I need some help here guys.....

I purchased a Nosen P-51 set up for a ST-3000. The plane is about 22lbs now, and isn't even covered.
Soooooooooo, off with the ST3000 as I fear it will not have enough power to pull the plane around the sky without fear of falling out of the sky.

The motor is NEW in the Box, never run, and has been sitting around for about 5 years.

I am getting a Balsa Nova 120 that I am debating about putting this motor on. and my questions are as follows:

How much fuel do these guzzle? say about 1/2 throttle? (I'm not insane enough to run a BN120 at full throttle)

secondly how are these after conversion to gasoline?

is it worth the conversion?

how much HP is lost in the conversion?

what about mufflers? (mine does not have one)

can a converted ST3000 use a Pitts style muffler?

I could use some "expert" help here.

Thanks again for any help you can offer.

Dave Ogden
Glendale, AZ

I have a ST 3000 converted to gas using CH Ignition and syncrospark and their carb adaptor with a Walbro carb. It was mounted on a 19# bi-plane. It would fly it scale like, but it was no power house. It was mounted inverted, and tended to be hard to start the first time after sitting because the oil will foul the small 1/4" spark plug. If I use it on anything again, I will tap out the spark plug hole to 10mm.The larger plugs are cheaper and won't foul as readily as the small plugs. The engine ran good with a good idle and transition. On gasoline the burn rate was about 1 oz per minute at 2/3 throttle. However, the 19# bipe was just too much airplane for it. I wouldn't consider putting it on a 22# Mustang, but it probably would fly the Balsa Nova with reasonable authority.I have been contemplating building a 4*120 to put it on, but haven't got there yet. The ST will develop about 10% more power on glow fuel, but is a guzzler. In addition the ST carburator isn't very good. Most of the people who I know have switched the ST carb for an OS.

The CH ignition CD unit with syncrospark is about $140.00 and the carb adaptor with a Walbro carb is about $60.00 and a 1/4"-32 spark plug is about $15.00.

There are several mufflers that will work on the ST 3000 so that shouldn't be a problem.

i am building a nosen P51 also a 3000 would get it off the ground but that is about it if you use a tigre 4500 or a gasser G62 and above would be great for scale flying. my 2 cents. you lose some power in the conversion of the tigre and The P51 you will need all you can get.

I also have one of these I ran quite a long time ago in a 9' wingspan Mr. Mulligan.
Weighed about 22 lbs. if I remember.

Would need the entire lenght of runway which was probably 200' .
And was very sluggish flying . Looked Good and Realistic flying but not enough power.

Tried the G38 gas which is mounted up front now , but the darn weight is to heavy. Need to chop off 6" up front add 20 oz. in the back ....which means , it still sits and waits .

If I cut the nose off shorter , there goes the major look of the plane which has a 10" radial cowl with blisters and would look way wrong. Gas is the thing but make sure it's done right the first time as far as CG.

I have always liked the supertigre engs. Reliable , I had a 24 oz tank and got maybe 15 mins flight with the mulligan. Always seem to need ..More Power in everything.

Tony

Dave..In your phone book look up Joe Regan in Sun City..He has a ST 3000 I converted to gas..Turns a 18-8 prop 8000 rpm, has a Walbro carb, runs on gas and oil...He could answer some of your questions, and you could take a look at the conversion....