SMALLnet post307

I was reading the comments about Norvel engines and I'd like to submit the following. Lest someone gets the wrong impression, I own at least 8 of these engines, ranging from early AME 0.049's, AME 0.061's, BigMig 0.061's, etc. to my most recent 0.074 BigMig.

While I've had some friends that didn't feel the engines were friendly enough; personally, I've NEVER had a problem with ANY of them running or idling (once broken in).

The only problem with a Norvel engine that I ever had was one that turned out to have a pressure line that became pinched in the air and starved the engine. They are beautifully made and I feel very lucky that I can even get engines of that quality for $40.

Take a look at what Cox puts out as a comparison. While I am also fond of the smaller engines, they are not even close to the same quality. Modeling is often about tinkering and experimenting. Sometimes, I feel some people are put off by things don't instantly work -- which is not always reasonable when there can be quite a few variables in the process.

My only complaint with Norvel is that I wish they made MORE engines, like an 0.020 or 0.030 BigMig, or a 0.10 or 0.15 4-cycle.

Finally, Ed Stevens has always personally, promptly, and politely answered all my email and put up with my various wild suggestions and comments. Moreover, he is willing to evolve and improve his products which, I feel, is a good sign. In general, I think they are a first-class outfit and very supportive of SMALLsters.

Ed Stevens < > responds to a query of mine about the apparently trouble-free use of Norvel engines with rubber balloon fuel tanks in competition free flight airplanes and control-line stunters:

I'm not exactly sure why those with rubber bladder tanks may not have plug contamination problems. I would suspect that, since competition flyers run at full rpm (and usually quite lean), their engines run at a higher temperature than an average R/C flyer's engine. So perhaps some or all dissolved rubber is consumed in the free flight and control-line engines.

Also, non-R/C flyers running an engine at full rpm leaned out will be a lot less likely to notice a fouled plug. In fact, when a plug gets fouled, it gets insulated so starts acting colder. A colder plug isn't so bad for a guy running an engine at full rpm. But at idle you would notice it right quick (engine dies above normal idle).

Even if these explanations seem scientifically flawed, I would stress again that our experience shows that 100% of customers using a rubber bulb or rubber-stopper syringe will eventually run into problems related to glow plug contamination. By the way, this would apply to Cox plugs running in a NORVEL engine, too.

I don't mind Cleveland's weather (native boy), but Robin despises it with tremendous exuberance.

(805) 547-8360 main office
(805) 547-8363 tech support
(805) 547-8365 fax (sorry, we cannot respond by fax)

We will not be shipping any orders from April 18 until May 2, so please keep this in mind.

If at any time, anyone needs assistance, please email me, as I will be hooked up throughout the move.

P.S. All backordered .15's and almost all backordered .25's WILL be shipped by the middle of May. This is guaranteed. We are again backordered on .074's, but we will have more of these popular engines in stock by the middle of May.

I have 3 Norvel Big Mig .061's which now have a great idle. It took quite a lot of time in a Kadetito, running with 4 shims. I shoot touch-and-goes with no problems. While at Pensacola in January, one guy thought I had a .10 or a .15 in the plane.

Also have an AME and only land dead stick. Malcolm, I learned to shut down high enough and glide to within a reasonable distance.

I just got a new "Revlite" Norvel .061 Big Mig. IMHO that is a very nice engine. Started on the bench very easily, and after 30 minutes run time would idle 6.8K. I believe the idle will come down with a little more time. High end 17.36K, 6x3 Tornado, 2 shims. Removed the screen. Needle set at only 3/4 open...??

The engine was almost impossible to turn over at first, really tight. It even squeaked going through TDC. Put it in a Herr Cherokee and we are off. Great combination.

Peter X Havriluk < > offers his opinion as to the plethora of model engine material in recent Postings:

My guess is that the cause of the slim SMALLnet submissions for non-engine comments is that most folks don't know much about the airplanes themselves, and care little.

