Yub, yub, cmdr!

How do I fuel my plane? I have no clue, even after looking at my engine for a while.

Mindwarp

Typically if you're just starting out in the hobby then you're going to be using a fuel tank which has two fuel lines attached to it. One of the lines will run from a nipple on the muffler to the vent line in the tank. This one provides 'positive pressure' within the tank during flight which is a fancy way of saying that the engine exhaust is used to help 'squirt' the fuel into the engine. The second line goes from the 'clunk' at the bottom of your fuel tank (the fuel pick-up) and in to the carburettor on your engine.

The process of filling your fuel tank is as follows... Disconnect the 'fuel line' from your carburettor/needle valve. Attach this line to your fuel pump or fuelling bulb. Disconnect the 'pressure line' from the muffler and hold it in one hand. Crank your fuel pump with the other hand (or press the 'fill' switch if you've got an electric pump) until you see fuel start to squirt out of the 'pressure line.' This means your tank is full. Finally reconnect the 'fuel line' to the carburettor and the 'pressure line' to the nipple on the muffler. Hey presto, one fuelled plane!

Cheers,
Neil.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

Might be a good idea to take it to an instructor and have him look it over for you to make sure everything is set up right first. That way you don't start it and do damage to something or try to fly it yourself and break it.

Just about every person I know that took it out and taxied it around the yard just to get "practice" taxiing has broken the plane. It is too easy to screw up and hit something or get it in the air. Hate to see you do that.

Yub, yub, cmdr!

The plane's not finished yet!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS I hate dried CA and Epoxy in places where you don't want it (Covering)

Mindwarp

What FlyBoy said. DEFINITELY what FlyBoy said!

Plus of course if you take it to your local club/instructor you're likely to make a whole bunch of new friends, learn a lot more about our hobby, and have a great old time to boot!

Good luck,
Neil.

Mindwarp

Hehe - no harm in planning ahead!

I can definitely sympathise with the CA and Epoxy getting where it shouldn't. I've come pretty close to glueing my fingers to my models on quite a few occasions now (that's why I always keep a bottle of de-bonder within reach at all times .) Of course, the thing I REALLY hate is when the blasted CA leaps out of the bottle and accidentally and maliciously glues two pieces of balsa together that were plainly never meant to be joined that way. I mean, can't it read the PLANS or something!?!?!

Note to self - when labelling wing ribs make sure that your 'W1' and your 'W2' are very distinctly different. De-bonder to the rescue once again

Cheers,
Neil.

Yub, yub, cmdr!

How do you use your debonder?

Mike Ledbetter

De bonder is great stuff. Put some, right out of the bottle, on the dried CA. Wait. When the debonder dries, you can scrape the whole thing off with a fingernail.

Regards.

Yub, yub, cmdr!

OH!

I have to wait until the Debonder dries!!!!!!!!!


I can't thank you enough. All that dried CA and epoxy is giving me a headache.

Mindwarp

Yeah, debonder can take a while to truly penetrate and dissolve a stubborn glue joint. The process is basically:

1. Apply copious quantities of debonder to the unwanted bond.
2. Wait a couple of minutes.
3. Attempt to remove the unwanted bond.
4. Mutter under breath and turn the air a little blue as the bond holds firm.
5. Go to (1)

Just keep doing that until the bond finally lets go

Cheers,
Neil.

Yub, yub, cmdr!

Though I am trying to get CA and Epoxy off covering.

Question : Will CA and Epoxy on the covering and maybe a few unremovable minor wrinkles change the model's aerodynamics?

Tanx-A-Lot
David

Montague

Nope, you have to really mess with the covering to cause noticeable changes in the air.

In combat, we routinely fly planes with all kinds of dents and wrinkles on the wings, some of them quite pronounced. It's rare that you notice much difference at all. Though some planes are more sensitive to this kind of thing than others. A high-performace thermal glider would notice a lot more.

Mindwarp

Not unless you've spilled gallons of the stuff on [8D] It'll do nothing more than provide you with a cosmetic annoyance.

If you've built a non-sheeted wing then you do want to make sure that your Mono/Ultra Kote is attached properly to all your edges and ribs though, 'cos the coating is going to be providing you with a lot of the torsional strength in the wing. A few minor wrinkles aren't going to be the end of the world though, and certainly aren't going to affect your model's aerodynamics adversely.

Basically don't worry about it unless your coating is flapping around in the breeze! Just get out there and fly

Cheers,
Neil.

00000000000000

What's really fun is gluing the horizontal stab on with epoxy, flip the plane upside down on a table and put some weights on it till it cures. Then when you go to pick it up the whole table lifts up in the air. Oooops! - Joe

Yub, yub, cmdr!

hehehehe.

I had a similar experience with hinging the rudder.

When I go to pick it up, my whole work surface (The box the plane came in) went up. TONS of loose parts rolled everywhere.

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Hey David,
Are you planning on trying to run that engine without my help?

Let me know when the plane's done. We can meet somewhere, or if you have a backyard where the neighbors won't complain, we'll get it set up.
Dennis-

00000000000000

You caught him Dennis! He was going to go out and try and solo it on his own. Then he'd call you when he needed help re-building it. Something like "well, I left it in front of the snowblower...." - Joe

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Yeah, I thought he might be up to something like that.

David has been to our field a two or three times, and unfortunately didn't get his plane and equipment in time to get in even a single flight before the white stuff closed down the field. Now he's champing at the bit to get going, and we all know how frustrating that can be.

It'll be a long winter David, but hang in there! [&:]
Dennis-

Yub, yub, cmdr!

it's ok.

For the plane, I still need to install radio equipment, engine, landing gear, and pushrods.

I'm gonna have to get my dad to send me to Hog Heaven again to pick up a White UC trim sheet, a Cub Yellow UC Trim sheet, and prolly some after run oil.

I still need to get the carb thing straightened out. Will a few exposed pieces of metal rust soon? I have some scratches on the carb and the needle that has removed the paint that used to be on top.

Thanx!!!!

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

Rub some oil on the scratches for now. Once the engine has been run, the carb bits will stay oily enough that they won't rust.

Don't waste your money on hobby shop after run oil. Go to a hardware store (or Walmart?) and buy a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil. Works at least as well as "After Run" oil and costs about 75% less.

Buy some WD-40 while you're buying the Marvel. WD-40 is good for lots of little things, and it migh help with that CA on the wings problem. (It won't take off gobs, but removes the CA "fog" that shows up sometimes.) Tell your Dad that the WD-40 is good for squeeky hinges or something, maybe he'll pay for it.
Dennis-

Yub, yub, cmdr!

OK.

Thanx!

Wait, so even if the carb has a bit of exposed metal on the surface (not in the carb itself) it will be fine with a bit of oil?

Thanx!!

PS What field equipment do I need? (Field equipment = more $$$ to spend.[]).

Thanx!!!