My New Vector Arf!

[Tim Redelman]

Here is a picture of my new Red Vector 40 ARF! Running an EVO.36 with the small Venturi and a Randy Smith needle valve assembly. This is the fourth one of these I have assembled. I build one for a friend and and he powered his with a Thunder Tiger .36 converted by Randy Smith. The other two were with Brodak 40's. been trying to get a (handle pun intended) on some stunt flying after having not flown much c/l since my cox days as a kid. Been asking alot of dumb questions lately I'm sure so a big thank you to those that have helped me.

Tim Redelman

[Tim Redelman]

My buddy Joe Boyd's Randy Smith Thunder Tiger .36 conversion powered  Yellow Vector. Pretty neat to see the different colors as on the Brodak site the colors aren't readily understandable IMHO .

Tim

[Tim Redelman]

My kits were older also. It was nice to see the upgrades since I bought mine. Fiberglass cowl, carbon pushrods with ball links were alot nicer than mine which had wire pushrods and sloppy fits in some of the holes that were drilled to big in some areas. A carbon pushrod kit from Brodak's solved these problems nicely.

Tim

[MarcusCordeiro]

The Vector is a great ship.
You can't go wrong with one.

Marcus

[john e. holliday]

Been asking alot of dumb questions lately I'm sure so a big thank you to those that have helped me.

Tim Redelman

No such thing as a dumb questions.   Only those that are not asked.

By the way the planes look great.

[Matt Colan]

I put one together in my dorm room last year and it flies great! Can't go wrong with one of these.

[Will Davis]

Matt's Vector flew good enough to make the KOI fly off, says alot for the Randy Smith Design , Brodak and the flyer

[Matt Colan]

Matt's Vector flew good enough to make the KOI fly off, says alot for the Randy Smith Design , Brodak and the flyer

It flies a ton better now than it did back in January too! You would be surprised just how heavy an exhaust deflector actually is and just how dramatically it improved the flying quality of the airplane when I took it off.

Currently waiting on a new set of lines to come in from home and it should fly just a little bit better after I put them on as well!

[Matt Colan]

Love my Vector 40 the only thing is I can't get the tank high enough and if I set it too rich it looses power on the outsides.

Try putting a shim underneath the engine. It will ruin the nose-spinner fit but the motor will run correctly after that.

[Tim Wescott]

Love my Vector 40 the only thing is I can't get the tank high enough and if I set it too rich it looses power on the outsides.

Or if you want to keep the spinner-cowl fit, move the uniflow vent up in the tank -- that'll have the same effect on the motor as moving the whole tank up.

[Tim Redelman]

Wow thats interesting that your talking about engine Height. Today I flew the evo powered Vector. It ran like crap. Kept quitting and running inconsistently . Lean, rich, lean, rich during the flight. 11x4.5 Cyclone prop and an Apc 10x5 . Apc was a little better but not consistent . The Brodak 40 powered plane runs great. 4-2-4 is easy to achieve. I'm thinking I may have an air leak or something as it just plain ran like crap. There wasn't any O-ring on the Venturi base so I thought that might be adding to an air leak. Also when inverted it ran strong and very consistent.  Had an OS #6 plug and then a Merlin plug. Oh yeah sig 1/2&1/2 10% fuel .  I also ran the tank with both tubes open and with the vent tube covered. it actually ran a little better like this. No muffler pressure was tried either. What do you guys think I should try. Plane flew great with good line tension. Also they advertise that the Evo will run as a 4-2-4 engine so should I be trying to achieve this or just a rich 2 stroke setting. So maybe a different approach is in order?

Lost......

Tim

[Tim Redelman]

I just can't believe nobody has any ideas.

Ok,

Tim

[RandySmith]

I just can't believe nobody has any ideas.

Ok,

Tim

Hi Tim

Make sure all bolts are tight on the engine
put an O-Ring under the venturie
Use a Uniflow tank, with only the Uniflow line open, cap off the overflow line
Use a HOT IdleBar plug like a T-Bolt RC Long, Glow Devil #300 etc...
Make sure the engine and tank are mounted solid
Use a TT 11 x 4.5 prop run in a wet 2 cycle
Important make sure the motor has been ran in.
Do you have the rear needle still on the engine?


Randy

[Joseph Lijoi]

Maybe vibration problems because the engine isn't broken in.  After a gallon it settles down.  Break it in and try a different fuel.  For me Cool Power green 10 percent worked best. 

[Paul Taylor]

I would also change the fuel lines. Make sure you have to pull hard to get the new lines off. A drop of acetone on the end of the fuel line will help seal the lines to the fitting.
If you use a clunk tank check those lines too.

[john e. holliday]

I just can't believe nobody has any ideas.

Ok,

Tim

Too bad I'm not there to see your setup and watch your plane.   I had problems with my EVO .36 until I went back to the stock muffler as big as it is and the venture that was in the engine when I got it.  Have it on my ARF Nobler and it flies great since I put some lead in the tail.   Also using APC 10-5 prop.  Before that it was a zinger stock 10-5.   

