Stick 40

I am really getting into gas fast, this Zenoah 20 is the third plane I have bought with a gas engine on it. That is my intention to get into gas.

but I picked this one up from a guy ,its on a P17 about 71in. wing span biplane. its a good sized plane.

I got no info with it and the search did not bring up anything on the Zenoah 20.

I had to get a elect mod. for it and it came today, so I am ready to fire it up when I figure out what I am doing.

thanks for any help.

sticks

OldScaleGuy

My Feedback: (2)

What is it you need to know?

Stick 40

I did not get any info. on the search on RCU, it may be there I did not find it

I have gotten some info. off the net just wondered the best way to break it in , prop, etc? .

needle settings would be nice, as a starting point that is.

The problem is we can get a lot of info . but the guys who have had/run these engines know more about how it should really be done.

I guess "anything that might help".

thanks
sticks

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

The Zenoah 20 has essentially been a "none event" as far as putting it into service and being operational.

It is a nice engine with the only thing holding it back is all the other gas 20's on the market.

If I bought a new one, I would mount the engine and start using it without any worry.

AFAIK there's never been any controversy with them.

There's a couple at the flying field and I never hear anything about them. They are flown when their time comes . . .

End of story.

kmeyers

Prop 16x8,17x6, 18x6 2 blade.
15x6 three blade


Needle settings, don't know. if I think the needles need to be touched it means there is a issue to look into (tank, fuel, plug, battery, carb.......)

I have run the same needle settings ( I may have touched them and don't remember) and prop since new 12 years ago and just under 1000 hours of operation. This plane comes out every ~ October and is flown until ~ end of April each year. It is my "winter plane" ( I have skies for it too). The skies didn't get used this year.

That is me and the Zen 20 in my sig pic. H9 .60 Ultra stick with rudder and elevator servos in the tail and fuel tank in the under wing where battery and receiver usually goes. Forward hatch cut where tank would go and ignition and ignition battery there. All hinges are du-bro pin type. No mods to the landing gear beyond bending them together and 3.5" wheels. My prop is a black 16 x 8 MA K series that is original to the engine. It hits the ground at least once per flight (that is the truth!).

The Zenoah EI ignition worked for about 3 years and was replaced with an RCexl #1 igintion. I always run 32:1 quality oil.

I don't have the same way of setting the mixture as most use.

I start with 1.75 L and 1.75 H and a prop that you have researched for the engine as a proper load (usually a smaller list then manufactures recommended props list). I first get the engine running, let it warm up at a reasonable RPM (around 3500), then go to full throttle and tune for max RPM (finding both too rich and too lean then set in the middle of those).

Then I tune the low needle for leanest 3000 RPM and close the throttle till idle and no stumble advance are to my liking (I believe that this method serves to set an "air opening" to low needle setting).

Hope this helps.

Stick 40

yes it helps, its kind of funny. The more I learn , the more I need to know.