1/2 scale Tiger Moth

[Mike Booth]

Beautiful, and a lot more to come.
Ahh... my favorite flying site, sigh for a Merlin, a slow roll and a Spitfire over Baldock..

Congrat's John.

Mike.

[Ali Machinchy]

What a stunning model. Well done John.
But what a god awful noise! It sounded better on the glide

[Seamus O'Donnell]

Looks and sounds great (when it's running ) hope you have many happy years together

[John Greenfield]

Ali

I do have to agree with you about the noise. It sounds great at tickover but once the revs get up it sounds a bit strange. Being an alternate firing twin there are 2 bangs per revolution and that makes it sound like it is revving its nuts off. Oh well you can't have everything and as it looks like it will float around at near tickover maybe I will just have to live with it. I do also think it sounds a bit worse on the video.

Got an email from the ignition manufacturer saying that the failure was down to a component failure (very worrying !!!) but he is repairing it FOC ( Least he could do I think !!?)

Testing will have to wait now until after the Binham holiday week. I hope to get it all done and dusted before Gaydon.

John

[Denis Brown]

Faulty electronic ignition seems to be a common thing. Would be interested to know how many modellers have had problems, whether self inflicted or faulty manufacturing. Apart from the cost of replacement if not under guarantee,( £95 for a Roto of which I have had 3, two under quarantee) the chances of wrecking a model and the safety aspect come in to it. I'll keep on cranking Zenoahs. Hope this sparks a response

[Pat Marsden]

I have to agree that on the video it sounded awfull, think Tony Collins recorder has a bug in the microphone
It did sound much better although it sounded a bit rough as John committed to flying. Dennis, I have recently fitted a Glens Models conversion to my Z62 and its easier to start than the old magneto version, and it doesnt bite anymore, though I take your point re electronic ignitions being a bit fickle.

[John Greenfield]

Dennis
I do have to agree about electronic ignitions. I used to go through at least one 3W ignition on my models a year and on my SDD Glider tug I am on my second. I am also on the second ignition on the Decathlon (DA 150), although all those planes have had a lot of flying, especially the glider tugs. For an ignition to fail so early in the Tiger Moth is worrying and all I have from the manufacturer is "component failure". It is worrying to think it could happen again and I am seriously thinking of fitting 2 single cylinder ignitions instead to ensure at least one pot keeps going. The ignition I used in the Tiger Moth is supposed to be the "Rolls Royce" of ignitions with a RR price tag of 225 euros. It proves that sometimes expensive is not better.

In writing this I have to say this is the first ignition system that I have had fail in the air. Most seem to die on first switching on. You know the old story, have a good flight and next time you switch on...nothing. Whilst I do not like failures it is much better to die in this way rather than in flight.

The cheap Chinese ignition in my SDD glider tug did not die but something must have broken down inside as it started to make the servos glitch about (2.4 gigglehurtz radio). Clearly some kind of interference was being picked up by the servo's or wiring. Chokes and coils on the wires made no difference and the radio still moved the servos but the jittering was range related. The stronger the radios signal the more it over rode the jittering. Problem only went away with a change of ignition but at $36 for the twin ignition and 3 days delivery direct from China it was not a bad deal.

John

[Chris Lane]

This story is the reverse of full size aero engine experience. The airworthiness requirement for twin magneto's on aircraft engines was based on the perceived unreliability of these. It took years to persuade the authorities that road vehicle ic engines with electronic ignition accumulated many hundreds of hours between faults. It looks like the model engine ignition units are just not up to it. Is there anything from the motorbike world we could adopt perhaps?

[Tony Collins 1073]

It is a coincidence that you suggest motorbike coils Chris. That is exactly what I use on the Weslakes with my ignition system. I prepared and sold two Weslakes for Ludwic Faber and his friend Geunter For their two 1/2 scale Sopwiths [ camels? ] That was in 1999 and they are still flying the same two aircraft at shows. Same engines, same ignition systems. No failures. Why? because they like most Germans, they followed my instructions to the letter and didn't think that they knew better like a couple of fellows I could name.
My well known "Grosse Stik" uses an identical module, just a smaller ignition coil. That has now been flying for nearly thirteen years. Same system. And like the Weslakes, no screened leads. Thats inductive discahrge ignition for you.
A lot of failures are with the hall sensor which sends the signal to the module. This can occur especially with a freshly charged battery which hasn't had time to settle to its normal voltage.
The small high voltage coils in the more commonly used CD ignition systems Do have physical size against them, and if the spark is initiated without a spark plug in the lead, or if there is an open circuit HT lead this can cause an internal arc across the the windings cause carbonising and failure in some cases.

[ian redshaw]

A beautiful creation, in a beautiful colour too. Looks stunning and seems to fly on next to nothing so perhaps the noise aint going to be an issue. Is it set up as a tug? Would look great towing that Orlik, can you run a Tx in each hand??

Ian.

[John Greenfield]

Ian

It is set up as a tug and was built specially to tow the growing collection of 1/2 scale vintage gliders that are being built around Europe. There is already another Orlik from my plan flying in the UK and another under construction in Germany.
Now if we can only get a spark to the motor we will be all set to go.

John

[Mike Booth]

Faulty electronic ignition seems to be a common thing. Would be interested to know how many modellers have had problems, whether self inflicted or faulty manufacturing. Apart from the cost of replacement if not under guarantee,( £95 for a Roto of which I have had 3, two under quarantee) the chances of wrecking a model and the safety aspect come in to it. I'll keep on cranking Zenoahs. Hope this sparks a response

Not if you are using German equipment.
Ive been flying 3W for 17 years.
Thousands of flights.
Faultless.

Mike.