franchi

Ringmaster Jr. ???

Today I attempted to fly a Ringmaster Jr. to no avail. My setup was a MVVS 1.5 Diesel, .012 steel lines 50’, 7-4, 7-6 and an 8-4 prop. The plane is very light and the engine was screaming. All the plane would do is to taxi on the ground at a high rate of speed without becoming airborne. I can not believe that had insignificant power to fly this combination.

What are your thoughts/suggestions concerning this problem? I thought that it would make a great sport combo.

Tia,

Franchi

LLRCFlyer

Assuming it is not overweight, the answer is simple... the engine is too small, especially if trying to take off from grass. If it was the Baby Ringmaster, it would be great, maybe even over powered. However, the Junior Ringmaster was intended for .15 to .21 size engines. I once flew a hand launched Junior Ringmaster without landing gear powered with a Cox Medallion .15 and it flew well enough to do wingovers and loops, but it was certainly no hot rod. It really needs a .19 or a Super Tigre .23 to make it shine. A 2.5cc to 3cc diesel (or glow) engine should make it go ok. As it is, you are trying to fly a .19 size plane on an .09 size engine... it won't work very well. It would have to be hand launched and even then, it would probably stagger for a lap or two until the lines go slack and it re-kits itself. Underpowered CL planes are much harder to fly and will never fly well.

franchi

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I have 3 Ringmaster Jr. built sans engines and three MVVS Diesels to us. These are 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 in size. The 2.5 may be a bit of overkill but the 2.0 cc may be just right. I will be taking off from smooth pavement. Sound like the Three Bears Story.

A Dumas Tom Tom powered by MVVS 2.5 cc D7 on 52’ lines is a real joy to fly! I also have an Sig Acromaster that may work well with a 1.5 or a 2.0 MVVS Diesel. Let’s hope so.

What other profile planes would work well with these engines.

Tia,

Franchi

LLRCFlyer

My experience in control line has been to always use the top end of the recommended engine sizes. If the smallest recommended engine is used, it will inevitably be way under powered and be hard to fly. The Ringmaster Junior calls for .09 to .19 size glow engines. If they were really honest, they would have specified a range of .15 to .23 glow engines. A 2.5cc MVVS Diesel (.15 ci) should perform like a strong .19 glow. Start with papa bear. If it is too much, you can always use a flatter pitch prop, under compress the engine or switch to a 2cc engine. I flew a similar size Junior Flite Streak with a Super Tigre .23 for years and was totally pleased with the performance. The Junior Ringmaster is similar in size. Dollars to doughnuts says you will be happiest with the 2.5ccc engine if the airframe is not over weight. Let me know how it goes.

As for what to fly on a 1.5cc diesel, the choices would be limited more towards non-acro models. An .09 (1.5cc) is usually not enough for aerobatics on 52' lines. One might be able to fly 1.5cc size semi-scale models that just fly in level circles (just remember that a wingover can only be attempted once). If a 1.5cc is to be used for aerobatics, then the lines would need to be shorter, perhaps in the 45' range and a combat type flying wing might be the ticket. The .35 size stunters were popular for a reason... they had enough power to maintain speed through maneuvers while retaining good line tension on longer 60' lines.

franchi

Thanks for the reply!

In my attic, I have a trove of .09-.19 cl planes. In the past, they have provided many hours of joy. These include the following:

Jetco Shark 15 powered by ST G15 glow, G 15 RVD, G20/23 and a Fox .15 slant plug. Also, the ARF Flite Streak powered via a ST G20/15D has been good to me. All of these were flown on 52’ lines. Another great flying plane was. Tom Tom powered by a MVVS .15 D7.

My flying mate still flys his ED Hunter .15 powered Blue Pants that he built circa 1954. His engine starts by choking it six times and one flip of the prop! He bought the engine in 1954! The last time that I saw it fly, he used a 10-6 prop and a 2 ounce fuel tank. After flying it for 35 minutes, he dumped into the grass due to fatigue. There was fuel remaining in the tank!

In any case, I will continue my quest to find some way to enjoy these engine and airplane combinations.

Suggestions/Comments

Franchi

franchi

I switched to lines that are 40 ft. In length and this combo is great. Lots of fun!

Franchi

123Cat

Hi Franchi , I use .008 thou lines on my 1.5 at 50 feet

049flyer

My Feedback: (18)

I’m flying a Jr Ringmaster now with a Fox 15x which is NOT known for it’s power output. I fly with 5% nitro, 49 ft .012 steel lines, and a MA 8x4 prop turning just over 11,000 at launch. I live at an elevation of 5000 ft and I’m getting 4-1/4 sec lap times which is plenty fast for simple aerobatics. The plane weighs 16 oz and was nose heavy so I have added tail weight to get a little better stunt performance out of it.

Previously, I flew it without landing gear and with an Enya .09 IV which was OK but little less powerful. I should have tried different props and fuels to get more power out of the Enya, but the Fox was pleading with me for a chance to show what it could do, so in a moment of weakness I swapped engines.

While I agree with everyone else that the engine may be too small, I would try shorter lines and double check the CG. It would be interesting to know what RPM you are getting on the 8x4 prop and I wonder if an 8x3 might work better. I think your combination will work with a bit of tweaking. Of course a larger engine might be easier and better in the long run.