Does anybody use an airfilter on their plane? Do they make one or do you make one yourself?

Norvel puts a screen mesh over some of their engines,, but there is generally not much in the air thats gonna get in your engine because of the propwash,, and it wouldnt merit the performance problems that you'd have for the small amount of time its running on the ground during take off or landing,,I just stuck a small engine in about 5 inches of good ole North Carolina red clay last week,, an air filter would have just been knocked off on the way in..you need one on a car but not a plane, I suppose you could adapt certain foam ones but it would be more trouble than it would be worth........except maybe the beach or the desert.....Rog

Pattern Flyers often use air filters. Most of the air filters I have seen are for larger .91 to 1.60 engines. Central Hobbies carries them. ( http://www.centralhobbies.com/Engines/air_filters.html (You may be be able to adapt a filter from an RC car for a smaller engine. I am trying to find a filter for a .40. I fly off a dry lake bed, and I am concerned about dust.

Bruline makes a filter for model airplane engines. There are two filter options (coarse and fine). I use them on C/L stunt planes with inverted engines operating off grass fields. I have also used them on RC planes. They don't create many problems once you have your engine set up properly and don't need to look down the barrel of the carb much. They are VERY nice when you pull the engine out of the dirt in a cornfield and don't have a glob of mud or dirt in the barrel of the carb when you start cleaning up the mess. Good luck, Dzl

I have used air filters on airplanes... usually I don't bother. The reason for the filter is to keep dirt out. If you are flying in an area that has a lot of dust to deal with, the filter can extend your engine life. If you are flying off a paved runway and don't have noticeable blowing dust... its probably unnecessary. If you are flying off a dirt runway that has loose duret which the prop is always kicking up... you need a filter.

At least one guy runs one and says it helps on the grass and performance is still there,if he is out there this weekend i'll try to get a pic.

Would you run a motor cycle without one? Anything that goes in the carb goes into the bearings and engine. Candybar or dirt it's not good for it. Use your own judgement.

It's rare to see one. At most paved and grass fields they're just not needed. I'd definitely make sure you've got a fuel filter somewhere between your bottle and your carb, but as FHHuber said they are only a few circumstances where an air filter'll be useful.

they are a pain in the butt. dont use one unles you fly in duststorms or something, you dont need one

Get a discarded pantyhose from your wife and cut a small piece to go over the intake. Secure it on with an o-ring or those mini rubberbands that are used in orthodontics. Helps keep black files and seeds from the grass out or do none of you guys ever overshoot the runway?

i asked my wife and she said "better stay away from mine!" , do you know where i could get a real bright color,maybe hot pink,orange or bright red ?. j/k

personally, i don't have a propeller on my motorcycle either... [8D]

anyway, everyone else is throwing in their opinion..., unless you fly in EXTREMELY dusty conditions, it isn't worth it. there will also be some reduction in performance, although it might not be very significant.