Bench Running a Glow Plug Engine

[Nigel Taylor]

I spent Saturday afternoon prepping and making a simple setup and then yesterday afternoon bench running this little engine, little as in 3.56cc four-stroke. Takes me back over 40 years to running these engines as a kid in cars, aeroplanes, boats - we made so many radio control models. I made a video of the setup, more running at the end.



Made me smile and hopefully will brighten your Monday morning

 

[MARK.B.]

My fingers hurt just remembering that painful thwack of the prop

 

[Nigel Taylor]

My fingers hurt just remembering that painful thwack of the prop

ah yes, note the thick glove and in the video I mention just lightly sanding the edges of the prop - last thing you need is a sharp edge

 

[DBT85]

Ahh yes. For me it's a mere 18 years ago running an HPI Savage or a Hyper 7 at Dartmouth race track with the chaps from a forum called "got nitro".

 

[Lazurus]

I loved the smell as you fired the engines up, sold these after divorce but tempted to start again

 

[Gerry]

I still have my Cougar 2000 with an ASP38 and 10.5x4.5 APC prop it can climb verical out of sight almost as fast as it can go in a straight line.

Gerry

 

[MARK.B.]

To think of all the hours I spent working two paper rounds ,then the weeks spent building my fly by wire only to see it destroyed beyond repair in nano seconds by pilot error on the first outing , I was so mad I never talked to myself for day's . Tried boats and they all ended badly in one way or another. Still i had loads of fun along the way and now after all these years thanks to this post i am getting an itch that might just need scratching again

 

[Distinterior]

I went from building & flying Freeflight models to Control line in the early 70's and then onto R/C models......I designed & built a twin engined R/C Hovercraft that worked really well on short grass, but I got over optimistic and thought i'd try it on the local boating lake.....Not a success!...Glug, Glug, Glug !!!!

My mum could never understand how I could spend days building something, take it out to try it and then bring it back in broken pieces....and start all over again...

 

[DBT85]

To think of all the hours I spent working two paper rounds ,then the weeks spent building my fly by wire only to see it destroyed beyond repair in nano seconds by pilot error on the first outing , I was so mad I never talked to myself for day's . Tried boats and they all ended badly in one way or another. Still i had loads of fun along the way and now after all these years thanks to this post i am getting an itch that might just need scratching again

This is exactly why I stuck to ground based entertainment

 

[DBT85]

My Hyper 8 with an RB WS7 III engine in it. She moved.

 

[artie]

only to see it destroyed beyond repair in nano seconds by pilot error on the first outing

Reminds me of my brief foray into helicopters.

 

[MARK.B.]

So artie you don't fancy helping with my gyro-copter then

 

[threedee]

I'm fully electric RC, but digging about in my shed discovered these:

If i ever bothered i might try them out... Some other bits and bobs as well, power panel, 12v spinner starter motor...

 

[Nigel Taylor]

Just tried making a simple two chamber exhaust silencer, you can just hear the difference if you tune into the exhaust noise over the propeller noise.



Should I make a hovercraft? electric generator? garden railway shunter (direct drive or series hybrid)?

This just might get you all into your sheds searching for those model engines you stored away!!!

 

[DBT85]

Oh all my stuff is long gone now Nigel. If my 4 year old continues to show an interest in a few things then we'll probably get something to build together and run on the farm.

 

[Ozi]

Wanted to build a scale model of a V1 flying bomb. Spent ages in school metal work shop getting the pulse jet built. Twin chambered design like an early Schmidt engine to keep the flame away from the spring valve. Found two air cylinders previously used to inflate race car tires and converted them to pressurized fuel tanks. Mounted the lot on a sleeper to bench test. The start up process involved heating the combustion chamber with two blow lamps then turning the fuel on.

Dad confiscated the lot after the first test run - something to do with 45' of flame a noise the neighbors thought was thunder and not being able to get close enough to turn the fuel off. Mind you compressed air only lasted 7 seconds so it quieted down quite quickly

Parents can be so unreasonable, thank God I never got it flying.

 

[Jameshow]

I'm fully electric RC, but digging about in my shed discovered these:
View attachment 120441

If i ever bothered i might try them out... Some other bits and bobs as well, power panel, 12v spinner starter motor...

I have a few myself

Old DC and PAW diesel engines and a fox35 CL glow engine. My dad has many more....

Cheers James

 

[Distinterior]

I think I may still have a DC Spitfire diesel engine somewhere (1cc with a Blue cylinder head) from my control line days.....my modelling mate back then had a DC Sabre (1.5cc with a Red cylinder head).....

 

[D_W]

I spent Saturday afternoon prepping and making a simple setup and then yesterday afternoon bench running this little engine, little as in 3.56cc four-stroke. Takes me back over 40 years to running these engines as a kid in cars, aeroplanes, boats - we made so many radio control models. I made a video of the setup, more running at the end.



Made me smile and hopefully will brighten your Monday morning

sold as a .21 here in the states. Grew up rural close to a fellow with a lighted and rolled grass strip and a club formed there with tons of RC flying. Just a month or so ago, I reconnected with a guy I used to fly with and looked around - shocked to see how far electric rc has come. We had little arfs. with .46 size motors - they could almost fly vertical and it looks like electric leaves them in the dust now for less cost and hassle.

(but the glow fuel here smelled like stinky candy, though - would miss that).