I've been racing nitro RC cars for a while, and I am interested in getting a plane or heli sometime in the near future. One of things that I am wondering is how would one go about breaking in an aircraft engine?

With most new nitro engines, they are finicky for the first few tanks of fuel. They tend to stall out often until they are broken in and tuned properly. In a car or truck, this is not really a big deal as you just pick the car up and restart it. However in a plane or heli, if the engine stops, it's gonna crash.

So would I be best to break the engine in on the ground on a stand or something, or what?

Run 3 or 4 tanks thru it on the ground and get your needles set. Then put it in the air being careful of high angle climb outs on take off.

Jim

But unlike the incorrect break in most car drivers use, don't run it at idle! Run your engine at full throttle just past the 4-2 cycle point. (rich 2 cycle).

I break my car engines in by running them at full throttle for short spurts. I think the goal is to get the engine as hot as possible, then to let it cool with the piston at BDC.