Speed,Combat,Scale,Racing > Combat
Cyclon Top15
phil c:
Here are a couple of pics of the newest Cyclon F2D combat engine I got. Seems like Alexsandr Kalmykov builds a new one every season. The last couple of years(PC-7, PC-8) have been world class. The Top15 looks world class. The case is a beautiful investment casting. The machining and piston/liner fit is top notch. The right hand side shows a good way to mount a muffler retainer. The muffler is a really tight fit, but will fall off in flight without a positive retainer. Just a piece of 1/16 in. music wire with some silicon fuel line on the loop that fits over the muffler. Another nice detail on the engine- the muffler outlet has a nice lip on it to help keep the retainer in place. Other thoughtful niceties- the prop driver, plug, and backplate all use a 3/8 in. wrench, so you don't need to go hunting for multiple tools to service the engine. A 3mm allen screw wrench for the mounting bolts, a 3/8in socket, and the head clamp wrench are all that is needed.(I really dislike the common method of a couple slots in the back plate for removal).
Initial runs look very promising. The two I've broken in seem to run on a par with the two AKM's I got a couple years ago. They do better with slightly shorter props, holding the rpm's in maneuvers better without sacrficing level flight speed. 29,000 rpm would do a good job in an ultrasonic cleaner though.
Great fun trying to do nice cloverleafs and RWO. Square eights are harder. I've already landed a couple times by accident.
Speaking of landing, the popular foam leading edge/rib construction on most F2D planes is a real bear for maintainence. It doesn't take much at all to punch a hole in the covering on landing. And on most the covering is not really glued down to the airframe, so the slightest fuel spill around the engine starts fuel leaking under the covering. I fuel-proofed a few by soaking all the likely seams for fuel to hit by pouring water-based urethane on and wiping the excess off. That seemed to help a lot.
dave siegler:
Is the photo reversed, or is the exhaust on the wrong side?
If is is on the bottom, how does it fit a standard F2d airplane with the notch for the muffler in the top?
john e. holliday:
Hi Dave, if you can read the printing on the green graft you see the photo is not reversed. Unless my eyes deceive me. Have fun, DOC Holliday
phil c:
The exhaust is not on the "wrong" side, it is on the right side of the motor. Alexsandr has some very good reasons for doing this. Fuel draining into the engine after a crash/landing can drain out the exhaust. It makes a nice landing skid. It keeps the noise and fumes out of the pitman's face. It also makes the top of the plane, where most of the pitwork is done, a lot cleaner and easier to work on. Keeps exhaust oil out of the bladder compartment and pushrod exit.
Cyclon is also selling a variation on the ubiquitous F2D design, the Bond-3. It comes in several configurations to fit any engine- with a bottom cutout for the Top15, top cutout for Fora, and with a raised thrust line/top cutout for AKM. I got a few with the engines. The basic design flys just like all the others(they are all within a few centimeters of each other) once it is trimmed. There was too much tip weight, so I took it out, cut it up, and used part of it for tail weight. The tip weight was 12gr. I left 4 gr. in the tip and put 5 on the tail.
dave siegler:
thanks, I should have said the bottom side, and I guess you like it.
I understand the advantages
Does it fit standard F2D airplanes out there with the cutout on the top side, or do I have to buy special airplanes?
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