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WOW that was a long flight , the ,020 and HM throttle were doing a good job of keeping it in the air , Alot of wind I could hear it at time on the video . Thanks for sharing

Thanks Fella’s, That outing was a lot of fun!…Yes Bob, There’s not a lot to land on out there other than try to plop it down on some pasture grass or that little strip of road… I nearly smacked the rocks at the end LOL!!…. Thanks George, Yes we’re really not that far apart, But I think you have even more wind than we do due to elevation…. I’m lucky being retired I can watch for best days to fly… Usually right before or after passing weather fronts…I think you are right Andras about the mixture setting being a little lean….That was the third flight of the day, The first was way too rich, The second was short (I think I got a bubble in the tank), And the third I probably over compensated…. Speaking of tanks, A couple of things I’ve learned…. Last week’s outing was cut short because I pulled a line off the balloon and I didn’t want to pull it out of the plane and mess with it at the field…. So I cut small pieces of brass tube that slipped over the outlets and soldered them in place forming a better nipple…. Then pieces of fuel line for clamps at the very end…
The other thing I found to help fish the lines thru their openings is to wrap a few loops of soft copper wire around them so they can be pulled thru…Eric noticed the long run.., 12cc’s!!!…, I need to back off it a little, Would probably help mixture setting as well..




Thanks to Ken Willard for a neat little design, I’m sure he would be pleased and maybe even surprised they are still being flown today…

dear friend, beautiful video and very good fingers when driving!!, it is not easy with that wind.
beautiful job you have done!

Robert,

Here are a few tips on my use of the balloon tanks hidden inside the fuselage. Unless I bang on an open door with these tips and you already have different methods proven, you may find them of some value:

My ballon tanks have 2 separate lines. A separate filling line will not necessitate the closure of the NV to prevent the engine from flooding while filling the tank

1.  The filling line ends right at the inner side if the rubber stopper. This allows the removal of remnant air from the tank after filling, keeping the tank vertically to allow all bubbles to collect at the inner side of the stopper right at the end of the filler tube. By pulling on the syringe after the tank is full, the bubbles in the tank's highest point are removed through the filling line.

2. A supply line that goes deep into the balloon. It is perforated several places along its length inside the tank so that when the fuel is just about to be fully consumed and the balloon collapses, the perforations allow remnant fuel drops to leave through not just the tube end but through the perforations too. This way the complete fuel fill will be consumed, otherwise some pockets in the collapsed balloon would capture some part of the fuel.

For mounting the balloon into the plane I push 2 plastic wires through the filling and supply line openings in the firewall and shove the wire ends into the filling and supply silicon tubes of the balloon tank deep down into the tank..then I push the balloon into the tank compartment until the plastic wires have led the tube ends through the firewall openings.

Then pulling on the free tube ends through the firewall will drive the tank into the inside of the fuselage.

I hope the above is clearly explained in my Hunglish..

Gracias Mauricio … I appreciate the kind words and encouragement

Thanks Andras, Understood perfectly!!…. The way I was doing it leaves chance for a small amount of air…. I have #2 right, The perforated tube to the back of the balloon…. I will reconfigure the stopper as you describe, Makes good sense!…. Your Hunglish is way better than my Spanglish ….. I appreciate the tip

Robert

András writes English so well, you would never guess he was Hungarian, he writes better than a lot of Americans.

Robert, I've been on motorcycle near your area. My impressions are except for elevation, maybe not that much different. We do get more than our share of wind, though. Maybe that is why we are now dotted all over the place with wind generators that weren't there 20 years ago.

For more reliable fuel feeds, I have Bernie's oversized aluminum anodized red tank for my Tee Dee .020. Thought may be it would be a good candidate for Ken Willard's 1963 single channel Virus with an over the wing engine pod. The 3/32nd curved balsa wings could be replaced with 3/16th foam board, ditto on rest of the aircraft. But have a few other projects to finish.

I agree George…. I like that there is participation from all parts of the world… I tell my friends about some of the interactions on the forum and usually they are amazed that the interest in these engines is that broad….. Your Spanish is getting very good btw… I’m sure you use it in your ministry, Good for you on that…..I should know more especially since my Esposita is Hispanic…. I can get around on the street OK but it’s sloppy…

Yes, Eastern NM is very much like West TX…. I’ve been to Clovis in the past but it’s been a few years…Went thru Carlsbad about a year ago on the way to Dell City TX … Along the Guadalupe mountains and came out at El Capitan… A very pretty drive…

The Virus is unusual but a cutie …. Would be a good rough field flyer with the pod mounted engine…. I bet a strong PeeWee would pull it up as well…. Lots of fun these little engines

rdw777 wrote:

dude, your idea is great!
I do the same but I use a very fine wire with copper wires and at one end I place a tin ball, that way I can direct the hoses, but I think your idea is even better!!

rdw777 wrote:

dude, your idea is great!
I do the same but I use a very fine wire with copper wires and at one end I place a tin - pewter - (estaño) ball, that way I can direct the hoses, but I think your idea is even better!!