Smoke
 

Hi Guys
I am about to fit a smoke system to my DL50 powered Extra and need to know what size tank to use for about 5 to 6 minutes of smoke.
Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks

Falcon

RE: Smoke
 

Falcon,

A 50cc should use up some 4 - 6oz of smoke fluid per minute, so for judicious use of smoke, a 16-20oz tank should do the trick
What are you planning to use for smoke fluid?

RE: Smoke
 

Hi apalsson
Thanks for that calculation, it's more than I thought.
I think if I can set it on it's side I should get a 16oz tank in there.
As far as the fluid is concerned I'm not going to pay a lot of money for a branded name, I'm sure I read on here some time ago that a good mix was 50% diesel fuel/25% kerosene and 25% something else which I forget, so will have to go back and look again, do you have a recommendation.

Falcon

RE: Smoke
 

Hi Falcon,

The rate I quoted is probably at the higher end of the range. It comes from the calculation of oz pr min = 2 x CuIn which is what TME suggest as the max oil flow
So 4-6oz per minute from a 16oz tank isn't bad (3 - 4 minutes of smoke)

In the past, I have used a 50-50 mix of liquid paraffin and baby oil but recently been using what is called "Summer Spray Oil" in Australia

I found this TDS for what seems to be the same stuff but mine comes through Castrol
http://www.tds.castrol.com.au/pdf/45...il_09_2003.pdf

Skywriters apparently use this a fair bit

I found that anything based on Diesel or Kerosene is very hard on the covering of our planes. If you use that (any smoke fluid for that matter), re-seal all seams on the parts of your plane that are exposed to the oil residue

RE: Smoke
 

Plus that stuff smells nasty and doesn't look the whitest. I've used Super Dri and B&B oil. Only used about one tankful of the latter but it was similar to Super Dri.

RE: Smoke
 

I am either putting a DLE 55 or OS Max 33 in my Edge 540 GP 27%.  As far as smoke goes I have to mix 50% liquid paraffin and 50% baby oil for really white smoke?  Will that have a terrible odor? I just don't know much about gas RC becuase this is my first gas engine.  I used to fly glow engines before I took a 10 year break from RC to fly the real planes. 

I am really excited and anxious to learn</p>

RE: Smoke
 

thx and also how do you make smoke blue or red in color instead of white?

RE: Smoke
 

Hardly any smell at all unless you get the scented baby oil ... then your plane will smell like a baby's bottom :)

RE: Smoke
 

you cannot colour a liquid smoke fluid to produce a smoke trail of colour. If you do the sye used will stain your aircraft,, the brids in the air, the runway, your clubs mates cars and anything within range.<div>You will be very unpopular...and red/blue/green</div>

RE: Smoke
 

Hi apalsson
Thanks for the info on the smoke fluid you use, is it a pesticide?
I'm not sure I would want to use it if it was.
I might try the baby oil though.

Falcon

RE: Smoke
 

No, this oil is used as a dispersant when spraying crops where pesticides, herbicides or fungicides are added. The oil forms a very fine mist that carries the added chemicals.
The oil itself is quite safe and is commonly used by full scale skywriters
Here is a link to a better MSDS http://chemdata.lupinsys.com/getdoc/43643/msds

RE: Smoke
 

OK Thanks, I'll have to do a bit of research to find some in the UK.

Falcon

RE: Smoke
 

you will have to look under the Chevron Texaco brand