benjy6

i just got my first nitro plane
my question is: is the spinner suppose to wear down when u put the electric start to it or am i not pusshing the the electric start to it hard enough

GaryHarris

My bet is your trying to start a new engine with alot of compression near the compression stroke and thats why the donut is spinning on the spinner.

BE VERY CAREFULL. DO NOT HAVE THE GLOW IGNIGHTER ON THE GLOW PLUG WHEN DOING THIS. Or while the engine is HOT!

After fueling the tank and priming the engine, turn the prop over past the compression stroke counter clockwise and then back it up, clockwise untill the prop feels tight on the compression stroke. Then use the starter.

MetallicaJunkie

some of the damage can be minimized if you get a nice silicone insert, they are less prone to slipping, and burning your plastic spinner cone

Charlie P.

Possibly you're not pushing hard enough and it is slipping - causing enough friction to melt the spinner. As mentioned above - I use a white silicone ring on my Sullivan. My one plastic spinner has 100s of flights and no starter mark.

ppkk

Metallica or Charlie,

This is the first time I have heard of a silicone insert so I looked it up at Tower and it is $40, which is kinda pricey for an insert! Am I looking at the right thing?

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXUSG2&P=7

Insanemoondoggie

This ones easier on the wallet http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...?ProdID=SUL632

benjy6

ok thanks alot
im still afraid to fly it tho lol
im going out to get the rc flight simulator they sell at the hobby shops b4 i take flight

GaryHarris

What kind of plane and engine do you have?

benjy6

im not sure of the model.
i got it off craigslist as a trade for a traxxas revo
the guy said he believes it was a hanger 9 trainer her bought 6 or 7 years ago
he built it but never flew it
its brand new
the engine is a super tiger 45
brand new and never had fuel in it

i have been looking all over the internet to find a model name
but have had no luck

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tag/1392629407.html

this was the add and the plane i recieved

brett65

My Feedback: (18)

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXL401&P=0

Fits standard size starters. Only $2.

jetmech05

Do you have an instructor? You're from Philly corrrect? there has to be all kinds of RC clubs around...go there and ask around there will be someone to take you up on a buddy box. A sim is not an instructor. there is so much more an instructor will teach you than flying....Good Luck

Lnewqban

benjy6:

That trainer in the add seems to be a Thunder Tiger.

What you are trying to do is dangerous, if you don't know how yet.
There are many important things to check and adjust in the engine, radio and model before the first flight.

If you take it up by yourself, your model it is not going to last.

You need help from an experienced RC pilot.
Joining AMA and a club will be even better, for insurance and free instruction.

Here, at the RCU members section, you can see RC pilots that live in your area, and then contact them for guidance about clubs in the area.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/community/...uestTimeout=50

AMA club finder:

http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

Best of luck!

benjy6

o i had no intentions of flying yet
i just wanted to hear engine
im still gathering information on flying techniques and all
i plan to fly next summer

Lnewqban

Sorry, I missunderstood.

For just starting the engine, some help would be good, since engines that have been sitting for a while are hard to start.

My concern is the danger of the spinning propeller for your hands.

benjy6

i've already read up on that.
never stand over the prop.
adjust engine from behind the spinning prop
and always wear eye protection

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

I would highly reccomend you re read each and every item in this gentlemans post above, more importantly heed what is being said.

Get experianced help before you attempt to start that engine, I don,t care how much you read, not only for safety reasons but also because of the damage you can do to the engine simply by trying to turn it over with a starter dry.

Glow powered airplanes are not like surface vehicles and certainly not toys, They require a steep learning curve that you are not going to learn as a loner without at best destroying your equipment or worse hurting yourself and others. Do not start that engine without getting a knowledgeable mentor first.

John

benjy6

o yea i have been reading and have found a flying club about 5 miles away
going to give them a call

how much are memberships usually?

stevenmax50

My Feedback: (1)

Membership at my club in Alabama is only 30 bucks.  That is probably low by other standards.  You mentioned getting a flt sim.  I have the RealFlight Flt Sim.  I had flown several years ago and am just getting started back into the hobby just now.  (8 year hiatus)  And I was not very good previously anyway.  I agree a flight sim is no replacment for a trainer on the buddy box.  But it is still a great tool.  The sim cost $200.  I believe it was worth it.  It had the exact model I fly in the program choices and I can tell you that the flight characteristics of the sim model were very realistic in comparison to the real thing.  You just cant sim things like wind speed and direction (gusts).  Sun in you eyes.  Various other things.  But you can get a good feel for timing.  Buy it!  Its a good investment.  Have fun brother.  Thats what this is all about.

opjose

Like he said!

If you're scratching the spinner, you are using the wrong cone or it is dirty!

The Hobbico cones listed above are too hard on the plastic spinners and tend to wear them easily.

The soft Silicon spinners are your best bet.

delman

The airplane is an Easy Fly 40 Trainer. I had one for my son to learn to fly. It is a good basic trainer. The $10 soft spinner inserts are the ones I use - just match the taper of the insert to the spinner shape.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Thats a great plan and the key to your success. Sims are also a big help and I do recomend them but cannot substitute for a mentor. I use the term mentor because it says so much more than the rather cold term instructor and says so much more about what this person will mean to you.

Concerning starter inserts the one I always recommend is the Miller blue and consistantly the best I have tried, it is far superior to the Hobbico white:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXBC72&P=RF

If one uses no spinners or spinner nuts (not recomended, by me anyway) then the Miller Pink would be the choice.

This brings us to another choice and that is to use no spinner at all but instead a spinner nut. On trainers these actually look much better than some large cheap plastic spinner. This is the only real practical choice for new folks and will save lots of lost time dickering with spinners. I am constantly held up with students wasting time on spinners and they are a big reason some don,t get to fly on some days. Real machined alum spinner nuts will match virtually any starter cone and it only takes seconds to replace a propellor (a consideration when learning). If you go this route the cone type spinner nut is preferrable to the dome shaped variety which is a vague attempt to look like a scale Hamilton Standard propeller oil dome.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXE158&P=RF

John

HighPlains

My Feedback: (1)

Simply brilliant John!

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Thank you HP[8D]