ultra stick lite engine choice
 

yes, I've searched, but didn't see anything conclusive, plus I want an opinion with my list of engines

I'm wanting a ultra lite stick for my next plane, and I'm going to put a convert in it, here are my choices:

-Mac 32cc
-homie 25
-possibly homie 30 (need to pull the muffler off and see if it's a 25 or a 30)
-ryobi 31
-poulan 32
-old '80's zenoah 23 (guess) from a green machine weedie
-shindaiwa 25ish (not labeled and haven't disassembled)
-poulan 46

I'm wanting power on reserve, able to pull out of a hover, aerobatics, just an all around fun plane. I'm not afraid of trimming the firewall or moving servos to the rear. I'm undecided as far as gas/glow, magneto or EI, any of the three are an option on any of the engines. I'm thinking the ryobi and poulan 32 are going to be eliminated because of mounting difficulty, but I put them up there anyway

what would be your choice?

Thanks!

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

My vote....Hommie 30cc. Capt,n

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

A guy at the field has this plane with a G-26, it flys well but is no barn burner I agree with Captin at least a 30cc and a Homey is a good one. I have a Giant Big Stick that I flew on a Poulan 46, what an awsome plane! Ulimited vertical. The Poulan was a brute of an engine and the airframe soon began to show it. I replaced it with a 45cc CRRC. It still has great performance but not like the old Poulan!

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

I just got a stack of weedwhackers,many of them Homies,how can you tell the difference between the 25cc and the 30cc?I also got a bunch of Ryobis but they had the displacement listed on the covers, but not so with the Homies,except for one.

J

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

on the homelites, take the muffler off, the 30cc will not have a bridge in the exhaust port, the 25cc will, actually, if you look at just the right angle through the spark plug hole you can see the exhaust port too...

there's a guy I fly with sometimes with this plane with a G26, seems to have decent power, I was kinda thinking one of the ~30cc engines myself for the plane since that would be closer in par with the G26 than a 25. the 46 was a wild thought, I still have to get the carb adapted to the engine and it's pretty much ready to go.

Thanks for the input!

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

Thanks for the info!

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

The G-26 is a tough engine to compete with.
The Homie 30 probally will not have the power the G-26 has.

Find out how much weight up front you can live with and go as big an engine as you can.
Perferably a chain saw engine. They are in a higher state of tune than most engines.

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

I flew my Ultra Lite Stik 120 with a souped up Homelite 30cc and it flew great. Pretty much unlimited vertical. My Homelite 30cc is all hopped up and turns an APC 16 x 8 at 9400 and so is a little more powerful than a Zenoah 26cc.

It was a great combo until I "dumb thumbed" it into the beach on a high speed inverted pass one day....

AV8TOR

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

on yours did it still have the magneto or was it EI converted? I have some 25's sitting around I have been toying with and might try getting a cheap EI to try.

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

Mine was with CH Ignitions electronic ignition. I never run magnetos. I like all the benefits of electronic ignition, or Gas/Glow.

My Ultra Lite Stik also had a smoke system. It was a lot of fun. To replace it, I bought a Giant Big Stik. I like it, but the aerobatics were a little more lively with the Ultra Lite Stik.

AV8TOR

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

I have two Homelite 30's and two McCulloch 32's. The Homelites have more power but the Macs look more like intentional model airplane engines.

Right now lessor one of the 30's is on a Bridi Stick. It takes it for a good ride.

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

av8tor, did you shorten the firewall at all? have to add any weight?

the homie in question will be inspected saturday or sunday, if it's a 30 it's getting stripped! if not, the mac 32 is probably going to get the EI I have sitting on the desk...

I have a 9Z radio, so I should be able to have some fun with this plane...

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

well, the engine I was hoping was a 30cc is a 25, so I'll probably go with the mac or something, I'm probably going to push the buy button this week, when I get it I'll work more on the engine decision, see how it balances out with what combination

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

The Homelite 30 on my Ultra Stik had electronic ignition, but I also had a smoke system installed. It flew great.

The Mac won't have the power of a Homelite 30. Maybe if you are comfortable with porting you can liven it up. It's an easy conversion.

AV8TOR

P.S. Forgot to add that no, I didn't modify the firewall. I did modify it in that I put the rudder servo in the tail. That way it balanced fine...

