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Post by BrianW517 on Sept 19, 2011 20:07:49 GMT -7
The fuel tank failed today. The clunk is rattling around the inside of the tank. I'll have to see exactly what happened. I'm going to make a couple more as spares. I've put light wire, tied around my fuel lines, inside my fuel tanks, to keep the tubing attached to the pick up entree tube & clunker. Never had any disconnects inside my tank, even in a lead out breakage & nose in straight down on pavement. These are nylon plastic tanks used in RC today, not steel tanks. ;D
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Post by Garf on Sept 20, 2011 10:06:37 GMT -7
I haven't opened the tank yet, but I don't expect to find that the tubing slipped off the pipe. I expect to find that the silicon tubing failed. Most likely due to using old tubing. I have some very old tubing.
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Post by Garf on Oct 2, 2011 18:31:32 GMT -7
The replacement tank has been tested and is ready. Time to operate.
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Post by Garf on Oct 12, 2011 20:33:59 GMT -7
I haven't opened the tank yet, but I don't expect to find that the tubing slipped off the pipe. I expect to find that the silicon tubing failed. Most likely due to using old tubing. I have some very old tubing. I opened the failed tank. The tubing did fail, but it was new tubing, not old.
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Post by slobmaster on Oct 14, 2011 1:52:21 GMT -7
I haven't opened the tank yet, but I don't expect to find that the tubing slipped off the pipe. I expect to find that the silicon tubing failed. SAme thing happened to me in the flyathon. I made 3 perfect inverted landings before I figured out to look through the plastic fuel tank. Sure nuff.....silicone broke where it was wired to the brass tubing. From now on I think I'll put a tiny flare on the brass tubing instead of using copper wire. P/S...it was the same blue tubing too!
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Post by Garf on Oct 14, 2011 16:46:17 GMT -7
Some types of silicon tubing are prone to this type of failure. NEVER use wire or clamps on silicon tubing. A bead or flare will also cause failure. All you need to do is press the tubing far enough onto the brass tubing, and it will never come off. In some rare cases, like on spray bars, I will cut a small length of tubing and slide it over the existing tubing to make a clamp. Attachments:
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Post by Garf on Nov 17, 2011 12:26:26 GMT -7
Last time out, I had a problem. No matter where the setting started out, it would go dead lean after launch. Haven't found the problem yet.
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Post by Garf on Nov 23, 2011 12:22:55 GMT -7
I've decided that the problem lies with the engine lacking break in time, SO, I've swapped out the engine for the Brodak 40. Thats right, the same Brodak 40 that I have had no end to trouble with. This could prove to be fun.
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Post by flyingtigre on Nov 23, 2011 14:26:14 GMT -7
It's been a long time so I don't recall exact details but I once put some sort of liquid thru blue fuel tubing and the inside swelled thereby reducing the inside diameter (returned to normal after it dried out). This would reduce flow and if on an engine, would cause it to lean.
This probably won't help but won't hurt either. Try filling the fuel line with fuel and let it set for an extended period then check the inside diameter.
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Post by Garf on Nov 27, 2011 17:11:00 GMT -7
Brodak 40 works well on this thing. 2 flap hinges failed on it today. Outboard hinge pulled out, next inboard lost the pin.
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Post by Garf on Dec 8, 2011 19:36:13 GMT -7
The flap hinges have been repaired. I cut a gasket for the muffler on the Brodak 40 and I'm going to try it again.
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Post by Garf on Dec 10, 2011 19:10:17 GMT -7
I set the Brodak 40 a little rich thinking it would lean out............NO. A wind gust picked it up and it went in. Broken prop, loose muffler. The gasket I made blew out. I removed the remains and tightened the muffler up, now to see if it will run that way.
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Post by Garf on Dec 18, 2011 16:48:45 GMT -7
I tried to progressively lean the Brodak 40 each flight. When I finally got what sounded like a good run, it sagged in the overheads and I crashed it again.
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Post by Garf on Dec 21, 2011 18:21:10 GMT -7
I plan to try a different fuel mix to see if that will help. If not, another engine change.
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Post by Garf on Dec 25, 2011 21:53:50 GMT -7
Last time out, the Brodak 40 ran pretty good. THEN, the landing gear tore out. It wasn't even a hard landing. When I got it back to the shop, I found the tank compartment wet with fuel, I pressure checked the tank and found a massive leak. I pulled the tank and water tested it. It seems the last crash punched a hole in the front wall of the tank. This is a steel clunk tank.
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Post by Garf on Dec 26, 2011 21:29:29 GMT -7
I have a replacement tank installed. Next I will find out just how well I had fuel proofed the compartment.
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Post by Garf on Jan 14, 2012 16:55:07 GMT -7
I flew this this thing at the KOI. The 29* weather made the engine difficult to start. It flooded and bit me. The rudder got broken and despite this, It gave me my highest score of the day. I switched to the profile NoblARF #1 for the second flight and my score fell radically.
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Post by Garf on Jan 20, 2012 19:48:33 GMT -7
Repairs to the rudder are under way. My making the rudder removable had paid off again.
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Post by Garf on Jan 25, 2012 12:46:41 GMT -7
Rudder repairs are done. Rudder is covered. I installed it last night using silicon seal. Today it looks good and solid. I may try to fly it this Sunday.
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Post by Garf on Feb 5, 2012 14:12:22 GMT -7
After 2 flights today, I found the inboard flap ready to fall off. The 2 outboard hinge pins were missing, and the 2 inboard hinges were broken free at the trailing edge.
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