Im on a quest for some more power here. My Lanier Ripper dont fly the best anymore. At full throttle it just barely stays in the air when im toting a streamer. Currently im running a OS .15 CVA and i think i need more oopmh from the motor to fly competively.
So i was thinking of hooking up a mousse can muffler from flying Z since i have a MACs header on the way for it. Question. Should i take the time and tune the header then stuff it in the pipe? Or what everyone else does and stuff the hole header in the can?

Do you think its a setup issue on the plane or the motor just needs a little more power. My plane is just a hare over 2 1/2 lbs empty. When im trying to practice flying with a streamer on it really, really slows the plane down. Then it takes a lot of effort to keep it in the air.

That's just not right. That plane should fly fine on an OS LA or any of several other engines with out a pipe. The CV-A should put out way more than enough power for that plane, even at just over 2.5lbs.

What prop are you using? Try a MAS 7x4. The MAS 8x3 should also work well.

Does your wing have the spars sticking out, or do you have a nice smooth top of the wing? I've seen an number of Lanier planes built so that the spar sticks up and makes a lump. That lump seems to affect the ability of the wing to generate lift. It certainly doesn't help anything.

Streamers do add drag and weight to the plane, but with a low pitch prop, you should be able to pull a normal 30foot, streamer with no problem. What are you using for a streamer? If you have something too heavy or wide, it could be more than it should be, but even with 2-3 streamers, you should be ok.

I know it's a drive, but if the weather is good this Sunday, do you want to come up here for some practice and trouble shooting?

Montague, I did make a new wing for the plane. And I did put the leading edge plastic guards on. Granted I did a much better job on the spar as its not sticking up through the wing. Well it is but a very very small amount. Again with a little too much glue. The streamer I was using was an extra streamer that i had from the combat event. So its the standard crepe 1 inch wide streamer.
My plane flew at the event but people was still doing circles around me.

I don't remember if the Ripper or the Slasher is the SSC one but I'm assuming yours is the SSC version since your running the 15 on it.

First lets look at prop selection. I'm assuming your running the MAS blue prop if it's SSC which is an 8x3 I think. This is what you have to tune your motor to since its a spec prop for the class.

Next is your CG, if your CG is too nose heavy you'll be wasting a lot of efficiency just keeping it in the air. Try the balance point at 1/3 the chord of the wing mid span keeping the plane ever so slightly tail heavy. Just be a little careful on the sticks in case its snappy. With the fully symetrical wing you should have no problem flying it under control with that setup.

Also, make sure your ailerons are level with the horizontal stab or reflexed up 1/16th of an inch.

Tach your motor and post results. If your spinning over 14,000 you should be able to fly with no problem. The mousse can muffler is not legal for SSC, only for Open A which it seems like your not able to keep up with anyway.

NAES

NAES, note the use of the CV-A engine, which is not SSC legal anyway, no matter what prop, rpm, or exhaust setup.

yeah i was going to repond earlier. The store got a little busy there. Anyway.. IM currently running the MAS 7x4 prop on it now. Couldn't tell you what the tach is on it. I have off Wednesday and I will post it.. As for now i bored out the baffle a little on the muffler trying to get a few hundred rpm.
Yeah i was about to comment that the cva isn't ssc legal anyway.. I want to use as open A.
I was thinking if when i build the other wing if I clip the wing 2 inches. a 60 inch wing to 58 inch or shorter (inch on each side- etc) would i get more performace out of it? Granted its increasing the wing loading but not to worried. Also saving weight.

Based on the way I've seen them fly, I wouldn't cut the wing down right now, I don't think that is your problem.

Ok.. Since I had off today from work I wanted to check the motor on the plane.. Couldn't fly it today since its a little too windy. For what i gather I think its not the motor becuase im getting some pretty nice tach numbers. This is what i got. On the MAS 7x4 prop with wildcat 15% fuel I was getting a peak tach of 19.3k and a mininum of 18.9k. So what could it be then. CG?

The wing spar thing I mentioned before could be a factor. If it's big enough it basicaly acts like a spoiler.

Other than that, the CG might be a factor if you are massivly nose heavy, but you'd really have to be very very nose heavy, but I don't know.

If the streamer is too large, you might get something close to what you are getting, but you'd need a pretty big streamer to cause it.

You said the plane flys fine with out the streamer? Where and how are you attaching the streamer to the plane?

Well my streamer is just tied on to the vert stab at the end. I have about a 6 foot lead to where the streamer itself is tied on. As for the wing spar granted its protruding just a small bit. Ill see if i can attach a photo of the wing and you could deside on it.
I just need a day to fly. Everyday i have off its either too windy or it just rained. Ill move the CG back a little bit more and see what happens. ill keep you posted.

I missed the part about it being a cv motor.

I attach my streamer to the thrust line or as close as possible to it. Imagine a line coming out the back of the motor and follow it to the end of the plane. In that area is where I attach the streamer so I get the most consistent flight characteristics with or without it.

NAES

heres a few pictures of the wing. The spar is slightly ubove the wing lot less then my first wing....

If you're putting the streamer on the top of the vertical stab, that will cause all kinds of problems. You should attach the streamer as NAES said, in line with the engine. I've had streamers get snagged on the top of my vertical tail, and it really changes the pitch trim and that can result in odd elevator response.