Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

. . . that the smaller the engine is, the harder it is to start? I'm talking aero engines here as the starting mechanism is the same in almost all sizes.
I have noticed this along with others. My Enya 09 is a real bugger to start, takes a lot of effort, my Enya 19 is better, my OS LA46 starts up with a few flicks of the prop and my mate's 180 engine (can't remember the make) starts every time with one flick.
Has anyone else found this?

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Rob:

My experience is that the smaller the engine the more difficult it can be to find the right settings for starting. Once they are learned the smaller engines are not particularly more difficult (or easier) than the larger ones to start.

My engines range from 0.02 CID up to larger than 2.3 CID, they are all one of two flick starters. Once I learn the right combination.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Yeah, you have to whack the prop with the littluns.

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

and if two flicks don't do it ya just wrap yer beard around the spinner a give it a yank...:D


dave

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Dave:

My beard wraps aroung the spinner only after I get the engine running.

Haw.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

William,

As long as you don't face-up with the prop, it's OK to use the beard type pull-starter...

Props have been know to break, when they clash with faces...

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Hmmmm... You may be on to something!! The MD80's JT8d_219 engines seem to start fine (as long as we have APU air! :D)

Cheers!

Jim

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

I've always found that larger engines will start with the needle set for normal running. On smaller engines like an 0.049, I have found it necessary to open the needle about half a turn, then set the fuel mixture after the engine has had a few seconds to stabilize. But other than that, I have found little difference in starting either.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Except they need less beard...

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Mick:

Quite true, but I have plenty of beard to go around, thanks.

Haw.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Bill,

Streuth! It looks like you've pulled a few buses with that, I don't know about .049s...

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

It looks like Bill started off using his fringe to start engines. However, this resource rapidly dried up . . .

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Rob:

Actually, it's a little hard to get it dry down here in Fla. But the air conditioning helps. Haw.

Plenty left. Here's me with a knock-about antique (more than fifteen years old) plane, and a Magnum 1.08 powered Stick.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Lookin' a little like Flyboy Dave there---

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

....true, James....but I found out it's better to wear a hat in the blazing sun !

( I think that's where Bill went wrong....sunstroke ! [X(] )

....don't tell him I said that. :)

FBD. :D

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

That is because the carb is around the back with a long intake, you cannot choke the carb so you adjust the needle richer. With other small engines with a front carb you start them the same as with larger engines. My only problem with small engines is that they seem to be easier to flood.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Dave, Bill,

I am feeling a little 'hirsutely' (is that right?) challenged with you boys and your piccies - I do still have some of my fringe left though...



...wish the take-off strip had a bit less growth on it.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Mick:

We'll accept "Hirsutely Challenged" for the purpose of this discussion.

While I must also admit your mug is not the worst I've seen posted on RCU, it also would be greatly improved if it were not "Hirsutely Challenged."

Haw.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

I have found that OS .10 and .15 engines start just as easily as bigger engines. But .05 and .06 engines are a great pain in the butt. And the 2 experienced modelers I know who tried .07 engines both failed to get them to run out a full tank of fuel in the air. I will never again buy anything smaller than a .10. Life is too short to spend it dealing with balky engines when flying is what I want to do.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Those .07s must not have been Norvels, or there was something else wrong. All 6 of my Norvel .074s start as easily as my K&B .61. And my Norvel .049s are almost as good. If you're going to stick with .10s and up, it's your boat anchor, but my Norvel .074 will outpower most .10s, and some .15s, and be WAY lighter.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Dave, I saw a picture of you earlier in your soul stiring racers crouch aboard a Bultaco, Were you clean shaven then or did you manage to get all that hair stuffed into a helmet?

BTW you road race guys were always my heroes. I contented myself with falling off XR 750s on clay ovals.

jess

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

Jess:

How about a Harley KR on AMA flat tracks, then graduating to a Black Lightning on the AAMRR circuit? All without a beard, in my case.

Bill.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

You Ole Boys!!! AMA Flat Tracks, Harleys: You wouldn't know what to do with a proper racing two-stroke.

You'd probably get your hirsuteness caught up in the chain.

350 LC Yamaha, Snetterton production races, those were the days. Too many sprains, breaks, crutches, hospital food, getting older and more sensible and having visions of spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair...

Do you think it is a "recognised truth" (see, keeping in with the thread) that old bike racers never die: they just fly RC planes?

RE: Is it a recognized truth . . .
 

Mick:

My one venture into Jab scooters was a Yamaha YDS-1 250cc that I never liked. It was reasonably fast, but I just couldn't stand the "Riing-Diing-Diing" of the engine.

And about that time Charles MacCowan and Sid Biberman got me into Vincents, everything else left very shortly thereafter.

And AMA wouldn't allow the 1000cc bikes, so I just had to go AAMRR.

Bill.

PS: Picture is the Black Lightning. wr.

RE: Is it a recognised truth . . .
 

I was squared away when I first got out of the Service in '68. I saved
most of my money in "Nam, and when I got out I bought a new BSA Hornet,
that's a 650 factory flat-tracker....and put it on the street....it was fast.
And I bought this 250 Bultaco Pursang MK III for racing.

At one time....when I was a motorcycle mechanic, I had a stable of 5
racing bikes, and a street bike. That's all we did, was race bikes. :D

Dave. :D