Help with magnum xl 46
 

Hello all, I have a Hobbico Nexstar that I put a magnum xl 46 on. The engine will sometimes start and sometimes it wont. I am using a electric starter with odonnel 15% nitro. My fuel lines do not have any holes in them. I am buying a evolution trainer power system to replace it, but I would still like to get my Magnum running. P.S. What is your experience with the evolution power system?

Skip the Evolution engines. The TPS is the only one with a decent reputation, but you can do better for the money. Get an OS instead.

For your Magnum, there could be a number of issues causing it not to start. Do you see fuel coming up the line when you prime it? If not, you probably have an air leak somewhere.

Do you hold your finger over the card, flip the prop by hand a few times, does the fuel come up to the carb? If not, might have a hole in the fuel line. Is the clunk line in the tank free to move around and not hitting the back of the tank? All of my Magnums have run well.


Buzz.

I found that sometimes the carb to crankcase seal isn't too good. That would certainly cause trouble. I have several of these engines and the carburation is certainly not up to thundertiger or OS standard, but I have found that with effort, they can be usable. The needle valve sometimes has an air leak. My experience with their 4-stroke engines has been much better. Make sure that you have bubble free fuel draw.

I have had several of the Magnums and all ran very well. You must have a bad seal somewhere, did you check the crankcase backplate as sometimes that gasket can fail or the screw loosen. Check for carb to crankcase seal or worn needle valve .

I may have a bad front bushing because nitro drips about a drop a minute from it.

That's probably not a concern. Oil is supposed to seep to the front bearing to lubricate it. And once it's there, it has nowhere else to go but out. Check your engine for air leaks in the locations suggested, and I'll bet you find the problem. The only way the front bearing is the problem is if it's worn enough to let air come in through it.

Ok just checked my engine today. The glow plug had nitro in it. Once the nitro was cleared out the glow plug did not glow when the glow driver was connected to it. Since my local hobby shop isn't so local(1 hour away) I will order a plug online. Thank you for your help I will keep you posted.

Also I forgot to tell you I sealed all the places suggested with silicone.

I found that once you get the gremlins out, the magnum 46 is a very good engine. I hope that you chased them out successfully.

Hi, My tracking says I will be getting my glow plug around 2 today. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks again for all your help!

You ordered just one plug? For whatever its worth Having a minimum of at least one spare plug is part and parcel of operating glow engines. Always having a spare will most certainly spare you a lost flying day in the future.

John:cool:

Thanks forgot to order more than one. I will order another one.

ONE glow plug ????? I guess a spare prop is out of the question then.:)

One trick that was not mentioned to cure an air leak at the needle valve, is to cut a short
piece of silicone fuel tubing and once the needle is screwed in to its running position the fuel
tube should cover the needle and the spigot that it screws into, simple but effective way of
curing air leak there.

Bill D.

Actually I do have a spare propeller and spare batteries for my glow plug driver and a spare starter. I am sorry but I will not be able to test for a day or to because I have my Evo on it right now(I really like it by the way). But I will let you know when I do. Thanks for your help and your patience!

Your Magnum .46 XLS and your Evolution .45 TPS are both made in China by Sanye, who also manufactures ASP glow engines. I am certain that both engines should fly your Nexstar quite well once tuned correctly. I'd recommend that you not fly with the 3-blade prop that should have been included with your Evo TPS engine. They have a very shallow pitch and they often times are poorly balanced; these two things could lead to weak power and erratic running.

Good luck and good flying!

Bill Diedrich, I like that idea, I used to do that on all my Cox .049's but never thought about trying it on the XLS. Does the spring thingy have to be removed?

"spring thingy" = Detent Spring

Heck, I'll check myself. No need to answer.

I cannot test right now due to my nexstar wrecking. It was hobbico's fault they improperly glued the wing ribs together. I will not be able to test for a couple weeks till I build a engine stand.

Wait. Are you saying Hobbico improperly glued the wing ribs together? I find that hard to believe. Or are you saying because of your inexperience you'd blame the manufacturer ?

I actually have quite a bit of experience with flying electric rc helicopters and rc planes. It was not a lack of experience, I called Hobbico and asked if this warranted replacement; and they said it did. But I bought it on ebay and they said if I got it third party they would not replace it. The wing actually broke off in flight and separated and my plane went into a spin. So I will buy a new one. Like I said earlier I have experience flying electric but only up to 50" wing span, And I am looking to transition to glow. So I would appreciate any suggestions on a good trainer under $150(My would cost to much to fix). Thanks

P.S. I will try to post a pictures in my gallery of my wing.

I was looking at the tower trainer 40. Do you know if this is a decent plane. The reason I want this is the parts are much cheaper than the nexstar.

Hi skyflier, when it comes to trainers everyone has their favorite and neither the Nexstar or the Tower forty are mine, however in my opinion the Tower forty is a far better ship than the Nexstar and will certainly prove to ease your transition from the small foamys to flying typical glow ships trainer or otherwise.

