Welcome to Club SAITO !
08-11-2017, 10:59 PM
Many thanks guys,glad you liked looking at them.As far as painting my own planes well i hav'nt done that since i was ten years old and my dads soon to be not best friend loaned me his beautiful p40 to put on a big shelf in my bedroom.Spent hours looking up at that aeroplane on the shelf before i just had to take it out into dads shed when everybody else was out.Luckily dad had the right shades of housepaint to mix up some nice camo colours and a three inch stiff bristled paint brush,couple of hours later i stood back proudly watching it dry and thinking maybe i should'nt have painted the canopy.I could tell people were shocked when they saw it.So,i never painted a model aircraft again tho i've painted lots of full size one's from heli's to jets.I've got an old 2000 model v6 toyota camry wagon i put my planes in when i go flying and it's got primer patches on it,so people say 'when are you going to paint it' and i said to the mechanic who asked me...when are you going to do the valve guides in your smokey old heap,he just laughed.
Dave if you know someone who owns a rocket three go for a ride,absolute stump puller.I would'nt like to be buying rear tyres for it tho
they don't last long.
Dave if you know someone who owns a rocket three go for a ride,absolute stump puller.I would'nt like to be buying rear tyres for it tho
they don't last long.
08-12-2017, 03:21 AM
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SAITO FA-40a
This is an engine test by Bill Jensen that I had not read before , I have two of these, one has not seen fuel,yet. I have two Xoar 11x6's coming so I can play when my fingers are well again. A Saito FA .40a and an earlier FA .40 side by side.
I'm just beatin in time while my fingers heal.
This is an engine test by Bill Jensen that I had not read before , I have two of these, one has not seen fuel,yet. I have two Xoar 11x6's coming so I can play when my fingers are well again. A Saito FA .40a and an earlier FA .40 side by side.
I'm just beatin in time while my fingers heal.
08-12-2017, 07:36 AM
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Tuning issues FA450r3
Hi all, new to this thread. Looking for help from a saito tuning expert. Figured this should be the place. I recently purchased a NIB old stock FA450r3. I have three other saitos, 125, 182t, fa300t. Have had good luck with all so far but am a little concerned about the tuning results so far with the radial. Broke it in as instructed, I use 20/20 Power master fuel, 22/10 Falcon wood prop, on board glow for start and idle. I started at 5turns out on the HS needle and the engine started fine, idled fine and ran at moderate varying speeds for three 32oz tanks with no problems. On the fourth tank I attempted to start leaning the HS needle. When I first went to WOT she tached at 6800 but after 15 to 20 seconds she died as if starving for fuel. On the next start I began turning in the needle but that caused the WOT run to end even sooner. Even though I was at 5 turns out on the third run I began opening the needle gaining run time and eventually ended up at 6 turns out. The engine idles great, transitions great runs 6850 at WOT, flys the plane great but seems to run very rich. I would think this engine should end up around 3 1/2 turns out. Have I missed something or is the radial a different animal? Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Thx BTW I have about 15 flights on this models with no issues with the engine except for what I think is way to rich running.
08-12-2017, 08:57 AM
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I srtuggled with my 450r3 for a while trying to balance the cylinders. You might have the one on the lower left not running well(too rich). I solved it by converting it to glow ignition from C H ignitions. But I never got closer to 5 or 6 turns out when tuning, before or after the conversion.
08-12-2017, 08:12 PM
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I have two of these
LOL
Jim
Last edited by the Wasp; 08-12-2017 at 08:24 PM.
08-14-2017, 01:52 AM
Bipelover i read your post with interest because i like the 450 triple and have seen one flown at the club.I have a 200r3 and it does the same thing ie running rich on one bottom cylinder so i used to leave a glow stick on that pot when i was setting the idle and transition speeds.I believe there was a previous discussion here between dave and his friend dan about a modification to the 450 that evened out the fuel distribution,i think that was combined with a ch ignition but still running methanol.The modified 450 was flown in a big corsair and was on you tube,hope this helps keep us updated please.
ps boy did it sound good and plenty of grunt.
