Any experience out there using 1/2A engines on a Gentle Lady, either in the nose or on a wing-mount pylon? The instruction manual provides for both options, and I've got hardware / engines to to either. But I can't see a Cox BabyBee (or ANY Bee, Tee or Dee) getting a 2M glider aloft.

I fly a .020 FF replica Brooklyn Dodger (26", 8 oz) and a screaming TD .020 does OK. But an .049 on a 78" glider.... Hmmm.

Yes, it will work, BUT you're really better off throwing a cheap electric outfit in it.

A speed 400 motor and gearbox will pull up a large glider just fine and you spare yourself of the hassle of starting the engine, the oil it leaves on the plane and the filling of the tank... Although, when you use the PeeWee you dont have to charge the battery between flights, you just fuel up....

Kefer,
A TD or Black Widow on a power would ideal for a 2 meter glider. This set up lets you use it as a conventional glider as well.
I used one on a Gentle Lady to learn to fly. You can definitely get a GL into thermal territory this way! My friend and RC teacher back in the day took my radio away from me so he could get the GL out of a nice thermal just before it disappeared[sm=shades_smile.gif]

I used to use a Black Widow .049 and a Venom on my Spirit 2m. This worked pretty well and was economical. Now I am using brushless power in it. The weight of the motor and batteries took a little getting used to but over all flight performance is much better with electric. If you can afford electric and do not care that the motor and batteries will be present full time, I recommend you go that way. If money is an issue, the the .049 will do the job.

FYI.

I used a Kavan extended tank on my motors. This gave me about 5 min run time. On a good day, that was more than enough to get to 500'. Sometimes, all you need is about 2-3 minutes of run time. With my electric, all I need is 30-40 seconds. With the extra weight of the batteries, wind penetration is much improved too.


Scot

Well said, scott. If you hav brushless, use it. If you like the smell of glow fuel, use glow. Depends on how you like to fly. If you like better speed and penetration, longer run times and reliability, by all means use a brushless setup.

good stuff
I would go with the electric if you have any noise restrictions where yo u fly. however the lightest is likely a TD 049 and a pod tank set up. You might also read up on 049 Texaco engine set ups for LONG runs. pop in the 1/2 a forum those guys are NUTS errr I mean very helpful[sm=pirate.gif]

IMHO, wind conditions where you fly has much to do with how viable a 1/2A is. I am running a nose mounted .09 AP Honet in a 78" Gnome and although it is a willing little engine, on windy days (say, 12 to 15mph) it really has its' hands full coping. Less than 12/15 and the combination is very satisfactory.

This is all great! Thanks , guys!
I've gone the electric route, and I think I'm leaning towards the lighter, noisier, oily method. Winds are fairly light, so I can keep the weight and penetration down.

We'll see if the old TeeDee on a pod will do the trick.

A reed valve engine that has two bypass ports in the cylinder will have more power than the single bypass found in the classic old Baby Bee and Golden Bee. A Black Widow as well as the currently (at the moment) available product engines have the twin port cylinders.

The TeeDee will pull the GL up fairly nicely but it's more of a steep uphill glide angle rather than a serous climb. The BW or product engine reedies will glide it uphill at a slightly shallower angle but will manage if it's not much more than 30 oz overall.

Three guys at our field have 2 meter gliders with 049 to 061s on pods or in the nose. Gentle Ladys did not thermal well at all with the 061 wieght a very light mount and a TD worked best for better glide times. All are great fun in the dark with glow sticks taped on!

trim for powered flight for night flying and trim for glide and ride the sticks when under power for thermal flying[8D]

This is a few months old but found it checking for Gentle Lady posts. I am a 25-46 size glow flyer but I had this Gentle Lady in the closet that I built back in 1985. FINALLY decided to try it for the first time (long story about the 23 year wait) yesterday when wind was under 5 MPH. I have a Golden Bee mounted to the front and it flew and climbed great. Today the wind was 10 MPH but decided to try it anyway. Didn't have the forward speed like yesterday but still climbed right out. Yes, electric is probably better but when you don't have all the chargers and the Gentle Lady is a change of pace airplane, the .049 is a lot simpler. Funny thing is that the engine was running and the plane was about 300 feet away when another flier cranked up his DA-150 next to me. I could still hear that .049 whinning away. Now if I could just get the Gentle Lady to snap roll like my Kaos.

a Gentle Lady will snap like a Kaos.....once
Hope you enjoy gliders as much as I do! GLs are not known for penatration in windy conditions but are fine for thermal flying.

I have been having fun with the Gentle Lady as a change of pace plane. But I would like to have throttle but don't want to go electric. I have been looking at other small engines such as AP and Thunder Tiger. My preference would really be an OS 10LA. Anyone tried the OS 10LA on a Gentle Lady?

Just do it, the GL will support anything from a .049 to a .25, although I would not recommend more than .15. Leave enough clearance for the prop and about 1.5 inches more. And it may be a good idea to use 3 to 5 degrees UP thrust.

I have an unused OS 15FP but judging from how the plane did with a Cox Golden Bee .049, an OS 10LA seems like the best bet. I know OS engines but not sure about the other brands. I can get a 2 ounce tank in easily. I just like the idea of using the same 10% fuel I do on my other planes.

Here is a pic of the GL taken back in 1985. Still looks the same though

both will be just fine, but obviously gliding characterisitics will be affected by the bigger prop

Well have the GL ready to go with an OS 10 LA and hope to try it tomorrow. A little thing called Hurricane Ike put me back about two weeks ordeing the engine. Have to see how it does though I am really looking for a change of pace type air plane not a true sail plane.
Report tomorrow if I make it to the field.

OMG
an OS 10 on a Gentle Lady? You would have to be nuts LOL

One night a friend and I decided my Gentle Lady needed to attend the float fly. So we whipped out a balsa pod with a 2 ounce tank and throttle servo for my OS 10 FP and bent up some light brazing rod to tape some quickly hand sawn white foam floats to covered with 2" clear tape. The whole works rubber banded on to the poor old Lady. Flew just fine with a hand toss (not enough power to take off from water) and landed just fine.

If its fun DO IT