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

if you can get a homelite 33CC from a chain saw go for it you will see and feel the extra torque and power I have one on a Ryan's Rebel that I sell and I can do anything that you ask on that plane (80" wingspan, 12-13 Lbs weight, 1300sq. in. wing area) these engines are very easy to convert and install I use a conventional Plastic engine mount, I'll see if I can post some pictures with my daughter's camera.

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

I have a Ultra Stick that I have put a RYOBI in it. I relocated the firewall back about three (3) inches from original, and used a flat piece of aluminum for the motor mount. The carb protudes through the new firewall. This set-up did not require any additional weight on the tail to balance the plane. I have C & H electronic ignition, and a bigger carb (26 venturi). A plastic dish from Wal-Mart made a very nice cowl to top it off. I have ported the engine only slightly, and currently swing a 18X8 wood prop and produces 7300 t0 7500 RPM. This is an awsome flyer, with almost unlimited verticle. I am currently working on an additional engine that will be ported a little more, and will have a larger intake. Elevation here is 3700 feet. Rumor has it that you don't want to run a ROYBI over 7500 RPM. I will be testing that rumor with that set-up.

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

I have a Ultra Stick that I have put a RYOBI in it. I relocated the firewall back about three (3) inches from original, and used a flat piece of aluminum for the motor mount. The carb protudes through the new firewall. This set-up did not require any additional weight on the tail to balance the plane. I have C & H electronic ignition, and a bigger carb (26 venturi). A plastic dish from Wal-Mart made a very nice cowl to top it off. I have ported the engine only slightly, and currently swing a 18X8 wood prop and produces 7300 t0 7500 RPM. This is an awsome flyer, with almost unlimited verticle. I am currently working on an additional engine that will be ported a little more, and will have a larger intake. Elevation here is 3700 feet. Rumor has it that you don't want to run a ROYBI over 7500 RPM. I will be testing that rumor with that set-up.

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

ok, I pushed the expensive button... it's on it's way :)

Av8tor, or anyone that flies a large stick in a "spirited" fashon, what servos should I use? I looked at an online manual and it said standard, but is that really enough? I was thinking something around 100ozin and faster than a standard servo... opinions?

I'm going to wait on the engine choice for a little bit, but I'm leaning twards the mac, I started porting it a long time ago (it was my first conversion), need to go over it again and see where it sits... the muffler needs to be redone, I only put on one 1/2" tube, I now have some thinner wall stock and need to put two on...

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

It can't hurt to put better servos in it, but I fly pretty agressively, and mine did fine with regular servos but running on a 6 volt battery pack...

AV8TOR

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

that's what I wanted to hear, Thanks!

I knew you flew pretty agressively, kinda why I wanted your opinion... I've been flying the mini ultra stick for the last year and a half and that thing gets thrown all over... apparently enough to kill an aileron servo in flight :). I'm looking forward to a big plane that's as fun to fly as that thing...

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

ok, I have the plane in house now! plane and servos arrived today, but no time to assemble :(, need to spend too much time repairing the rest of my planes for flying this weekend :) the plan is to spend both saturday and sunday flying, still have to program in one plane, fix it's tail, add some features to the program on another plane, get a prop adapter for yet another (lost the first one in flight) and screw it's motor down, and charge 7 batteries and a plane...

anywho, progress on the stick will start soon, probably start with moving the servos to the rear as far as I can, then assemble the wing, then figure out if I can avoid cutting the firewall off...

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

I didn't have to cut my firewall, and I had a Homelite 30cc in it AND a smoke system. Just mount the elevator and rudder servos in the tail and you'll be fine.

AV8TOR

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

sweet, I got a C cell battery (4200mah) for it, that should be a bit of extra ballast if I need it...

I'm really looking forward to flying this thing, be nice having a big plane that can fly crazy and calm...

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

I definitely enjoyed mine.

Good luck and have fun with yours!

AV8TOR

RE: ultra stick lite engine choice
 

Just a few things I did to my Ultra stick just in case, I used carbon fiber for the front wing attachments, and beefed up the holes they fit into with an additional 1/4 inch plywood epoxyed in after I noticed the original wood dowells amd the holes wearing quickly. Maybe I am tough on them, but I wring them out ane have fun. It would have much easier to install them the first time rather than going through the trouble of re-drilling for the carbon fiber up-grade. flathead four