This'll be an easy question for the vets around this forum.

I have a fuel tank with my kit. I understand how to place it in the plane and how to keep it in there. What I don't understand is how do I set up the stopper and all these metal tubes? Here's what I have:

1 fuel tank
1 stopper with 4 holes. (1 in the middle and 3 outter holes)
2 plastic thingys. One is about the size of the small end of the stopper and has all the same holes as the stopper, the other one is a little larger, almost the same size as the other end but I have no idea what to do with them either.
3 metal rods. (2 shorter ones and 1 longer one)
1 plastic tube with a metal weight at the end (I assume this goes inside the tank to suck fuel)

Other questions I have:

1. Please give me a link for a great propeller for a beginner who is a real newb with a LUCKY STAR 40 plane. .46 2c glow motor. I guess they don't come with the kit???
2. I don't have a hobby store near me. Please try to help instruct me on how to mix my own fuel and where I can buy the components.
3. The motor has never been run before. What's a good way to test her out and get her warmed up? Should I use different fuel for that?
4. Please don't tell me to join a flight school That's what most people answer but I'm just in the building stage and the flight school near me (in China) is a rip off. $600 a year membership fee. I will eventually join a GOOD ONE, but I just need this info now, I'm not going to fly it at all, just run the engine and build it.

Thanks in advance, you guys are great!

Hi. First of all, check this link for instructions on setting up your tank. Also, this site is a great place to learn a lot of other stuff about model airplanes. [link=http://airfieldmodels.com/information_source/model_aircraft_engines/assemble_a_fuel_tank.htm]http://airfieldmodels.com/information_source/model_aircraft_engines/assemble_a_fuel_tank.htm[/link]

You can order props from Tower Hobbies. Their website will recommend the correct size (diameter and pitch) for a forty-sized trainer with a .46 engine (probably an 11x4 will work good to start). I'd go with a Master Airscrew black nylon to start. An APC is probably a bit better, but you're likely to break a few, or at least, chew up the ends, and the MA will work fine.

I've never mixed my own fuel, but recommend buying a premade brand. There has to be someone in Canada that'll ship it to you, no?

I haven't recommended flight schools, but what about a club? For $25 bucks a year (and up, depending on the club) and AMA membership, you get a place to fly, make some new friends, find some vets willing to help with your questions and probably a flight intructor or two.

Good luck,

Phil

Here are some thoughts. First, the lack of information, such as how to assemble the fuel tank, is one of the drawbacks of the cheap generic ARFs that come out of China. The planes that are built for companies like Great Planes, Tower, Sig, etc come with better instructions because the companies insist on including them. Anyway, that doesn't get you past your problems, so let's move on to them.

First, here's a link to the assembly manual for the Tower Trainer: http://www.towerhobbies.com/products...1110manual.pdf . I realize this is a different plane, but it will show you some details on how to assemble the tank, and many other helpful things that are probably not in the manual for the plane that you have. The best part is the pictures are clear because it's not the 100th copy of a copy like often comes with the generic ARFs.

Now let's move on to the engine related questions. You say you're in China? Out of curiosity, what part? Is this temporary? How long until you are back in Canada? Do you plan to learn to fly over in China, or wait until you return to Canada? If you're going to be in China for a while, you might want to update the location in your profile, or perhaps add a comment about it in the signature section of your profile so people know you are in China rather than Canada. Is the $600 price what they charge the locals, or just the lao wai's?

If you do not intend to try flying while you are in China I suggest you not even attempt to find a prop, mix your own fuel, or run your engine. There are safety and tuning aspects to running an engine. While it's possible to do them on your own, they are really best learned in person with someone who has done it before.

Mixing fuel is easy, if you can find the right ingredients. All you need is oil (not just motor oil), methanol, and nitromethane. In the US, there are plenty of sources for these ingredients. Finding them in China may actually be harder than buying premixed fuel. Trying to buy them in the quantities needed for a gallon or two will also be difficult. Most people who mix fuel do it because they burn lots of it. Anyway, there are many different ratios. Somewhere arount 18% oil, 5-10% nitromethane, and the rest methanol will work. Some engines will even do ok with no nitromethane. However, there actually are places in China where you can get airplane fuel.

A .46 engine would typically take something like an 11x6 prop.