LUCK!

Well, got the plane to the field, all went well with the setup, checked the throws to make sure severything moved the way it was supposed to. Remembered that I hadn't tightened up the spark plug on the 3mm -53. Pulled the prop, pulled the cowl, tightened it up and decided to run the engine the first time without the cowl on. Had to hear it run! What an easy engine to start the first time. Bounced up against the compression to pump the fuel. Fuel moved through the lines really good. Turned on the ignition power, 2 flips and a pop, three flips and it roared to life. Ran it for a little while going from an idle to very short bursts of full. Range checked with engine running, perfect. Tried the failsafe on the spektrum DX7, need to work on that part. Checked out the ability to kill the engine via choke, worked perfectly as I new it would. Being really excited after all that, I got the cowl, hatch and everything buttoned back up, got a drink to cool down. Checked the batteries a-ok. Ready to maiden this beauty. Turn on the radio, turn on the plane. Choke it, expecting it to pop on the first or second flip again--- no luck. Absolutely nothing. Double checked to make sure fuel was flowing, it was. Recycled the ignition switch. Flipped it some more, now luck. Smell fuel, think its flooded. Turn it all off, set down to cool off. Wait 30 minutes, try again, nothing. Not even a hint of fire. Wait another 30 minutes, still nothing. Pack it up, bring it home, not sure what to do at this point other than try it again Saturday.... Can't wait to fly it. All the guys at the field were wanting to see it fly as well. I have a fuel filter running from the main container to the fuel tank, so I am reasonable sure nothing can be stuck in the carb. Running a 2300 TBM pack to a badger switch into a Smart Fly Ignition Regulator then to the 3mm Ignition Module. Plenty of powere there.

Anybody have any ideas? Please?? hahaha I am desperate.

Look for a bad connection on one of the ignition wires, the switch to ignition plug, or the switch itself. Only takes a couple of things to make a gasse run. Air, fuel, and spark. You have two of the three so you need to figure out where the electricity went. Pull the plug, attach the plug wire, hold the plug against the head, being sure it maintains contact with the engine. Turn on the ignition and spin the prop while checking the plug for sparks. Again, make sure the plug is grounded on the cylinder or other metal part of the engine. If that part doesn't work you have either a bad ignition or a faulty electrical path between the battery, switch, and the ignition. I'm betting on an issue other than the ignition itself.

Then again, you may have flooded the engine at the time and it's often a devil of a time to get them started for a fer hours after that.

I think it flooded when you killed it with the choke. Next time it wont start like that pull the plug and flip it over a few times to clear the engine. Dry the plug and try again.

On that engine the plug is at the very bottom of the cylinder if inverted mount. This means any residual fuel will drain to the bottom and into the plug, drowning it. You killed it with the choke, no better way to flood an engine.

Pull the plug out and blow out the residual fuel and goo and dry it off real well, then plug it into the cap and test the ignition by turn on the power and rotating the prop a few times. No need to ground the plug, the cap itself is grounded through the braided sleeve. You should have a nice blue spark.

Reinstall the plug, go fly.

TF

Tom,

Do you have any idea about when Suhkette shipments to the UK may happen? I really want to buy one

Thanks guys, I will try that tonight at home, maybe maiden this weekend...

I've got to give a HUGE kudos to Tom and his gal today with Wild Hare! I originally was going down the path of getting the 28% Extra and due to schedule changes, family, etc... - I needed a plane sooner than later. I called Tom and asked to change my order to the 50cc Sukhoi. He ribbed me a bit when I asked if he had any in stock and he said he did, but I'd have to wait 3 months for them - he got me there... Anyway - he indicated they were headed out the door in hour and to my surprise they were able to get my little Sukhette to the UPS folks and I had a shipping notice in my e-mail box! Same Day!!!

That is totally awesome customer service and two thumbs up[sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif] to Tom - it's that type of service that sets vendors apart and places some in a different league!

Looks like my DA50 will go on this guy and I went with the canister setup on this bird. HS-5955's all around (I have them already) and awaiting the UPS guys next week...

Jason

You may want to put an RCats switch on your EI to kill your engine instead of using the choke. I run these on all of my planes and they work like a charm. www.rcatsystems.com

Why not just just use the good old fashion throttle kill. Works like a charm and doesn't flood your engine. Doesn't add the extra servo, linkage and complexity. If you feel the need for a backup way to kill the engine, keep your choke servo as a backup method.

Using the throttle strick to cut the engine is the method I've always used for my gassers. All it takes is simple adjustments of the throttle linkage and servo travel. You should be easily able to use the transmitter to bring the engine down to a low idle using the stick, then use the trim lever to fully close the carb butterfly from there. The only other "cut" option that I can think of that is just as effective is an optical kill switch. One that cuts the current to the ignition. The throttle method works just fine though.