A lot of the attraction of airplanes is the noise the engines make and the activities surrounding making engines work. Gearhead syndrome. These folks like to play with engines. I concur with the comments to the effect that the engine's just the skyhook, not an end in itself. I also agree that engine reliability and usability are of far more concern than 'X' rpm on 'Y' prop.

Those are characteristics in a vacuum: So what? How the noisemaker lugs the airplane, how easily it can be operated, and for how long, is much more important. If an airplane needs more thrust, that can easily be obtained from a larger powerplant.

I recall reading a comment of Delmar Benjamin's printed a few years ago about the powerplant on his airshow 'Gee Bee', to the effect that the Pratt & Whitney just hammers away up front and the airplane flies; and it flies inside the performance envelope provided by the engine. Many model folks seem not to think that way. Peter

Scott Winans < > responds to an Electric Ducted Fan query in the previous Posting:

For the rest of your upcoming micro EDF projects (I'm SURE there will be more!), you can purchase the fans directly from Cox customer service. They are about $25 each as I recall, in a nice foam nacelle. They come preassembled, wired, and with a tailcone.

At this time the only availability is as replacement parts for the 'Airlifter' EDF airliner twin, but soon they will be out packaged individually for probably $20 street price. There is an 800 phone number that I don't have at hand; let me know if you, or anyone else, wants it. Scott

For those of you in the central Kentucky area that want to check out a PAW diesel, Eric Clutton (Dr. Diesel) has told us he'll be at our local AMA club's Swap Meet in Elizabethtown, Kentucky on April 29, 2000. For details E-mail < >, or hit < http://home.earthlink.net/~billrad/hcfc.html >.

The Doctor told us he intends to do some engine demonstrations there too. I'm planning on getting a .15 from him there, and some fuel, and making a foray into the "Stinky" world too! Mark

I am very fond of my Sullivan Micron starter which I use on engines from .10 to .25 size. But I was saddened to see that it is no longer listed in their catalog. Does anyone know of any other less than big starters that are on the market?

I am aware of the Kavan geared starter sold by Hobby Lobby but I was unable to get a response from them as to whether or not my collection of Sullivan starter cones will fit into the Kavan cup. Too bad that Hobby Lobby no longer answers their e-mail.

...Dave, at least three times in previous Postings mention has been made of the mini-starters available from Miller R/C Products. I tried looking up those references via the SMALLnet web page "Source" feature, but despite repeated tries, I couldn't get anything.

Miller advertises only in Model Airplane News any more -- at least, I couldn't find them in any recent issue of RCM, Flying Models, or Model Aviation. MAN tells me that Miller R/C Products is at P. O. Box 425, Kenwood, California 95452 -- (707) 833-5905.

As for the Kavan starter, I tested one of those for MAN years ago when I was a columnist there. The starter is compact, all right; and quite powerful. However, it's also SLOW. The gear-down feature reduces the output rpm noticeably.

BTW, Hobby Lobby isn't the only model company that's stopped answering e-mail. The fact is that WAY too many "pen pal" type inquiries arrive by e-mail, and it's just not profitable to reply to them all. [JW]

Adam Bryant asked about using Velcro to mount a receiver. I have not tried it and myself, and have no intention of doing so - there wouldn't be much vibration absorption in such a system.

In a write-up on one of his designs a few years back, David Boddington reported that he had mounted the Receiver on grommets, like a servo. The crystal fractured about 5 minutes into the first flight.

What has: longitudinal, folding wings with very sturdy-looking metal hardware, complete with wingnuts; 5 props; 2 sails; 8 springs on the tailwheel; and two paddle wheels?

Does that make it amphibious, submersible, or just strange? Can it become the new 'killer' NOCAL?

You probably can't guess, so please take a look at: < http://members.aol.com/aalmpsfiles/whatisit.htm >, which is not yet linked to the website catalog, but will be soon. No, this is not our next new product! Who will be the first to build one; Dannysoar, Olivrbrn, someone else? Just think of all the FAC bonus points and 'attaboys' that you can earn from your friends!

