H-Ray

Hi everybody,

I plan to purchase a Laser 4 stroke 120 or 150 engine and wondered how much is the fuel consumption of these engines? Couldn't find any Info about this on their site .

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Hamid

Sprink

I got about 12 mins from only a 6 oz tank with their 70, in an aerobatic plane. You can send an email to Neil Tidey at Laser Engines, they are very helpfull and are willing to answer any questions.

Engineman

Hi

I fly a Laser 150 in a Galaxy Mystic, weighing about 9 lbs, 73" span. the 12oz tank fitted easilly gives me ten minutes, I have never run out. Generally the engine is very powerful and hardly ever needs full throttle in this model. It also uses cheap, no nitro fuel and stays very clean on synthetic oil. Sound super too!

Having tried quite a few cheap engines and suffered from engine cuts and constant need to re-tune, I find the laser superb in that it never needs touching. Just fire up and fly.

My Laser 80, also flies for at least 10 minutes in my Beat-On. It only weighs 4 1/2 lbs and is therefore overpowered, but it does fly well and only has a six ounce tank. Wjat it would use if I kept it at full power, I do not know, but half is plenty except in the verticals. Throttle is so smooth and reliable.

Engineman,
Hemel Hempstead
England.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

I have Laser 180 V-twin that runs fine on Fox Miracle Plugs and 5% nitro, it doesn't seem to be any more thirsty than a 120 or 150.

H-Ray

Thanks all for your kind responses and input.

Sprink, I have already exchanged a couple of e-mails with Neil but he has only mentioned that they are more fuel efficient than other 4 strokes on the market and he has no exact figures on fuel consumption. He's really a nice guy.

Engineman, 10 minutes on 12 oz looks quite interesting for a 150 engine. I have a laser 80 too and get almost the same run times on a 6 oz tank as yours.It looks that you're living near where the engine is made , are there many laser flyers around there ?
Do you know anybody who has converted one of these engines to run on Gas (Ignition)?
I have always been interested to convert a four stroke to run on Gas and think that at least from the Metallurgy point of view, Lasers must be good choices, any suggestions ?

Hobbsy, I really love those twins, specially the sound might be great !

Cheers,
Hamid

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

The sound is awesome.

H-Ray

Hobbsy,

What is the Airplane you fly with the 180V ?

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

UltraStick 120, and what a pain to get it mounted. I have a radial mount comming for it now. It turns an 18x6 three blade at 8,000.

Sprink

Run on Gas? Interesting idea. would have thought that the compression and timing would be wrong, but I'm no expert in gas engine.

But yes, they are lovely running engines. One chap at our club had a Pica Waco Bipe with a V200 on it. Fantastic in everyway, both kit and engine. When first fired up, we were impressed with the power, and then when we realised it was only running on one cylinder we were really impressed.

And yes, what a noise.

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

I get 12 minutes on 16 ounces from my 150 (Ultimate bipe at just under 10 pounds), with perhaps an ounce left in the tank. However, my main needle is 2 3/4 turns out. I think the engine is still on the rich side, but it sags sometimes on take-off when I lean it a bit.

This engine is new, with just over two gallons through it, so perhaps it is still breaking in.

Yes, the sound is great, but LOUD. I have the factory flexible exhaust extension installed; a muffler, it ain't...

H-Ray

Hobbsy,

Yes, I always thought that mounting these twins must be difficult and it looks that it really is !

Sprink, I think that if I'm going to start with such a conversion, I'll have to fiddle with manythings including the compression, timing etc. and maybe that's why I still haven't started

If that V200 has been so powerful on only one cylinder running, may be you could fly it on one cylinder for a while until it wears out and then use the other one economy, economy.....

Steve, What is the fuel you're using, oil / nitro %? Is this figure for full throttle flight or at partial throttle ?

Thanks,
Hamid

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

Cool Power 15% nitro (which has 16-17% synthetic oil), with one ounce of castor per gallon added (for bearing protection).

Power levels during a typical flight vary; I use the throttle a lot. No more than half, if that, of a given flight is at full throttle.

.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

H, the only reason it was difficult to mount was that I didn't have a radial backplate mount and made a custom mount that allowed me to adjust the low speed needles while mounted. I also had to grind reliefs in the top of the fuse for the mufflers. As for converting it to gas you would not have to fool with the compression, only place a rare earth magnet in the prop driver and a hall effect sensor at the proper location to set the initial timing. I converted an OPS 30 Maxi that worked out well.

H-Ray

Thank you for the Input.

Steve, does it really need the 15% nitro ? have you tried lower nitro too ?

Hobbsy,
I am going to start converting the engine the way you've mentioned first and see what will happen . If it runs ok, I won't need to modify anything.

I have read on this forum that because the conrod of these engines have no ball beraings, we'll have to use the same amount of oil mixed with Gas as we use with the Methanol, is it right?

I plan to use Klotz or Coolpower synthetic oils which I have always used and mixes with Gas too.

One problem I have is that I hate the smell of Gas [] Can I use White / AV Gas instead ? Any experiences ?

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

No, it doesn't need the nitro. But I run all my other engines on that mix, and I decided long ago that I wasn't going to mess with dragging two or more kinds of fuel around with me. If an engine won't perform for me on CP 15%, I don't need it.

Gary and Joe at Proctor (the US distributor) say that they run their Lasers on this same fuel without the extra ounce of castor.

.

SARGE

My Feedback: (8)

Where can I find the Laser in the USA?

EdwardB

My Feedback: (6)

Sarge -- See previous post. The U.S. distributors are Proctor Enterprises at http://www.proctor-enterprises.com/. I recently purchased a 150 from them. Had to wait for it to arrive from England, but they were very helpful and friendly to deal with. You can buy it directly from Laser at http://www.laserengines.com/ but depending on the exchange rate, may be a little more expensive. Plus, Proctor will only honor the warranty if purchased directly from them, so any warranty service would have to go back to England.

AMB

Dave where did you get the gas conversion stuff for the OPS ? martin

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

CH, I just got one of their ignitions and placed a rare earth magnet in the counterweighted part of the prop driver.

donkey doctor

Hello; I have a Laser 100 in a Balsa USA Taube that weighs 12 pounds, it spins a 15x8 APC prop up to 8800, which is fine for me. The engine suits the Taube perfectly. I can get as much as 49 minutes out of 16 oz. of 0% fuel. This plane will fly on the idle and even gain altitude if I'm careful. I rarely go over 1/3 throttle on that plane. I blend my own fuel according to Laser's formula, costs less then $8 a galon that way.

Dean Wise

does anyone have expieriance with the V-240 and what kind of props it turns at what RPM and what does it weigh? thanks

H-Ray

Larry,
49 minutes is real interesting on 16 oz @ 1/3rd throttle !
Do you use their recommended 15% all synthetic oil fuel ? can you tell me what type of oil do you use ?

Thanks, Hamid.

Hans Meij

Dean,
I have received these number from Neil Tidey once:

16*8
1.50 8300
1.60 8700
2.00 9000
2.40 9400

16*12
2.40 8300

donkey doctor

Hello; Yes I did mix up a gallon according to Lasers' instructions. I used Powermaster oil. I had to special order it, it was about $38 a gallon. I have a few litres of straight castor that I got when I bought an old Mills diesel, but I didn't use it.

the Taube is a "floater" that I could use as a slope soarer with 1100 sq. in. of wing area, and flies easily on the idle, and on the Laser the ilde is 800 rpm.

I like stooging around as close to the stall as I can, but other fliers on my frequency can get annoyed waiting for my flight to end.