[Tim Redelman]

Thanks Randy I was hoping you'd chime in. I did all of the things you mentioned but it may need to break in a little more. I probably ran 3, 11 oz tanks with it on the bench in the startup heat up cool down method. It would go from 4 stroke to 2 stroke nicely by pinching the fuel line quickly or I would some times cover the vent and that would slowly lean the mixture and as soon as I real eased it it would go right back to rich. I also need to try the o-ring.  I looked at my Evo.36 R/C and it doesn't have an o-ring either. I'll definitely get one and try that too. I got the needle valve from you so I could get rid of the one on the back initially for installation reasons. But after running it my needle was open 7 turns. Seems like a lot unless it has a finer thread, or am I way to far open? I am going replace the fuel line too just for sure. Thank you to you all again for all your help and taking time from your day to help me.

Tim

[ray copeland]

Tim, i also had some issues with mine at first. After taking it off my P-40 i gave it some more bench running time and one day it just came around, i could just tell the difference all of a sudden, runs awesome now. One thing i did do during that period is go to a OS 1a rc needle screwed into the small ventrui. Very powerful motor went from burning 6 oz for 6 minutes to 4 1/4 oz for 6 minutes run time. Keep tinkering i think you will find the right set up and be very pleased.

[RandySmith]

Thanks Randy I was hoping you'd chime in. I did all of the things you mentioned but it may need to break in a little more. I probably ran 3, 11 oz tanks with it on the bench in the startup heat up cool down method. It would go from 4 stroke to 2 stroke nicely by pinching the fuel line quickly or I would some times cover the vent and that would slowly lean the mixture and as soon as I real eased it it would go right back to rich. I also need to try the o-ring.  I looked at my Evo.36 R/C and it doesn't have an o-ring either. I'll definitely get one and try that too. I got the needle valve from you so I could get rid of the one on the back initially for installation reasons. But after running it my needle was open 7 turns. Seems like a lot unless it has a finer thread, or am I way to far open? I am going replace the fuel line too just for sure. Thank you to you all again for all your help and taking time from your day to help me.

Tim

Hi Tim

It would be a good idea to put a little more time, put the motor into a rich 2 cycle and let it run for 1 min, then turn the needle out slowly untill it just goes into a 4 cycle, see then if it is smooth running or if it has a bit of ratty sound untill it cools down in the 4 stroke

Randy

[Bootlegger]

  A friend of mine showed me something years ago about "running in" an engine, put about a 6" length of fuel tubing from tank to spray bar and to "lean" the engine out lower the tank, then raise the tank up to get a "richer' run, that way you stay clear of  the prop and get the same results...

 

[Joseph Lijoi]

Tim, i also had some issues with mine at first. After taking it off my P-40 i gave it some more bench running time and one day it just came around, i could just tell the difference all of a sudden, runs awesome now. One thing i did do during that period is go to a OS 1a rc needle screwed into the small ventrui. Very powerful motor went from burning 6 oz for 6 minutes to 4 1/4 oz for 6 minutes run time. Keep tinkering i think you will find the right set up and be very pleased.

This was my experience too. 

[Tim Redelman]

Ok this Monday the weather looks good. I will try the above and let ya know how it works.

Thank you again, Tim

[donchandler]

Xmas day 2013 and I put the maiden flight up today on my Vector 40. flys great but a little fast. I'll tweek it over the next couple of days. Am flying on 62' lines with a Tom Dixon modified LA-40.

Can anyone tell me what take off RPM would be right for that engine on that airplane? Am using Sig 5% as temps are in the 50's and 60's.  While nowhere near an acomplished stunt flyer I am excited about this plane as it flys better than the last couple of maiden flights on other planes.

Don

[Dan McEntee]

Xmas day 2013 and I put the maiden flight up today on my Vector 40. flys great but a little fast. I'll tweek it over the next couple of days. Am flying on 62' lines with a Tom Dixon modified LA-40.

Can anyone tell me what take off RPM would be right for that engine on that airplane? Am using Sig 5% as temps are in the 50's and 60's.  While nowhere near an acomplished stunt flyer I am excited about this plane as it flys better than the last couple of maiden flights on other planes.

Don

    Hi Don;
    Great way to spend some time on Christmas Day! As far as your airplane, we need to know what prop you are using. If it's a little fast, but the engine is happy, try a little less pitch or diameter in the prop. I like the APC 11.5-4 for most .40 size engines. A typical RPM range might be between 9,000 and 10,000 RPM. with a 4 inch pitch prop. A set of line that are a foot longer or so without changing anything else will slow it down also. When you make changes, just make one change at a time so you know what the results are.
   Good luck and have fun.
   Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
   Dan McEntee

[donchandler]

Thanks for the response Dan. The prop is an 11/5 Zinger, the engine seems to be happy all right.

[Tim Redelman]

Haven't been able to fly mine, 15degrees out. :-(

Tim