Total Newbie

[Chuck Schultz]

Hi Folks,
I am a total newbie at this and I know this is a very basic question ( no stupid question only stupid answers as someone once said) but which way do you turn the prop to start engine. I just watched a video in which the person flipped the prop to the left ( counterclockwise ). I thought that to the left was for priming and to the right was to start.Am I crazy?
Thanks
Chuck

[bob jablonski]

Counter Clockwise. My way of priming is make sure the glow plug is DISCONNECTED. Put your finger over the venturie. Turn the prop counter clockwise for maybe 2 compression strokes. Attach the glow plug power supply and give it a shot. There may be other ways (I'm sure there is). And this dose not work on Cox engines.
Mr. Bob
Countyline Hobbies
Grovertown, IN.
574-540-1123
countylinehobbies@yahoo.com
www.countylinehobbies.com

[Chuck Schultz]

What does work on Cox engines then??

[RC Storick]

What does work on Cox engines then??

Prime exhaust port directly.

[Motorman]

Yes, on a Cox prime the exhaust port but with the piston closed.

Chuck, what kind of engine do you have? Some Cox engines have pusher props and some have spring starters but if it's a reed valve it can start backwards so make sure the air is blowing back towards the tail unless your plane is a canard.

If you're new to hand starting engines get a starter stick so you don't shred your hand. btw heavy leather glove will not fully protect you. Develop a healthy respect for that prop.


MM

[Tim Wescott]

Hey Chuck:

Post where you live and maybe you'll find a club close by.

You can successfully start an engine either way -- flipping it through in the direction of the prop is usual, but you can flick it backwards against compression and it'll often "bounce" when it fires, starting up in the correct direction.  Most two-stroke engines whose intake is timed by the crank are capable of running backwards, however all but the most aggressively timed will do so poorly enough that they'll soon backfire and start running forward.  Piston-timed and reed valve glow engines will usually run the same in reverse as in forward, which makes them fun to start.

Cox reed valve engines will start in either direction -- in my experience, when you start them the way you want them to go they'll bounce and run backwards, and when you try to start them backwards they'll start backwards.  If you're wearing a glove or have a spinner nut ot the prop you can just grab it to stop the engine and try again.

My starting ritual on OS engines (46LA, 25LA, 20FP and Tower 40) is to pull the engine slowly forward while blocking the venturi to prime.  Each plane wants a different number of turns and it varies a bit with weather, but it's usually 3-5 turns for a cold engine.  Then vigorously flip the engine forward about a dozen times to evenly distribute the prime.  Then put on the glow starter and flip (at a contest I'll put on the glow starter, grab the prop firmly, and pull it over center -- if it 'bumps' then I signal the judges and start.  If not I prime a bit more).

Different engines want different rituals, but the above should be a good starting point for most modern ABC engines, or any other engine that maintains a good piston seal at low speed.  Some ringed engines won't develop much pull at low speed, so you have to prime them by flipping fast or by dribbling fuel in the venturi.  The bottom line here is that you want to learn your engine's habits.

If you're flipping and flipping and flipping then either you're doing something wrong, your igniter battery is dead, or your engine is sick.

[Chuck Schultz]

I live near Clio, Mi.. The engine I ordered from e-bay is a Black Widow with a starter spring.I assume it is a reed type. I'm trying to learn how to do this ( fly ) so that I can teach one of my grandsons ( or at least try ).

[Dane Martin]

I live near Clio, Mi.. The engine I ordered from e-bay is a Black Widow with a starter spring.I assume it is a reed type. I'm trying to learn how to do this ( fly ) so that I can teach one of my grandsons ( or at least try ).

I've got several black widows i fly regularly. I'll post a video here in just a minute of how to. If you got it off eBay, it might have sat for a while and the reed might be gummed up. So I'll cover all that.

[Tim Wescott]

I live near Clio, Mi.. The engine I ordered from e-bay is a Black Widow with a starter spring.I assume it is a reed type. I'm trying to learn how to do this ( fly ) so that I can teach one of my grandsons ( or at least try ).

I'm in Oregon so I can't help you directly that way .  But I'm cheering!

Yes, a Cox black widow is a reedie.  The starter spring helps with backwards starting a bit, first because it gets the prop up to speed before it lets go, and second because sometimes when the engine backfires it'll catch the prop and make it backfire again into the correct direction.

1/2-A sized planes are probably the hardest planes to learn on, and Cox reed valve engines are far more difficult to keep running than bigger engines.  Their primary advantage, in my cynical view, is that they provide a really good up-front filter to make sure that you don't continue in the hobby unless you're outrageously optimistic, stubborn, or both.  I don't want to discourage you so just keep charging ahead if that's what you want.

However -- consider getting an Enya 15 or an OS 10LA or 15LA and putting it on something like a Sig Buster, a Sig Akromaster, or some similar-sized thing from Brodak.  The plane (IIRC) is still solid wing so it'll be easier to build and repair, but the engine will be much easier to start and the bigger plane will be easier to fly.  Better yet, if you're comfortable with the idea, consider getting a similar-sized electric setup from Brodak.

Depending on how much money you have and how much you like to build, you may be best off just buying almost ready to fly planes from Brodak.  That's anathema to a lot of folks here, but you can sink a lot of building time into your planes when you're just starting out.  You can usually keep a plane alive through between one and a dozen crashes if you get a profile plane and know how to repair it.

http://brodak.com/

[Dane Martin]

I've got several black widows i fly regularly. I'll post a video here in just a minute of how to. If you got it off eBay, it might have sat for a while and the reed might be gummed up. So I'll cover all that.

Video number one is uploading

[Randy Powell]

Michigan? That would be Denny Adamisin.

[Dane Martin]

Here's a quick video on just the start up. Any specific questions, just ask and I'll get a video up asap.



I think Randy is right. Denny adamiasin lives in Michigan. He would be a darn cool advisor to have!

[Randy Cuberly]

Great instructional video Dane.

A truly great service to any beginners.  A Big thumbs up!

Randy Cuberly

[Dane Martin]

Thank you Randy!

Here's some links that will be helpful to the COX engine rookies... 

http://www.mbsmodelsupply.com/index.php

http://coxengines.ca

[Dane Martin]

Quick video posted in 1/2A building about the same plane for control set up.




http://stunthanger.com/smf/index.php/topic,40947.0.html