lopflyers

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Happy New Year to all in The Club

FNQFLYER

Happy New Year to all, still raining here in FNQ, the silly buggers are still trying to run the Nationals at Dalby with little to no town water, evacuees coming in occassionally and now more rain is predicted down there, will turn the already sticky mud into real glue and I am wondering how they are going with 100% humidity (I guess with the drying out) and 30 degree centigrade air temps.  All normal for us in FNQ.
Mother nature provided me with great excuses not to go, road cuts on the various roads I would have used to get there.
BUT I have to say ego's are powerful things and more power to those that are running it.
This is great weather to build no need for excuses and we have all the essential supplies laid on, including a new mixed drink from the Bundy distillery (may it survive the flood) it is called Bundy Bare (OP rum mixed with diet cola) just the thing for a type 2 diabetic like myself.
I have either a 110 or a 125 in the wind (on the road somewhere south) and plans for a FG14 and that new gas twin this year, heres hoping.
Any way to all a happy and prosperous and importantly safe new year may all your flights be long and landings safe ones
BTB I love to see that L188c clone come up occassionally good stuff N1EDM

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Jim/W8YE, thanks for that update. I'll be getting the 125b then... It will be put into a Top Flite Gold Edition P-51 - I hope that there's room.

And, FNQFLYER, what does FNQ stand for? I don't see a region of Australia referred to as FNQ and it's gotten to my curiosity.

Have a Happy New Year everyone, and thanks for the information,

Bob

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

My older Twist first had a OS 91 Surpass II engine. Then a Saito 100, then the 125. They were all bolted into the same bolt holes.

The 125 doesn't weigh as much as you would think. I still had to move the battery along side the servos to balance the older Twist.

Craig 01

Bob,
it's short for,Far North Queensland.
Happy New Year to all.

FNQFLYER

As the man from Maryborough said it is Far North Queensland.  It starts north of the Cardwell Range (north of Townsville) and it is the gateway to the Cape (Cape Yorke) and the Gulf Country.  It is even recognised by our national (ABC) radio network the weather department and numerous other official organisations.
To Craig 01 how come you aren't at the Nats, I am reliably informed by those in officialdom there that "ever one is there". The cntinuing weather outlook for the Downs isn't encouraging, though some of my O/T mates will go up late today or tomorrow to "assist" if required.
I hope Maryborough is not fairing to badly from all the water we are receiving, I am currently fixing leaks on my roof where the roofer didn't seal the joints when he replaced some iron roof panels but it is small beans compaired with Rocky, Dalby and Bundaberg peoples problems.
Got a couple of new books on Rare Bear and Miss America (the racing P51) to keep me occupied over the next couple of days after I finish the maintenance.
Stay safe all

FNQFLYER

Re the FNQ thing I live in Cairns fly at Innisfail (soon also at Mareeba) and compete at Canowindra in NSW, various venues around S.E. QLD and other places such as time allows.

FNQFLYER

For N1EDM I used to crew chief 3 x L188C freighter with there jorthern terminus at Cairns.  (L188c = P3C in military guise, a wonderful a/c)

Jimmy Hoffa

My Feedback: (3)

Silv,
Hobbsy is correct about not having enough lash, but...

I used to set my valve clearance at .004" but attribute a ruined cam to the large gap. Now a run slightly less than .001". The two things I check to make sure it's not too tight are; rocker arm can still wiggle left to right and good engine compression. Obviously, the engine should run well also.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Running too much valve lash will beat out a little pocket on the leading clearance ramp of the cam.

I replace about as many cam and lifters as I do bearing sets

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Hi everyone, and Happy New Year,

Thanks for the education on Far North Queensland. I was familiar with Queensland but had never come across FNQ, so thanks for clarifying that. I recognized all the other areas such as New South Wales, etc. but FNQ keep tossing me for a loop. Thanks!

Craig, I remember reading once on this thread about one guy's suggestion for setting valves. He used a doubled over piece of celophane wrapper such as from a cigarette pack, etc. I tried that and it worked very nicely instead of the feeler guages.

I'm going to put my new Saito 125b on order today.

