Engine ratings
 

Hi, I'm a beginner but I was wondering what the rating of engines means. They are listed as 0.30, 0.50, 0.60, and 0.90. How much thrust do each of these motors give? Are there any good websites that explain this. Do any of them (depending on configuration) have the power to lift objects, ie extra on-board electronics?
Thanks,
Carl

RE: Engine ratings
 

They are the displacement of the engine in cubic inches. A .50 or what we call a 50 is 1/2 a cubic inch displacement.

50 and 90 machines typically have better power to weight ratios than 30's or 60's if your contemplating camera work or something similar.

RE: Engine ratings
 

The numbers you mention are the displacement of the cylinder. The volume of the place inside the cylinder where the piston moves. Indicated in cubic inches..... a 0.50 is 0.50 cubic inches, 0.90 is 0.90 cubic inches etc...


A 0.45 cubic inches engine equals to 7.5 cubic centimeters ( 7.5 CC ).


As for power.... Too many variables! Some engines, like ducted fan engines, will devellop tremendous amounts of power, but at high rpm, which is great for a jet but unsuitable for a slow aerobatic plane, where the torque of a lower rpm engine will be appreciated. There are two and for stroke engines, four stroke have a more scale-like sound and tend to devellop a lot of torque at low rpm which is appreciated by aerobatic planes.



I don't know if there is such a website, but to give an idea... A 6 pound helicopter will be powered by a .30 to .50 engine, a 6 pound trainer plane by a .45 engine, a 10-12 pound aerobatic plane by a 1.2 to 1.8 engine, a 15 pound light scale plane such as a Piper Cub by a .90 engine.... etc... And if you want to lift object with a helicopter it will depend on the helicopter itself and of much power reserve you have... You will have to experiment....

RE: Engine ratings
 

A 30 size heli will lift 2 1/2 pounds no problem, you can tell it's on there, but it will fly around with it on there. After about 3/4 of a tank of fuel it starts to get a little hot, but nothing serious. If your thinking of carrying a camera, I would go with at lest a 50 size or bigger.