POWER COUNTS!!!!! :)

Yesterday (Sunday) we flew a PA 61 for the first time. The plane is Aaron's "Vector II". A Bucaneer 46 wing with the elliptical tips (Dreadnaught) and a slightly redrawn Vector fuselage. This was Aaron's first NATS plane ('96) and started with an OS 40VF. Flew real good. Next was a PA 40, still very good. Now it has a PA 61....... very best so far.
It was amazing what the difference in power made. I have a PA 51 in my Geo Juno and while it is a very nice engine, the extra power was noticable flying the pattern.
I think I have a whole new way of thinking about the choice of engine size versus airframe size.
Bill

What is the area, weight, and how big of a prop did you put on it.

And I am agreeing with you. The weight is essentially the same, but the power difference is tremendous. Now put the large 65 pipe on the engine and try upping the prop a bit more.

Hi Len,
The wing area is ?? It is a Bucanneer 746 wing with the Dreadnaught tips and flaps. (airfoil was too close to tell a difference, and the wing was free) Weight is right at 64 oz. RTF. 12 1/4 X 3 3/4 Eather 3 blade (blue). Biggest prop we got.
Bill

>The wing area is ?? It is a Bucanneer 746 wing with the
>Dreadnaught tips and flaps. Weight is right at 64
>oz. RTF. 12 1/4 X 3 3/4 Eather 3 blade (blue). Biggest
>prop we got.

Area is about 660 or so give or take.
Weight is honestly more like 57-58 ounces.
Eather prop is green epoxy, we have some purple (12") ones as well but none bigger than 12.5.

I will probably pick up a bigger one from Randy, a Bolly, they have wider blades at the tips and I would like to try one of those.

I do not think the power was that much more noticeable than the PA51 in his saturn/juno, when that was on it was real on (it got off by someone leaving it and the prop in the car for a day or two, reducing the pitch to around a 3.5 i wont mention any names)

I liked the way it just was out on the lines with total authority, I cannot wait now to get my GeoXL finished, i can build it around the same weight but it will have more squares etc and should be that much better.

Hi Buddy,
I knew that you could fill in the specifics.
As to the difference between the 51 and 61, I could tell a difference in the more "solid" feel it gave in feedback. But, like I said, the 51 is a great set up.
Yep, I'm guilty as to "someone leaving it in the van", I guess that would have been your old man! LOL!! I really learned a lesson on just how much a CF prop can be affected by the climate.
Now I got to find a couple of 61/65 and join in on the fun.
Bill

Bill,

As has often been said in the past: There is no substitution for cubic inches.

>Bill,
>
>As has often been said in the past: There is no substitution
>for cubic inches.
>
>

Randy Powell

Ron B.
F4Fguy

Except cubic inches with a blower!

Hi Ron,
Maybe I can get Keith Black to build me a 61/65 with GMC blower, and all.
But I don't think I want to have to rebuild the engine after each run! LOL!!
Bill

"As has often been said in the past: There is no substitution for cubic inches."

"Except cubic inches with a blower!"

Let me get a little bit technical. Actually there is no substitute for Horse Power and cubic inches has little to do with it. Example Fox .35 Stunt vs O.S. .35FP.

I know that we're just fooling around but someone with little experience could get the wrong idea. Adding the wrong cubic inches might only get you a nose heavy airplane.

Randy,

Tell Ford that. That's why they built the GT-40. They took advantage of a rule that didn't restrict engine size. It's a lot easier to get horsepower out of a big engine without putting unnecessary strain on it.

But for all that, you're right. Horsepower, or in our case torque, is the key. It's just easier to get it with cubic inches.

Hey Bill...is this one of the motors I sent to Aaron?

Hi John,
Yes it is, the least expensive one.
Bill

"MORE POWER, grunt, grunt, ughh, ughh" quote from Tim the Tool Man Taylor.

There is no replacement for displacement.

Bill the really cool thing you can do is once you get the motor and plane in trim you can start messing around with your engine setup and really go for the gusto. Start cramming the head down and uping the nitro and the run just gets steadier and steadier as you go. This allows you to flatten the prop out and the speed becomes more even and steady all during the maneuver. It is really fun to mess with it.

Yep the bigger motors are nice. You can set them up real docile if you like and still just chug right through. Or you can just drive them all the way. With the smaller ones you are kind of limited.

Have fun that's the name of the game.

Hi Doug,
It is beginning to be fun with this set up. It is like no other I have flown. I thought the 51 set up was great, but this one is better!
Now Aaron has to build a ship for these 61s over the winter.
Me, too!
Bill