Gday fellas, I'm fairly new around here, and certainly new to the world of compression ignition engines. I live in NSW Australia and have been fooling around with R/C planes and boats on and off for a fair while, but have only just recently decided to give diesels a go out of pure curiosity. I picked up a very nice condition PAW 2.49 (early model with the vertical Venturi) and have a PAW 100 on its way also. Now to the crux of things... I'd really like to run them, on my test stand if nothing else, but sourcing fuel or it's components has proven a fruitless search to date. What do the Aussies on this forum do for juice?? My local model shop, in Fyshwick, hasn't got any and apparently Terry has been rationing out the last of his fuel lately, so it looks like that is a dead end. I'm prepared to mix my own if I can source ether, and would go down the path of draining John Deere starter fluid cans if I could find them. I'll also make some calls tomorrow to see if a lab supplies place still keeps any, but other than that I'm outta ideas. Anyhow thanks for any help that may be forthcoming.

Cheers
Joel

G'day Joe,

Solvent grade Diethyl Ether isn't a problem on the East Coast. We have a regular supply at reasonable prices. Do you visit Sydney at all? It might also be possible for you to get it from a control line flyer in Canberra or there's the annual "Oily hand" get together weekend at Cowra at the end of August. Most of the engines there will be diesels and there should be plenty of the stuff available.

Regards Ray

Thanks for the reply Ray, yes I get up to Sydney fairly regularly so could pick some up next time I'm up that way.

Cheers
Joel

Joe,

as a closer alternative, the "Oily hand" weekend at Cowra will be on at the end of this month. There will be fuel available there and just make friends with the Sydney Control Liners for the contact details for Ether. Just ask for Bob Fisher or Steve Rothwell and they'll put you right.

Cowra Model Aircraft Club

Ray

Good plan, I was thinking of heading out that way for a look, will try to lock it in.
Joel

There's also a control line racing competition this Sunday (13/8/17) at St Ives Showground on the North Side of Sydney. Starts around 9am, just goto the sounds of the diesels and explain what you want.

Ray

I'll see what the weekend brings, have to spend a bit of time doing farm work on the excavator if the weather holds out.
Joel

I have had good results with PAW engines. MK 17 engine and Davis heads work OK. Other Russian and India engines not so good. I gave up on diesels because my clothes smelled bad, my skin smelled bad, my car smelled bad and the smell took forever to go away. Here in the US, Tower sells fuel.

(Don't put the newbie off) DIESELS SMELL GREAT!

The Toowoomba John Deer dealer carries the JD starting fluid 7oz can from memory

Thanks for the help fellas