Oh, and FNQFLYER, very good on being a Crew Chief on the P-3 (or your version of it). I'm not sure how your sensor stations were set up inside (I know that the Canadian CP-901 was different from ours), but on ours, we had two stations, SS1 (Sensor Station 1) and SS2. I was SS1. My station was just forward of the wing leading edge. You got to sit up in the front and play with all those nifty engines and other toys and had to keep the pilots awake.

Bob

Kostas1

Anyone tried the FA-200R3, yet ?

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

Jim, I have stumbled on to a small puzzle. Yesterday I ran my little Saito .40a with a Graupner 10.5x6 and WildCat 2/4 15% all synthetic lube. Now, the skinny they have at Horizon suggest a 10x4 and 10,500 rpm. Mine turns the 10.5x6 at 10,250, it seems to me the 10x4 would be a complete waste of the engine.

Broken Wings

My Feedback: (20)

That's Great!

FNQFLYER

N1EDM, My L188c was the original Electra that the P3C was based on.  At Ansett we had at one stage 4 off them.  The original 3 were passenger a/c that were eventually converted to freighters. We bought the Mc Culloch private Electra that made 4. We carted all sorts of freight around Australia and NZ, all good stuff.  The registrations were RMA, RMB, and RMC.  RMC was actually an A series that was used to test the LEAP mods (the nacelle uptolt) that came about because of the a/c loosing wings in certain flight modes (Called whirl mode, the wing tips scribed an elipse of around 2 to 3 feet in length by about 18 inches in height)
I also worked on our countries P3C's when the RAAF ran out of engineers and other experienced people.  It was a service obligation for me plus very lucrative contract for Ansett.  Was also involved with them in Indochina for a bit.
Ansetts Electras ended up at Channel Airways don't know what happened to the after that.  I still have fond memories of those 4 Alisons churning and burning prior to taxi, shear power not evident (so obviously) in the big jets of today
As an aside I have also worked on the original Lockheed Electras as well (Old a/c thing) They were for those who don't konow a twin Pratt junior powered tail dragger produced before WW 2.   A nice tidy fast for their day little a/c.  I think we still have 2 in OZ.
Any to much nostalgia for this place I think, if you can find it and you are interested the book THe Electra Story (endorsed by Lockheed) tells you all about the LEAP mod and the fix that allowed the a/c to fly after all the trouble it had.  I had a copy but during the course of the years it has dissappeared hopefully to a good home.
As an aside we have the worlds only complete and flyable Shorts Belfast still sitting on an airport here in Cairns, now that is another story for another day like wise we have to my great surprise a Helio Courier that has a CIA history if the serial number is to believed, all good stuff and I won't go into the model a/c engines (very old) that I have found in my travels.  
But I waffle, till another time    

FNQFLYER

To Hobbsy, the fact that different individual engines give up different performance figures when all else is equal is something of a wonderment t me.  I have had diesels that will not perform to manufacturers spec no matter what and fourstrokes that I have run 3 different tachometers over to verify figures that defy explanation.  I would enjoy that engine and mark it down as "not for sale".
In writing this I was reminded of some words that one of the Holden racing team engineers (George Shepard) said to me.  In the days of the real racing Holdens (70's) they had 2 different sources for engine blocks one that was from a collection of blocks that were left to season in a paddock for 12 months exposed to every type of weather and the other source was "good blocks" of the production line.  The paddock blocks were better because he believed they "were stress relieved" maybe you have one of those.
When I buy a new engine type (or apacity) I try to buy 2 and for me the second one to be used always seems to perform better than the first
Just some thoughts 

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

If I had a 40A I would have put a APC 11 X 6 on it.