I have had about 5 other gas engines from US41 to zdz100ng and have used the choke to kill them all. Never had that flood one out or make it hard to restart. Mentioned what was said about that to others with gas engines in a hobby shop and they had the same reaction I had. I havent had a chance to clean out the plug yet, but will this morning before going to the flying field.

I tossed that out there for those that don't want or like using a choke servo. I'd still be looking for a loose wire or connection in your case.

Ok, so I pulled the prop and cowl, then the plug... put plug back in the cap and turned the prop.... and it sparked. When I pulled the plug out, some fuel was accumulated in the bottom. But a quick question.... If I kill it with the ignition switch it will do the same thing as killing it with the choke switch, right? Would the best way would be just shut down the throttle and trim it closed? And a second q is, why haven't I had problems before when killing the engine with the choke?

When you kill it with the choke it pulls more fuel than normal and starves the engine for air. An ignition kill simply powers down your ignition module. I have on other engines in the past used choke servos to kill the engine with out any problems, but on my last few planes I have only used a smart fly opto kill.... just personal preference there.

All I use any more is the Smart-Fly Kill Switch. Used to use the choke servo method and also the throttle trim. I still can kill my motor with the throttle trim - AS A BACK UP to the Kill switch.

I have ran only DA-50's and when I would use the choke servo to kill the motor - it would require quite a few attempts to start the motor before it would start.

With the throttle trim - and after I used it to kill the motor - it would be kind of a pain to get the trim back to the original location - resulting in your idel RPM being off - which can be unsafe, especilly if it is high.

Now with the Kill Switch - land - kill the motor at idle - refuel - flip - flip and off you go.

Or you can just program your throttle kill onto a switch on your radio and be done with it. I always program an idle up/down and a throttle kill switch on two seperate switchs on my radio. Some people program these all on one three position switch but I don't trust myself enough for that method.

Well, I am wondering if the smart fly ignition regulator is providing enough juice to the plug. The spark it produces when outside the cylinder seems weak by memory. I have a 6v regulator I may put on there tomorrow. I spent an hour and a half trying to get it to do more than pop a few times. Choke on flip a few times 5 - 10 get a pop. Turn choke off, flip a few more times, a pop, then nothing. Open the throttle a click you might get a pop, but no start. Flip it a few more times, might get a pop. Flip it a few more times- flooded. No bubbles in the line to speak of. Pull the plug, no fuel drops from the cylinder, but you can get a few drops from the center of the plug. Dried it off, put it back repeat above process, nothing.... Ideas?


PS I havent touched the needles at all nor have I adjusted the timing. It ran so well the first time I hated to touch anything...

Same here

All the ignition needs is 4.8 volts. It will prolly fire all the way down to 4.3 but there's no reason to go that low. The ignition provided for the 53 is virtually the same as a CH Syncro Spark.

You could try looking at the choke plate when the choke is turned off. If it's not 90 degrees to the carb body that would cause the engine to run rich and rough, even rough enough to stop the engine from starting. Also if this has not been touch on; the main reason for the using an alternate method to turn off your engine other than the programmed throttle kill is so that if anything would happen to your throttle servo or channel in flight (Strip thottle servo gears, servo breaks loose from mount, or any number of things that can interfere with the throttle) it can be remotely shut down.
Believe it or not this has happend numerous times at the fields I fly at, Mostly with glow but the times that it happened on a gasser it was really dangerous because the servo seems to always stop or get stuck at a high idle position. Know the plane is to fast to Land safely and the engine is running to slow to burn out the tank. Imagine flying for hours not being able to do anything but creep around the field at a gliders pace. This happened to 2 friends and they both lost there new planes after there transmitters died out.

I use the programmed throttle kill as my primary and the choke servo as a backup. I like to start the engine without reaching inside the cowl but I think the electronic kills are the best. This eliminates human error and servo failures, and for there cost compared to the cost of these planes it's should not even be and issue

I always set my planes up the same way. I use the throttle to kill the engine and the choke only for starting and as emergency kill.

Futaba 9c allws you to set up a 3 way switch as hi-low-off. Start on hi, taxi and fly on low, off to kill.

I also use a Spektrum DX7. It has a neat feature you can enable that will remember the last throttle trim location when you hold the trim down until it is fully closed. The next time you trim it up, it returns to where you had it. So find a comfortable idle RPM, then trim all the way closed to kill the engine, then let it jump back to running position with one up-trim click.

TF

.

In case it saves somebody from getting as frustrated as I feel at the moment...when applying the wing graphics, remember that the wings sit in recessed pockets and allow for that when placing the graphics...doh!![:@]

That's a bummer on the graphics... Mine will be here on Wed so crossing the fingers that it makes it unscathed.

Jason