hey guys just got a quik question. wondering what the most efficient way is to tune and engine. i have a supre tigre 60 engine. i've been told how to do it a million different ways and i just want your advice on it. i've been using the pinch method and on some occasions i've stalled my engine in flight when making sudden moves, i've just been lucky enough to land safely every time. thanks for your help guys.

I was told just the other day by a guy that has his own shop and has been in the hobby 50 yrs that the only true way to tune the engine is to fly it and make sharp turns and climbs and listen to the engine and adjust as you need. I'm new to the hobby and I've found out that everyone has their own way of doing things. I have someone hold the plane and I throttle up and have them tilt the plane up like climbing and hold for a min. then tilt it down and hold it for a min. and listen for any changes in the engine, and then fly it and listen to it in the air while you climb and make sharp turns,,

True that there are as many methods as there are fliers, but I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the "Hold the Nose up" thing.

Holding the nose up is a standard way of checking that the engine won't lean out too much when it has to draw fuel from the tank when the tank is below the engine - But I have seen many people do this wrong.

The proper way to do it is this:

Hold the airplane in such a way that you can easily rotate it to a nose-up position (Yea, I know, it seems like that shouldn't even need to be said, but it does).

When the person with the Tx brings the throttle to full, wait a few seconds for the engine to reach its full RPM. Once the engine has reached full RPM, point the nose skyward. It doesn't have to go STRAIGHT up, but as close to it as is comfortable. (I have seen many people point the nose up at the same time as the pilot increases the throttle - wrong!)

Now hold it there for a few seconds and listen for a change in RPM.

If the RPM drop, you need to richen the high-end needle valve.

If the RPM increase: If the increase is minor, this is ok. If it's a big increase, you're probably running too rich.

The RPM should stay the same, or increase SLIGHTLY.

Correct me if I am wrong, I am new at this as well. But I have found that I need to tune my engine on the ground then perform the nose to sky test and if that is running well then richen it just a tiny bit. This way it won't lean out to much in the air and cause it to stall. Also check your fuel tank and make sure it is secure. I had similar problems and believe the cause was due to a loose fuel tank. I tune mine by ear but double check with a tachometer just to make sure.

For me its simple ... follow the manufacturer's base settings. Then tune the high to its max and back off about 300-400 RPM. Then get your low end right, make sure it idles well and the transition is crisp. Then fly her and see ... of course when you fly you should pull verticals and listen to the engine, is it bogging down or its just happy and maintains the RPM. When you land check the engine temp to ensure you are not too lean.

Like the Rossi 45 I had, its a b*tch of an engine to tune, the high end has a narrow window for tuning and it needs to be flown to get it right. Your ST is not too fussy on the low end or high but if its like the G90 then you will be struggling with the mid range. I hated mine dspite being a cheap engine that is easy to start and its reliable. Oh yeah ... my G90 was not happy with more than 5% nitro.

Super Tiger motors take a lot of running in, read the instructions, set the engine the way the instructions say and then play with the high speed needle, normally after a couple of tanks of fuel they loosen up a bit and run ok. Leave the low speed needle valve alone

well thanks alot for the advice guys. it should help me alot

All of the above advice is good but one thing was overlooked. With the engine NOT running shake the plane and listen for the clunk to rattle around in the tank. It could be that your clunk has fallen forward. I know, the nose up thing should show up the clunk forward syndrome. It could also be that the clunk is rubbing on the rear of the tank and not "clunking". Just some thoughts.

Good luck.