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Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / June 2008



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OS .61 dies when flying inverted

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Stormlord - 27 Jun 2008 04:47 GMT
I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in
Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in an
has about 20 flights on it.
I'm having a problem that I'm not sure how to solve.  
When flying the plane at around 1/4 throttle, if I fly inverted, i
will die and I have to dead-stick the plane to the ground.
It doesn't seem to happen when I do this at 3/4 or higher throttle, bu
it does stutter from time to time, it just doesn't quit.
I never have a problem whatsoever if I don't fly inverted ... run
through a tank of fuel just fine and I can do anything I want with th
plane.

At first, I thought the clunk was getting stuck and sucking air, bu
this is not the case.
The clunk is free and not getting hung up anywhere ... also, when th
plane lands dead-stick, upon inspection, there is fuel in the fuel lin
all the way to the carb with no air bubbles in it.

Is there a way to correct this problem?  Anyone ever had this happe
before?  I'm not sure where to start, I've never had this issu
previously.

I've tried leaning and richening the engine with the main needle valv
(no difference - the problem is repeatable), and I've changed to
hotter glow plug (from an OS 8 to a 3) so far.

I'm just not sure what's causing the condition, so I'm not sure what t
try to fix it.

Could the engine be flooding itself upside down somehow, causing th
glow plug to foul out?  What would cause that and how can it b
corrected?

I pulled the glow plug after one of the dead-stick landings and it wa
not wet, but with a hot engine, I thought maybe it had evaporated afte
normal level flight had resumed (even though the engine was no
running).

Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas t
try ...

--
Stormlor
Dave Plumpe - 27 Jun 2008 12:58 GMT
IF, when upright, your tank centerline is below the carb jet, then when
inverted it will be above the jet by the same amount, for a difference of
twice the distance.  The fuel mixture, properly adjusted for upright flight,
will become rich - possibly too rich -  and the engine will load up.
Midrange throttle typically is a bit rich anyway.  Try raising the tank.

If that's not the problem, try adding landing gear on the top.

-Dave

(snip)
> When flying the plane at around 1/4 throttle, if I fly inverted, it
> will die and I have to dead-stick the plane to the ground.
Worn Out Retread - 27 Jun 2008 15:19 GMT
> I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in a
> Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in and
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas to
> try ....

Like the other reply, I think that the fuel tank is probably set too low
causing a tank high position when inverted. This can easily drown your
engine with an overly rich mixture. I would set the tank up dead centre with
the needle valve (had to for pattern flying where there is a lot of inverted
and outside manoeuvres). Then very carefully adjust the low end mixture so
that it isn't too rich. You have to make adjustments to both the low and
high end mixtures as you are tuning. You know that you have the low end
mixture pretty close if you have the engine at idle for several seconds and
then pinch off the fuel line and the engine dies without a great increase in
rpm. There should be a slight rpm increase before dying. Properly tuned
there should be little to no hesitation when going from idle to full
throttle.

Good luck

Signature

Ron P

If we are what we eat then: I'm fast,
cheap and easy and past my best before date

Tim Wescott - 27 Jun 2008 16:26 GMT
> I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in a
> Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in and
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas to
> try ....

What Dave and Retread said, plus:

For a diagnostic, why not put the plane on a stand and run it inverted
on the ground, at the deadly throttle setting?  Then you can see what's
going on close up, you can see if you can adjust the mixture to keep it
going, you can maybe pinch the fuel tubing to see if it's too rich or
lean (if it's too rich pinching the line will make it speed up, too lean
it'll sag or die immediately instead of after a bit).

Signature

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Ted Campanelli - 27 Jun 2008 18:41 GMT
Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not
so great) words of knowledge:
> I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in a
> Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in and
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas to
> try ....

I agree with the others - the tank is set too low.

Position the tank so that where the fuel line exits the stopper on the
tank is even with the SPRAY BAR in the carb.  You MAY need to readjust
the carb settings.
Lyman Slack - 27 Jun 2008 19:53 GMT
Storm --

   I concur with the others that the tank is too low in relation to the
carb. However, I'm also aware that you realistically cannot raise the tank
on the Twist. Talking to one of our resident experts at the field today, he
said his fix was to rotate the engine sidewise; i.e., the cylinder on the
right side on the model.

   Ideally, the tank center line should be at or no more than 1/2" below
the carb spraybar.

   If you still prefer to keep your original set up, an alternate solution
is to add a Perry Pump in the fuel system.

Cheers -- \_________Lyman Slack________/
                \_______Flying Gators R/C___/
                   \_____AMA 6430 LM____ /
                      \___Gainesville FL_____/
Visit my Web Site at www.LymanSlack.com

"On so-called global warming or climate change, let us not scare ourselves
with catastrophic forecasts, or use them to defend and promote irrational
interventions in human lives."

> I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in a
> Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in and
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas to
> try ....

> I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in a
> Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in and
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas to
> try ....
Jim - 29 Jun 2008 12:44 GMT
Many years ago ( I can't even remember that far back anymore!) I quit
running engines in an upright position for this reason. I know you'd have to
do some surgery on the twist to change it though.

> Storm --
>
[quoted text clipped - 101 lines]
>> Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas to
>> try ....
Lyman Slack - 27 Jun 2008 19:55 GMT
Storm --

   I concur with the others that the tank is too low in relation to the
carb. However, I'm also aware that you realistically cannot raise the tank
on the Twist. Talking to one of our resident experts at the field today, he
said his fix was to rotate the engine sidewise; i.e., the cylinder on the
right side on the model.

   Ideally, the tank center line should be at or no more than 1/2" below
the carb spraybar.

   If you still prefer to keep your original set up, an alternate solution
is to add a Perry Pump in the fuel system.

Cheers -- \_________Lyman Slack________/
                \_______Flying Gators R/C___/
                   \_____AMA 6430 LM____ /
                      \___Gainesville FL_____/
Visit my Web Site at www.LymanSlack.com

"On so-called global warming or climate change, let us not scare ourselves
with catastrophic forecasts, or use them to defend and promote irrational
interventions in human lives."

> I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in a
> Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in and
> has about 20 flights on it.
> I'm having a problem that I'm not sure how to solve.
Lyman Slack - 27 Jun 2008 20:08 GMT
Storm --

   Can you rotate the engine so the cylinder is on the right side of the
Twist? This will get the carb spraybar in line with the tank CL. If you
can't, another option would be to add a Perry pump.

Cheers -- \_________Lyman Slack________/
                \_______Flying Gators R/C___/
                   \_____AMA 6430 LM____ /
                      \___Gainesville FL_____/
Visit my Web Site at www.LymanSlack.com

> I have a fairly new (less than a year old) OS .61FX mounted upright in a
> Twist 3D 60 with a 13x6 prop.  The engine has been properly broke in and
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
> Just not sure where to go with this and I'm searching for some ideas to
> try ....
 
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