Is it just my engines or do most glow powered planes experience "flame outs" when they land or do touch and goes?

There's no reason that engines should quit on you if they are properly tuned. I'd say you're probably running too lean.

Flame out is a jet term...Your dead stickin it on landing....I'd say you have a tunning issue as well

It is usually because you are a touch lean or the idle is set a little too low. The prop will keep turning fine on initial take off (the engine is still operating OK within its temperature range) and in the air (because of the air flow assistance to the turning prop), but as you slow right down, or land, the engine is a bit too hot and the idle drops. Without the air flow assistance helping to turn the prop at speed, the engine idle is now too low and it stalls.

As suggested, you can try richening the low end a little or adjusting the idle so it is higher or a little of both.

What pitched prop is involved in these engine kills? I'd raise the idle and lower the pitch of the prop to keep the airplane in your comfort zone.

Usually during long approaches you can be off the throttle for long periods, if your low end is rich then hitting the throttle to go around could also be causing the dead sticks.

Let the engine idle in the pits for 3 minutes and then hit the throttle, do this with 1/3 a tank of fuel and if it smokes and/or stumbles the low end is rich. If it dies outright then it is lean. I've let my planes idle for 5 minutes waiting for someone to land with a few missed approaches and they rev right up with no extra smoke.

During the long idle your glow plug will also cool off, if your sure your tuning is right then you could also try a hotter plug or a new plug if you still have an old one in.

Thanks for the input. I love doing "touch and goes" with electrics but find it very frustrating with my new glow planes.

Gary, you wrote:
Is it just my engines or do most glow powered planes experience "flame outs" when they land or do touch and goes?


Take a look, use head phones LOUD and you can count the revs of the engine!!
A video of one flight, and added a landing of a second flight.

Top Flite Taurus touch and go (5 min 2 sec)

Cees

Originally Posted by Taurus Flyer

Gary, you wrote:
Is it just my engines or do most glow powered planes experience "flame outs" when they land or do touch and goes?


Take a look, use head phones LOUD and you can count the revs of the engine!!
A video of one flight, and added a landing of a second flight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBvtb...4&feature=plcp



Cees

Cees,

Watching the video my impression is not that I can count the revs of the engine but raher the power strokes.

It seems to me that firing is not taking place every times it should be expected.

That engine needs some tender loving care.

Zor

In addition to the above, you may be trying to idle too slowly.

howell

Check that your landing gear aren't flexing enough to give you a quick prop strike that you may not notice, especially on a grass runway.

Steve

I'd have to agree with Zor,on the tuning of the engine...That engine is running too rich..It needs some tweaking.

And my definition of a touch and go,which coincides with full scale,is 'a normal landing,in which flying speed is expended,followed by a normal take off from a rolling start'.

Looked more like a bump and jump to me....just sayin' lol.

As shown in the video,richer is a bit better than lean,as rich engines seem to keep running,although rather poorly,and lean engines gasp for air and stop on sudden acceleration.
In your case,if the prop selection is good for all other flying,that may not be your problem...Consensus would say tuning is in order.....I like the 'let it idle for a long time then nail it 'idea.-a landing is a long period of idle,followed by 'nailing' it on takeoff,when doing touch and go's..

Originally Posted by epoxyearl

I'd have to agree with Zor,on the tuning of the engine...That engine is running too rich..It needs some tweaking.

And my definition of a touch and go,which coincides with full scale,is 'a normal landing,in which flying speed is expended,followed by a normal take off from a rolling start'.

Looked more like a bump and jump to me....just sayin' lol.

As shown in the video,richer is a bit better than lean,as rich engines seem to keep running,although rather poorly,and lean engines gasp for air and stop on sudden acceleration.
In your case,if the prop selection is good for all other flying,that may not be your problem...Consensus would say tuning is in order.....I like the 'let it idle for a long time then nail it 'idea.-a landing is a long period of idle,followed by 'nailing' it on takeoff,when doing touch and go's..

I did show the video because there was written about flame outs of glow engines, and these don't have to happen.

What I didn't write was, the whole video was made as a response test for the cruise controller of this Taurus.

At 0:50sec you can hear I switch over to cruise control. The adjusted setpoint of speed is about 22 miles/hour during the whole video exept landings, at landings the conroller is switched off automatically.

BTW the recording of 1:50 at normal speed presentation is the same as 2:17 in slow motion.

TF