FNQFLYER

So would have I w8ye at least to experiment with.  I generally like to "run the motor in" and then play with a variety of prop sizes, profiles and manufacturers.  I have more than a reasonable collection of "test props" and expect to add more as I purchase different engines.  These are all labelled as test props not to be used on flying duties.  I used to keep extensive records (back when I lived in Brisbane) but not only record the best and worst performences on each engine.
I have found so much difference in performance with props over the years even within a given manufacturer that I don't "trust" figures if I am using them for competing.  I used to use Bolly props (but they are now out of business, at least I believe so) so I will be now experimenting with Sherlock from WA and the better end of the Taipan range, wile not neglecting APC, Xoar, and Masterairscrew (for genral playing).
I have found that propellors are one of the most neglected and underestimated parts of our a/c performance, a fact that gave me and my competition partner an edge for a number of years, my main concern (if you can call it that) is that the accumulated knowledge that my mate Jim and I have amassed over the years will not be passed on though I have some hope as my eldest boy (unfortunately a helicopter engineer, the dark side to us fixed wing people) is aking up the hobby but with helicopters.  Thogh his heart is in the right place marking all my modelling and engineering equipment as his in my will.
One thing though I continue to learn through this forum and hopefully contribute from time to time.
The rain has stopped and I have to fix some more leaks in the roof, not good cutting into building time 
Catch ya later

blw

My Feedback: (3)

uh, say what again, over???

Please pass along my congratulations to your oldest son!!!!

FNQFLYER

I try not to encourage the "dark side" (I like my wings to stay in one place not move around) but I am pretty proud of him, currently working in 5AVN on Blackhawks.  He is doing pretty well in his chosen career and for the most part enjoying it.
Now all he has to do is learn how to fly the model.  I have visions of millions in tax dollars going up in flames though, it is raining in TSV and he and his mates are learning to fly these things in the Black Hawk hangers (which hopefully are empty, they are on deployment to assist with our flooding problems in the south.

FNQFLYER

In my other post I was commenting on propellors and thought processes and practises to determine best results, bit of waffle actually but I do ponder on the amount of knowledge we accumulate and what happens to it when we die, hopefully I will have passed all mine on one way or another.

Craig 01

G'day FNQ,Enjoy your reading.Maryborough faired well,we receved about 600mm of rain over the period with no major incidences on the whole apart from the Lamington bridge going under and the guard rails being ripped off and flooding of a couple of businesses beside the marina on the Mary.
No water damage or leaks to my house.My heart goes out to those less fortunate here and the worst hit parts of the state.
I'm somewhat incapacitated at present,have been for a while and havn't had a fly for months, am now 6 weeks post op from a shoulder reconstruction and have started physio,did i mention painful,lol,hurts just to ride in a car on our lovely pot hole free roads lol.Ouch

N1EDM,the doubled cellophane from the pack of durries would work well when gauges unavailabe and/or for convenience as you have found,so long as you have at least a .002" and no more than a .004" clearance cold,for those new to adjusting that are reading,if you have compression with no leaking past the valves and clearances aren't outside of the .004" your good to go.
Clearances can be set tighter/closer to .000" COLD on engines WITHOUT the .002" quieting/take up ramp cam.

Cheers to all

SigMan

My Feedback: (21)

what a wonderful thread i created 5 years ago ! keep it going my fiends !

FNQFLYER

Craig01, yes I agree all the water is not good BUT one must consider the long term benefits, especially the benefit to the nation with the Greenies unable to complain about lack of water in the Murray Darling.  But I digress, always liked Maryborough, went there a few yars ago with my mate Jim to buy some engines from a deceased estate (I think) came away with quite a few Taipan 2.5 diesels or various types, a couple of open rocker Saitos and most importantly the molds for a spark ignition one of the foundry workers made to fly his models back just after WW 2.
When Iget the time and inclinationI'll go to the foundry at Wangan and talk to them about doing the castings.
My mate still has the open rockers I think along with an OS 60 open rocker that is energised by a mini mag system, interesting stuff, me I'll stay with the Saito sparkies..
If all goes well this year the Vintagents should (fingers crossed ) be visiting Maryborough and Rocky for some comps and local info sessions on O/T.  I emphasise with the shoulder problem had a couple of breaks in that area over the years, good to see you guys aren't to affected by the floods and it would appear as if the Nats are progressing if you can believe the guff they are putting out, my son disagrees (he is on the Blackhawks) but more power to them for giving it a go. 
Catch ya

Go Pens

My Feedback: (1)

Need help.
Just bought a Fa-65 Saito for a member on RC Universe and I am have trouble keeping it running. Glow plug looks ok and I have adjusted the high speed needle valve to what I think is a good mixture but having trouble with the slow speed adj. This is my first 4 s and I am using 10% nitro with 18% lub. Like I said the engine will start and run but after a min or two will stop when I move the throtle.
Thanks for any help.