Virgin Stinger 50

[babyuh1]

Yeah, My Hyper was running great on 30% but I ran out of it and had to change over to 20% and I haven't been able to start it since! These things are very touchy! That is why my electrics get flown all of the time and the nitros sit.
It is a blast when they go right though!

[kiwibob72]

Lucky you .... I only have nitro models nowadays (one heli and one plank trainer), so I'm not afforded that luxury of 'choice' - kinda sold my old electric 450 heli! (LOL)

[babyuh1]

I think that the electric would be the last to go but I mught change my mind when the winds kick up again!

[flyinfool]

I am the opposite. I only have 1 electric left.
Just got another new nitro.
Electric is just to much screwing around for me.
I like the gas and go, same power for 8 minutes of hard flying.

[babyuh1]

If you're luck enough to get it started in less than an hour!
I am going to order a case of 30% so that I have it on hand. It makes it so much easier to tune these things and the extra power is nice too!
I like the electric because I can have one in the air in three minutes or less anytime I want and that makes it possible to fly after work before dark.

[kiwibob72]

While I do like and still prefer nitro (it gives me a 'greasy thing' to play with that requires time and effort), the 'ease' of electric flight is a little hard to beat.
That said, I did a cost comparison of electric vs nitro for a 50/600 sized heli before buying the Stinger, going on the basis of one 22 volt, 5000Mah pack being useful for 100 flights. As batteries are not that cheap over here in NZ, there was actually quite a price saving over time by staying with nitro, per flight it was something like a 20-30% difference if I remember right.
Sill .... if I was to get really titchy on flight costs, ease of use .... for me, a petrol powered Mongoose or equivalent would be my personal 'ultimate' !!
Pull start, 1/2 an hour flight times, no field equipment needed if you go for 'only' one flight, bigger rotor diameter/more stability, cheapest flight (fuel) cost for a given size AND it still has that greasy lump for me to work on....... I'm almost getting giddy just thinking about it!!

[babyuh1]

Yeah a forum friend of mine from the Faulklands has a Predator gasser and he can fly down there in the always present winds ( he flys on the beach alot!) and takes videos with it. Long flight times and cheap fuel! Not a cheap heli though!
Seems like you should be able to order batteries from HK pretty cheaply since they are closer to you than we are? With the price of nitro and HK batteries it's cheaper to run an electric here.

[kiwibob72]

GROUNDED ..... got a ring that need's replacing in my 50 due to not running after run oil and a hydrolock (we think the fuel was forced into the ring, it ran again burning it in place, and the carbon then locked it smooth to the piston causing me to have no compression, and no re-start).

Still, it'll be an easy fix once I'm working again (toys are not a priority currently with only one income), the motor's back together on my model table so I don't loose any parts, prior to installing the new ring and running the motor in again .... it just means I'm stuck flying my 60 plank till then (well, the plank and my copy of the Phoenix sim program).

Will be buying after run oil at the same time as I order the ring - as this is considered 'lesson learned' - though I might take the opp to replace the bearings at the same time so I don't need to worry about that for quite some time.

[babyuh1]

What brand of fuel are you using?

[kiwibob72]

10% coolpower

[flyinfool]

When you are ready to reassemble the engine, take the old ring and cut it in half, It makes the perfect size scraper to clean all of the gunk out of the ring groove on the piston. Be carfull to not clean out the tiny pin that that keeps the ring in place.

In 45 years I have never used after run oil and never stuck a ring. I have used just about every brand of fuel available at one time or another, I even used to brew my own fuel.

Usually a ring that is stuck from carbon means the engine was running to hot, possibly a touch on the lean side.

If you hydro locked it and really tried hard to force it over you may have actually bent the top edge of the piston down to clamp the ring in the groove.

[kiwibob72]

Originally Posted by flyinfool

When you are ready to reassemble the engine, take the old ring and cut it in half, It makes the perfect size scraper to clean all of the gunk out of the ring groove on the piston. .........
.......... Usually a ring that is stuck from carbon means the engine was running to hot, possibly a touch on the lean side.

If you hydro locked it and really tried hard to force it over you may have actually bent the top edge of the piston down to clamp the ring in the groove.

Thanks Jeff, I got the gunk/carbon out using that little round wire brush attachment for my dremmel type tool, cleaned it out really well!

As for the top of the piston possibly being bent, as I'm rather new to these issues (and most other points) with nitro motors, thanks for the heads up, as it's now starting to sound like I might need a new piston - just in case!

And yes, I do think i might have had her 'slightly' too hot/lean, she is now back to default settings as per the OS manual. I considered this the best idea being it'll have a new ring that needs time to bed in to the liner and piston itself.

[flyinfool]

I would start a half turn richer than the factory setting. I have seen someone burn a new motor up on the factory setting. Your specific setup can make a half turn difference in the correct needle setting.
If you are way to rich it will just run like poo and you can readjust, if you are lean you can toast an engine in less than a minute.

[kiwibob72]

Got her all going again, thanks for your help on everything guys!!!!