I ordered an Irvine .53 for my US 40.. Should I just run a couple tanks of fuel through it and try and go? What fuel? Will it use the plain Omega 10% that I use on my trainer? Will an 11x5 APC prop be an ok start? Will it come with a glo plug? Got it from http://www.hobbybarn.com for $137.50 including shipping. Here's a good one, I hear all this talk about high needle and low needle and lean and rich and all this mumbo jumbo magic stuff. What does it mean? Any good links out there about engine tuning? I can't wait for a good FAQ to get posted on here for dummies like me. A guy at the field adjusted my EVO .46 trainer engine and I haven't had to touch it. - Joe

You made an excellent choice in your purchase of the Irvine .53. Irvine makes very good engines. They are best known in England, and have not as yet gotten the exposure in the U.S. that they deserve.

The 10% fuel your are now using will be just fine. The nitro content is not nearly as important as the oil content. An 18-20% oil content would be good. Synthetic or castor oil, or a combination of both is fine.

The engine will most likely arrive without a glow plug. May I suggest an OS #8 glow plug if you need one? They last a long time, are extremely dependable, and seem to provide the best idle of all the plugs I have used.

ALL engines should be "broken in" before they are flown. This permits the internal parts of an engine to match up after the machining processes from manufacturing. It's not that hard to do, and can be done on the plane if you don't have, or want to use, an engine stand. The break in process varies in time from engine to engine. The initial phase of break in can be noted as the point at which the engine will idle reliably for an extended period of time and advance to full throttle smoothly without shutting down. The advancement to full throttle also relies heavily on correct needle settings. Adjusting one needle quite often requires that you adjust the other needle as well. Especially on new engines.

For the correct starting needle settings, you should consult the manual that should arrive with your engine. You should also get in touch with the person that set up your first plane and engine and pay attention to what he does. Don't be afraid to ask him questions, that's how we all learn.

It is not possible to give you "absolute" adjusting information over the web. Too much depends on the "ear" of the person adjusting the engine, the prop used (your 11/5 will be fine), the weather conditions at the time, and other factors. The person you described as tuning your first engine sounds like he knows what he's doing.

Good luck, and have fun.

Silversurfer

Wow Silversurfer, thanks a lot! I read a lot on here before picking the Irvine .53 The old dude at the hobby shop was extolling the virtues of the OS F?.46 to me just before I ordered the Irvine. I trust the opinions on here more when there's a concensus than I do my LHS. You only raised about one other question:

So I have to add that to my Omega 10%? Should I be doing it to my Trainer also?

A lot of that message would be good in the FAQ. And maybe add what the needles are, and what they do... - Joe

Your Omega 10% will be fine. The .53 is a great engine, and I much prefer it to my .46FX. The prop you use will depend largely on how you want to fly your Ultrastick. I had been running a 12x5 for most of the past two seasons on mine, but finally broke it this summer. I switched to an APC 11x6 and have been happy with it. I've got the same OS A3 glow plug as I've had in it since I purchased the engine. The #8 is a good plug, but I've found the A3 works just as well in most applications. It's not quite as hot as the #8 (plugs have heat ranges, which isn't a measure of the quality of the plug but rather its operating range). I broke mine in per Irvine's instructions. I've never had to change the low needle from the factory setting.

One word of caution about the Ultrastick--replace the fuel tank that comes with it! I'd read many posts that strongly suggested doing that prior to using mine, but the stock tank looked fine to me. A few months later one of the seems burst, and not only did I have to replace the stock tank but I had to clean up the fuel as well. I'll never trust a H9 tank again.

About the prop, 11x5, 11x6, and 12x5 will all work then sir? And as far as the hot vs cold plugs... Do either of them work any better in cold outdoor Michigan weather? As for the fuel tank. I might as well replace it. I already got a light Hayes engine mount to replace the stock metal one, and 3" foam wheels to replace the stock rubber ones. The stock tank is 11oz and I hear the Irvine .53 is a fuel sipper. Can I just get a 10oz and save a tad more weight? It's just that everyone on here ends up adding tail weight to their US40, and I'm trying to just build my front end light instead. - Joe

A hotter plug generally works better in colder weather. So does a higher nitro content, but don't bother with that until you are ready to risk damaging engines.

Prop size and effieciency is controlled by many factors. Some of wich are engine displacement, rpm, weather conditions, type of airframe, weight of the prop, and many, many other factors. Your planes best performance is going to be found by experimenting with different sizes and makes of propellers. the manufacturers suggested prop sizes are exactly that, suggestions only and a good starting point. One size prop will give different performance if used on the same engine that's moved between two different planes of the same weight and similar size.

For all of you flying the Ultra Stick, add a piece of 1/2" triangle stock to the bottom side of the wing hold down plate if it doesn't already have one. Under extremely high wing load conditions, the wing hold down plate has been known to separate from the fuselage in flight, taking the wing with it.

The OS and Irvine engines are both very good engines. The older OS engines (SF, FSR) were, in my opinion, better than the current generation of OS engines. Those of us who had been using the older engines had the most reliable engine that money could buy at the time. I don't believe that to be true today.

Enjoy,
Silversurfer