08-14-2017, 07:50 AM
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I srtuggled with my 450r3 for a while trying to balance the cylinders. You might have the one on the lower left not running well(too rich). I solved it by converting it to glow ignition from C H ignitions. But I never got closer to 5 or 6 turns out when tuning, before or after the conversion.
08-14-2017, 08:39 AM
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No, I think there are a lot of factors other than just the engine that will affect the final position of the needle. i.e. tank position length of fuel line run and fuel line size. Mine never came close to being tuned in with the needle less than 4 or 5 turns out. With the ignition it runs with much less fuel. I will check it and re tune for the fall flying season, but not till we have a heat index much lower than the 105 we will have for August here in Texas. I wouldn't worry about how many turns on the needle if you can tune for a good idle and transition, and can get a top end just rich of top rpm you are doing good. If you cant get it to do that try the C H mod and that should solve your problems.
08-15-2017, 03:38 AM
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No, I think there are a lot of factors other than just the engine that will affect the final position of the needle. i.e. tank position length of fuel line run and fuel line size. Mine never came close to being tuned in with the needle less than 4 or 5 turns out. With the ignition it runs with much less fuel. I will check it and re tune for the fall flying season, but not till we have a heat index much lower than the 105 we will have for August here in Texas. I wouldn't worry about how many turns on the needle if you can tune for a good idle and transition, and can get a top end just rich of top rpm you are doing good. If you cant get it to do that try the C H mod and that should solve your problems.
08-15-2017, 03:58 AM
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Jim put your glasses on when you look at two supposedly same size engines side by side buddy
Bipelover i read your post with interest because i like the 450 triple and have seen one flown at the club.I have a 200r3 and it does the same thing ie running rich on one bottom cylinder so i used to leave a glow stick on that pot when i was setting the idle and transition speeds.I believe there was a previous discussion here between dave and his friend dan about a modification to the 450 that evened out the fuel distribution,i think that was combined with a ch ignition but still running methanol.The modified 450 was flown in a big corsair and was on you tube,hope this helps keep us updated please.
ps boy did it sound good and plenty of grunt.
Bipelover i read your post with interest because i like the 450 triple and have seen one flown at the club.I have a 200r3 and it does the same thing ie running rich on one bottom cylinder so i used to leave a glow stick on that pot when i was setting the idle and transition speeds.I believe there was a previous discussion here between dave and his friend dan about a modification to the 450 that evened out the fuel distribution,i think that was combined with a ch ignition but still running methanol.The modified 450 was flown in a big corsair and was on you tube,hope this helps keep us updated please.
ps boy did it sound good and plenty of grunt.
08-15-2017, 04:06 AM
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One other thing I did was to setup my onboard glow to a separate channel on a toggle. So instead of a throttle set point I can switch it on and off as needed. I've been leaving it on from taxi right thru liftoff then switch it off. Then back on for the landing approach and taxi back. Been very reliable and relieves the anxiety, if you know what I mean. LOL
08-15-2017, 04:18 AM
Hey now that's a good idea if you are not confident about all cylinders staying alight on taxi out and power up or approach,i've never tried that.You are right the 450 triple sounds awesome,i'd like saito to make us a 440 kinda inline twin so i could run short shotgun style pipes out the side of the cowl on a bigger mustang or similar...yeah i think i'm dreaming.
08-15-2017, 04:46 PM
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It's doing well but too slowly to suit me, I see the hand guy again Thursday and I should be done with him. I took the last antibiotic and 6 pm, been off the pain pills since Wednesday. Progress is happening. Thanks, Dave
08-16-2017, 03:07 AM
Well i am i think the pope has a point.Dave what do you think on the merits or otherwise of saito going a little bit down the kolm engines road and producing,in effect,a 7hp 440 or bigger TI twin using the existing 220 single,on glow fuel it would be a monster.Maybe menthanol and ignition or gas?
ps i like the fa220 in silver rather than the gk version because saito spent a lot of time polishing them.
pps capt44 re the 125 you can't polish a turd but you can wrap one in glitter..
ps i like the fa220 in silver rather than the gk version because saito spent a lot of time polishing them.
pps capt44 re the 125
you can't polish a turd but you can wrap one in glitter..