OK, I finally got to the point where I can land consistantly (yes, far away from people or houses), but I'm getting tired of spending 30 minutes a night cleaning oil off the side of my airplane. I saw these "tubes" at the hobby store that are supposed to attach to the muffler, and I assume then be routed so as to direct the exhaust and oil residue away from the aircraft. I envisioned running one inside the fuselage and out the back. While at the hobby store, someone pointed out that they could cause back-pressure and significantly impact engine performance.

Has anyone had any luck with these, or have any other suggeestions? I've tried rotating the muffler at different angles, but still get fuel everywhere during maneuvers. Is this just a "fact of life" in the RC airplane world?

P.S., why does so much fuel make it out the exhaust even when leaned down? Maybe I'm still running too rich.

Thanks,

Mayday

Try one of the short (2" or so) rubber tubes they sell to extend the exhaust outlet. Although these don't solve the problem completely they can help, with very minimal impact on power.

Thorough cleaning of the plane can be a hassle but it is also a good chance to check for damage that might otherwise go unnoticed, even after a supposedly "uneventful" day at the field; it's not uncommon to find small rips in the covering from runway debris and the like. Use the opportunity to check clevisis, etc, too; helps prevents the big "oops" during the next flying session.

Edited: In looking over your posts again I realize maybe we are talking about the same thing... I've never noticed any great loss of power with the extensions, although they can be trimmed slightly to reduce any small loss that may occur. Using one now on my Flamingo 10 with a JR 16BBA with no problems, keeps the exhaust away from the wing/fuselage mating area like a charm. Anyhow, it's a cheap "try it and see".

Yes, to small a tube can cause loss of power due to excessive back pressure. I did know a gentlemen in Dayton, Ohio though who consistantly run his exhaust thru the plane but he used a very large diameter tube which exited the tail like a jet exhaust would. And yes, two cycle engines get rid of their excess heat by passing it out through the exhaust in the oil. If you lean it out enough to cut down the oil in the exhaust, you will soon be buying a new engine as the one you are using won't last.