As usual I have another question. Back sometime in the 70's I bought an Enya .19 engine that didn't come with a muffler. No problem, just run over to the local hobby shop & buy a little Tatone for it. It's worked fine for years. The engine is now on a small air boat (I know they don't fly).

I built another one just like it for my nephew & picked up another Enya .19 at a swap meet to put on it. My problem now is, I can't seem to find another one of these little Tatone mufflers for it. Even had a friend check out the swap shop at Toledo with no luck.

Talked to someone at the Company & I think the muffler was built before he was born. He knew nothing about anything like that that they ever made. It seems I'm out of luck on this muffler, so can anyone tell me where I might be able to buy mufflers made for the Enya .19 engine?

Getting so the hobby shop seems to be more interested in the giants than the models anymore. Thanks for your help.

...Jack, I don't know which model Enya .19 you have -- but a check through my catalogs shows that nobody seems to now sell an "after- market" or "universal" muffler that will fit 25-year-old .19's. However, since weight is no problem on your air boat, I would think that you could adapt a Fox .19 or .15 muffler to fit your Enya.

My guesstimate is that a .19- or .25-size Fox muffler could be attached via a metal strap around the Enya's cylinder, with its ends bent over so they could be screwed to the muffler's mounting bosses.

I have adapted mufflers in a similar way for other old-model motors, such as Veco .19's and McCoy .35's, for use in control-liners. [JW]

Has anybody had experience with the small R/C "Chuckles" shown in Flying Models, January 2000?? How does it fly ? I like to fly slow!!! David Moellenkamp

Last week I received a real nice letter from Control-line Great, Dale Kirn, wherein he enclosed some flyers from the Victor Stanzel & Co., showing a list of their kits, plans, etc., + a flyer for the Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum in Schulenburg, Texas. I mentioned in a previous SMALLnet submission that Dale had been hard at work helping with the Museum.

Schulenburg Chamber of Commerce,
101-B Kessler Ave., [U.S. 77],
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 65,
Schulenburg, Texas 78956

I know on my next trip through Texas, I will make this a definite, must-visit spot. It is good to know that many of the old Stanzel Control-line kits and plans are still available in limited quantities.

...For those who are interested, Schulenburg is a rather small community located just off Interstate 10, between Houston and San Antonio. The museum's hours are rather limited, so be sure to check before driving there! [JW]

Using dry ice (solid CO2) to cool the tank of a CO2 motor is a good idea; but to put it into a tank is not going to give you liquid CO2. It takes a bunch of pressure to make that happen (850 psi at 70 degrees F).

CO2 is one of those strange gases that does not behave as you would like it to. The dry ice carries less energy than the liquid "in state" and cannot power a motor as well as the liquid can.

I've tried it many a time and have ended up with a gas-filled tank with no liquid inside at all.

...To amplify Carlo's statement: liquid CO2 at room temperature contains a great deal more potential energy than dry ice does, at its surface temperature of approximately 100 degrees F below zero.

In fact, the way that dry ice is manufactured is by releasing liquid CO2 through an expansion nozzle into a porous container. (In the Good Old Days the "porous container" was often a burlap bag.)

As the liquid "changes state" into a gas, the lost heat energy causes some of the CO2 to condense as "snow" -- which is then compressed into blocks of "dry ice". A LOT of energy is wasted in this process. However, CO2 is quite easy & inexpensive to produce, then liquify with high pressure. [JW]

The Knights of the Air R/C Club will host the 4th Annual Land of Lincoln Electric Fly-In on June 3-4, 2000 at its club field near Springfield, Illinois. A map to the field and more details as time draws closer can be found at: < http://www.mindspring.com/~tmcdonough/efly99.htm >. (Yeah, the URL looks a little funny.)

While not specifically a SMALL event, typically over 1/2 the models that show up at this meet would qualify. Food and soft drinks available at the field. Reasonably priced lodging within a 15-minute drive.

SMALLnet Posting post307