need fuel with at least 15 percent nitro this is the most common you dont need any with a higher nitro you can use 10 percent too
3 its called a glow ingniter you need it to get the glow plug hot to start after that the glow plug will stay lite by it self

Real quick here, i'd say, propeller for the motor (10-6), fuel tank 8,10,12 oz, spinner for motor, 12v battery& charger for starter, 1.5v glow driver & charger for starting motor, glow fuel 5,10,15% is fine. Im guessing since you have been flying electric you have a radio system & charger. I think that will get you in the air...Gene

As for fuel, you are correct that there are differing ratios (%) of nitro in the mix, try 20% to start, as the fuel gets more expensive with the more nitro in the mix - also, the more nitro %, the more power you get from the fuel.
The glow ignition tool (warmers, starters or whatever you want to call it) are required to pre-heat the glow plug while starting the motor - once running the fuel is what heats the plug up as the plug reacts to fuel. This will help - [link]http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0093p?&C=PDB[/link]
Other than that, if not inbuilt, a 12 volt battery (motor bike or car) to run the starter motor and warmer is also required. Re-chargeable jump stater kits also work really well! (I use one)
When setting up the kill function and idle on my Spektrum, I set the throttle cable at the KILL position with the carb FULLY closed up, adjusting it to that. When I have released the servo from the fully closed kill position, what I normally have is the carb set to idle at the released (normal) position. IE, don't attach the carb line to the servo arm. lower the throttle stick to closed (with trims at center), then hit the kill switch and watch the arm, you'll see it go back further, and then should be able to decipher my ramblings!

Bl**dy H*ll Kiwibob, Nitro must be cheap over there in Shakytown if you're putting 20% in a 46LA.

5% or at most 10% shoud be plenty. I use 7% in all my glow motors (range from 40LA to Laser 150) with no problems.


Terry

Yeah, 20% is just throwing money away in that engine. I buy the stuff for my 4 stroke because it makes it idle better, and I run it in my Kaos because it gives me a few more RPM on the top end, but everything else I own runs just fine on 5%.

Well, even down here in "Shakytown", I personally find my in cowl side mounted asp .61 2 stroke w/pitts in my Yak54 runs much better on a higher nitro % (around 20%), as it just does not like 10% at all - and I don't run no name rubbish either (AND it's a brand new motor as of last month too - the old one was worn out, and looked ugly).
That said, the difference between a Ltr of 10% vs a Ltr 20% for me is only about US$0.85 when converted, or US$0.20 - 0.22 per flight on my Yak54 with it's 1/4 Ltr tank, all for a much better running engine (and piece of mind), so why would I not chose to run it??

And before anyone ask's, NO .... the 12,000+ earthquakes we had over the last two years have not rattled something loose in my melon ..... they were ALWAYS loose!

CPTOZZY,

Fuel:
- Run fuel with Castor Oil with that LA 46. Bushing engines like real castor oil and the more the better. Well cared for a bushing engine will last decades.
- All you need is 10% to 15% nitro. Like has been said before, 20% will be a complete waste of nitro in that engine.

For your 6v receiver battery, you may want to look into a 6.6v LiFe receiver battery - they don't need a regulator, and almost all receivers and servo's have no issues with the voltage (a freshly charged 5-cell NiMH will actually have a higher voltage than a freshly charged LiFe). I've been hearing lots of good things about them and currently have two planes equipped with them.

Hogflyer

Hi!
First of all ...join a club! It will be very hard to learn on your own (many models waisted) and take much longer time (if ever) to learn.
Second ...that OS .46 LA isn't suitable for the plane you first mentioned. The plane is too small. A plane suitable for the OS .46La has a wingspan of at least 140cm if it's a low winged sport plane and at least 160-170cm if it's a high winged trainer...which you should start with!

A suitable prop for the OS .46LA is a 11x6 -12x4 (RAM, Graupner "Sonic" or APC) if you fly at sea level, and its a high winged trainer, not a 10x6!
Fuel: at leat 5% nitro and 18-20% oil. A mix with castor and synthetic is fine, or just castor oil.

You also need a flight box and battery. I use a 14,8V, 2000mAh LiPo battery and a glow driver to power the glowplug and drive the starter and electric fuel pump.

Hogflyer,

Thanks for the Info

What Brand LiFe battery do you use? I've seen Nitro Planes with a power switch....Do the batteries come with switch or is that an additional installation?

Cpt Ozzy, I recommend that you look for a local RC flying club. Most clubs have instructors ( or just members) who have lots of experience with glow (aka nitro) engines and will be happy to help. It can be frustrating to try to learn it all yourself without help. Glow engines can be a challenge.

What is the actual engine recommendation that the manufacturer makes for that plane?

A .46LA on a 45in. wing should be sporty to say the least. Vertical won't be a problem.

If you're a reasonably experienced pilot then there is nothing wrong with an LA .46 on a 45 inch 3.5 lb plane. It's a 12 oz engine incl. muffler. There are 25s that weigh that much. As the guy above says, it'll be sporty for sure! But it's not at all unreasonable. If you were going to use a 17 oz ball bearing .46 then it would be a different matter.

I don't know what it's like to transition from electric to glow. Throttle response will be different, the noise may be a distraction at first. If you have any doubts get a little experience with a glow powered trainer or maybe just get someone on a buddy box with you for the first flight.

Just so you know, some guys object to the "nitro" term. They were always "glow engines" until electrics and came along, and some will point out that the nitro is an additive that not everyone uses (but almost everyone does). Not an issue for me. Good luck, and welcome to the world of fuel, oil and airplane noise!

Jim

I had a friend who had the Zivko Edge, a composite fuse if I remember correctly. I flew it a time or two and loved it but he wouldn't sell it. If you really think it is a POS, sell it here on RCU and get an airframe you really want!

Balsa and poorly appliedMonokote, Cowling has an ugly, unsanded patch and the paint job is poor. We'll see how it flies - I'm OKwith Ugly if it flys well. If it flies poorly I care even less how it looks....

The ZivkoEdge 540 recommends a 32
,
I just got back into RC after more than a Decade off from my origional aborted start in the hobby . I am also builidng a Dazzler Which is a now discontinued plane which I had origionally built @ 13 yrs ago when I first started. I put a 46 LAin that back then and a guy at theRC feild I went toflew it well. That was before simulators - I never learned to fly - i crashed my trainer(s)- gave up in frustration and sold the Dazzler.

. I played witha simulator for4 Months,did some Heli flying, and Now I've been flying Fixed wing Electrics for just under 3months-Now thanks to Simulators I'm reasonably competant - Doing beginner 3D with my Foam Yak 54 CZ......

Here's an article I wrote to help my students learn about glow engines. I don't know how much you already know about glow engines, but you might find some helpful info in it.

www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11345676/anchors_11347476/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#11347476

I have a Dazzler myself, great flying plane and a fairly simple build. My daughters and I built mine from a kit as a family fun project. It has a .40 supertigre and that's plenty of power. You can see some pics of it in my gallery.

Awesome article Hugger ! Mucho Gracias