noob combo question

[ron young]

   I am just returning to this hobby after minimal introduction 50 yrs ago and my tutors arent readily available right now so i thought i would ask here.I have flown maybe 20 flights with a trainer but an error ended that so i aquired a tutor from Will Hinton and took it out the other day with a 3 blade prop from trainer(pt19) 10.5x4.5 it flew but probably should not have so went home and got 10x6 and returned following day well it was better but not good . I am flying this on 56ft 015 lines OS46LA and not able to keep lines tight on wing overs or anything else really, seems to me like no power does not pull like my pt19 even, so my question is this prop possibly the cause, i just read on here it seems most use a way different size prop 11x5-12x6
  Thanks
  Ron

[john e. holliday]

LA .46 I have flew great with an 11-5 Zinger that people call a prop kit.  I had tried all my other props in the 11X5-6 range as well as a 12-4.   Even the 10.5X4.5 prop did not do as well as the Zinger.  That was on my ex-P-39.  Now the next plane will probably take a different prop as I hope it is lighter.  It takes flying and experimenting to find what works.   Let us know what you find for your combo.

[Hoss Cain]

   I am just returning to this hobby after minimal introduction 50 yrs ago and my tutors arent readily available right now so i thought i would ask here.I have flown maybe 20 flights with a trainer but an error ended that so i aquired a tutor from Will Hinton and took it out the other day with a 3 blade prop from trainer(pt19) 10.5x4.5 it flew but probably should not have so went home and got 10x6 and returned following day well it was better but not good . I am flying this on 56ft 015 lines OS46LA and not able to keep lines tight on wing overs or anything else really, seems to me like no power does not pull like my pt19 even, so my question is this prop possibly the cause, i just read on here it seems most use a way different size prop 11x5-12x6
  Thanks
  Ron

Ron, if your airplane - a .46 - is not staying tight on the 56', .015  lines, I predict you have trouble other than the prop. IMO, your problem lies in line-rake, wing warp, thrust line, rudder position, aft CG, outside tip-weight, or some combination there-of. With a proper line rake, no inside thrust-line, and near proper tip weight, your .46 powered model should hold tight lines up to 65ft lines within reasonable wind situtations, on any prop from 10-6 to 12-4. My choice would be an 11-5 wood prop to start, which would provide adequate thrust and satisfactory load for 46LA. Zinger is always my last choice of wood props.

Good luck.

[Paul Taylor]

Ron
From one noob to another. We have only been doing this 6 years or so.  My son and I fly Tutor II's with LA 46's. It is a great combo on 60 ft lines.
We run 11x4 APC on 10/22 fuel. Depending on the weather launch between 9600-10200 rpm. I would start at 10200 rpm and work down till it feels right to you. Some people like a light pull on the lines and some like a lot of pull. Give this setup a try and report back.  The Tutor is a very good flyer.

[ron young]

    ok so i go to lhs and get 11x6 wood,11.5x4,11x7 props.I get back to my field and start with the wood prop yes a mistake for me as first flight i didnt have it at proper position and broke it upon landing.so i get out other props and try 11.5x4 but my spinners wont fit so i put it on and try to start by hand but no go so i remove it and check remaining prop and it will work with a spinner so i put it on and flew a tank cant say i noticed difference between it and the wood prop both flew reasonably well for me ,wing overs went well and tight loops were fine so far that is all ive done then rain so maybe later.I only have this and my pt-19 to go by but this plane upon take off from my masonite runway for some reason wants to go straight up and i have to correct quickly or the nose is headed straight up my pt did seemed much more user friendly.Perhaps you have some thoughts of things to look at while i am waiting out the rain do you think the 11x7 prop will do any harm for a few flights while i find a spinner for other prop
  Thank you so much for your replies
 Ron

[Steve Helmick]

I gotta ask...is this an original Tutor, or an ARF Tutor II??? The original would be way noseheavy with a .46LA, but otherwise should never ever go loose on the lines, esp. 56' ones.

The best baseline prop for the .46LA is the 11.5x4 APC. It may not be the BEST, but it will be very good. I have read of other props that people liked, but that's one that's available at the LHS and works quite well. However...when I flew with Larry Richards in Reno (4,900+ ASL), I had to either drop to a 10.5x4.5 ACP or change to 20% nitro. I went with the prop swap. This stuff matters a lot!

Most electric starters will work without a spinner, if you turn the rubber insert around and put it in backwards. A spinner can be a hassle, but can also save your crankshaft in a crash, so it's probably worth using one. Steve

[Paul Taylor]

Yea good question Steve. If this is the first generation smaller Tutor the 46 is a over kill. The Tutor II with a APC is the way to go. Check your CG as well.

[Wynn Robins]

the RSM 11 x 6 is by far one of the best props on the LA 46 - I would recommend those over ANYTHING else

[Steve Helmick]

Yeah, but the RSM props are expensive, and not available at the LHS. The RSM props are really good, no arguments. While Ron is still breaking props, a $7 prop (the price here) isn't what he needs. How much are they in NZ?

I don't know of a Master Airscrew prop that works on the .46LA, but I suspect the Scimitar line has one that would be ok. The 11-4 was not enough pitch for my XLS .36. If memory serves, I launched that prop at 11,200, vs. 9,700 with the TT 11-4.5, which worked much better.  An 11-6 or 12-5 Scimitar might work on the .46LA.

I've heard that the 11 x 4.5 Thunder Tiger Cyclone also works on a .46LA, but I have not tried that myself. They're cheap, and now available from Tower Hobby.  Steve

[Tim Wescott]

but this plane upon take off from my masonite runway for some reason wants to go straight up and i have to correct quickly or the nose is headed straight up my pt did seemed much more user friendly.

Ron:

I'm not the World's Most Experienced CL Flyer by any means, but here are some points to consider:

Compare the stance of the Tutor with the PT -- does the Tutor "sit" with the nose pointed up more?  This would tend to make it leap into the air (check the stance of stunt planes -- they all have what appears to be absurdly long tail gear -- this is to make them take off more gradually).

Check the center of gravity against your plans.  Control line CG's get set considerably farther forward than you would for a similar RC plane, if you've been flying that mode.  For your Tutor it should probably be somewhere around the high point of the wing, up to maybe an inch forward.

How does the plane fly once in the air?  Is it really "jumpy"?  Does it seem to hit a brick wall and just stop when the engine cuts off?  If so, then the CG is too far back (and this would also account for the take-off behavior).

Have you tried just holding the elevator a bit down on takeoff?  If you're flying off of grass, then as soon as you get past your runway you risk nosing over, so I hesitate to recommend this unless you're willing to sacrifice a prop or to for Knowledge, but you will learn something.

[Mark Scarborough]

LA 46,,
prop = APC 12.25x3.75 + 9800 rpm = happy motor,,

[Paul Taylor]

Here is a pair of Tutor II's.

LA 46, one has a APC 11x4 the other has a Thunder Tiger prop 11x4.5.

Hauls the mail all day long.

[Steve Helmick]

One point of trimming...look for what happens when the engine quits (in level flight). Does the nose drop (indicating possibly upthrust, which might also result in leaping takeoffs)? Does the nose come up (indicating downthrust)? Does the model glide for 1/4 lap, or about a full lap (suggesting CG is aft of ideal)?    Steve