On the matter of your wing separation While it good that Tower made a replacement but that says a lot for them. You see with many glow powered airplanes it is easy to rip wings off no matter how well built when they are subjected to things that the fellows typically get away with on the small foamys. For example with a typically forty trainer that is going on a down line fully vertical and full power sustained then pulling a wing off is easy, say in a botched loop or roll and full power is sustained on the way down.

It would be hopped if anything one learned on the foamys is power is always reduced on the vertical. Not saying this is what happened with your Nexstar but it is the most common scenario in this situation.

John:cool:

Thanks John, I was not doing a loop but I am sure it sustained stress as I am not used to flying big glow planes. I believe I did have full power on when the wing broke. I believe I made a mistake in going with the nexstar also, So I will probably get the tower. You mentioned that neither of those are your favorites. If you don't mind me asking what is your favorite trainer? Thanks.

For me the hands down all time favorite is the Senior Cadet, preferably sig versions but either the kit builts or the Arfs with the Senior Cadet Sport being the latest version.

The Cadets any of them are arguably the most successful RC trainers in terms of numbers and successes in the history of RC aircraft. I doubt few who had actually been around would argue aginst that.

The also are the most prized kit bashing subject ever, Most of my bud,s would never be ever be without at least one. I have I think six One is a convertible aerotow glider as well as a twin, also have done three Quad Cadets with four engines, also have a cross country float version that carries a gallon of fuel and has flown over 6 hours non stop, Another is a giant on floats at about 120% of the originals and 112" span. I

I formerly ran pylon races just for Senior Cadets that was very popular here locally and my latest recently is the Turbine Cadet actually powered with both glow and gas turbine engine. Will add a link in a few minutes to the little thread I did on that one and there is video of one of the early turbine powed flights.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/club...ior-cadet.html

Never be embarrassed to fly a trainer no matter what it is:cool:

John

Thanks

"wing actually broke off in flight"? Did it break at the dihedral joint? If it broke at the dihedral joint, the previous owner didn't glue it correctly. I like the Sig Kadets too. Learned on a Senior that I built. Still have it. They're a little "floaty", but are great fun. Even the LT's are a good idea. You might even consider an Avistar.

if you belong to a club> go to the field and ask for help>> that way u get hands on help>>

The most sensible suggestion yet.

I do not belong to a flying club(I have none around my area). The wing did not break at the joint, The second rib broke and it is precovered so it could not be his fault. I actually could not believe it broke!

You said to consider an avistar did you mean the great planes or the hobbico avistar. Thanks

Well, I'm familiar with the older version Hobbico Avistar. Its a solid trainer with sport flying capabilities, but it's been discontinued. The newer version Great Planes Avistar is an updated version of the older one, also offering a trainer with sport flying cababilities. All of these planes mentioned are good candidates. With all of the trainers that Tower offers, you can view the manuals and check the prices for replacement parts like wings, fuselages and tail groups. The reason I mentioned the Avistar is because when I graduated from my Sig Kadet Senior, the Avistar is what I went to. Learned a heck of a lot from it. I'm even flying my second for sport flying now. The Tower 40 is ok too. Pretty economical, replacement parts are cheap. I'm not a fan of the landing gear, but it can be strengthened.

Your opening question was asking for help with your Magnum 46 xl. Have you solved that? If not, I suggest pulling it from the Nexstar and mounting it on a test stand. With the manual (which you can download http://media.hobbypeople.net/manual/210756.pdf ) in hand, become familiar with starting and adjusting it. Have fun.

It is not mounted in my nexstar. I do not have a stand but I will build one Monday or Tuesday. But I believe my glow plug igniter batteries were dead.

I have heard that the landing gear is not that great but i am not really worried about it I can put stronger landing gear on it.

Imagine that. I have been flying a Hobbico Twin Star for 5 seasons now. Alot of the covering is removing itself but after all the flights and a couple tree landings due to 1 engine out it has withstood all the beatings. No broken wing issues. Oh, I did have to replace the nose piece.

I would suggest being careful when folks start modifying landing gear on trainers, that can be very counterproductive.

You see the majority of trainers that use 5/32 piano wire landing gear (and that is most of them) Do so for a very good reason That type of gear is so popular for trainer simply because it will give and bend when excessive loads are applied therefore preventing more severe damage to fuselage and related areas. It a very, very simple matter to simply bend the gear back when a bad landing has occurred and continue your day flying.

When the folks insist on doing excessive reinforcements of landing gear they only are transferring their problems to areas morn difficult to repair. That's a fact be very carefull of imaginary fixs and modifications to trainers that for the most part only cause more problems.

John

Ok, Thank you for that information.

I agree. But with the Tower 40 ( and I have one), the original gear has to be straightened every flight otherwise you have a plane going every which way but straight on takeoff. A plane "squirreling" its way on the takeoff run is doomed. Not to mention the angle of attack changing every flight. If the landing gear is a problem area where its making successful takeoffs problematic, it should be addressed by the modeler. That is what is good about the Sig Kadets. Sig gives such good instructions that you learn from the manuals how a RC plane should be set up. That's what makes the Sig planes so good. The Tower 40 gear is way too springy.

I would like to get the Sig, but I don't want to throw that much money around on a trainer.