Need help selecting engine

Hey Bob! I think you'll do just fine with either .020 engine. Look into a small LiFe (6.6VDC) receiver pack (as well as a charger for it..) and some quality nano-servos. The model could finish-out underweight by as much as "ounces".

I think a Tee Dee with a throttle and external fuel tank would be ideal. You'll get a longer flying time than with an integral tank and generally Tee Dees are considered more dependable / steady running than reedies.

You will save a lot of weight by being able to eliminate the 5 AA cell power pack, as a modern LiPo battery for your receiver weighs about the same as a single AA battery. Not to mention the weight savings with modern radio gear. So you can reinforce the nose, landing gear etc to better suit the loads of the IC use (vibration, starting, cleaning-up, handling..).

That sure is a pretty little airplane!

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I am leaning towards the tee dee. I have the light radio gear covered. At least I think I do. It will be a simple two channel set up. I am guessing the flight ready weight will be around eight ounces. It mainly depends on the weight of the covering, now. I will post pics when done.

TD. No question.

roddie wrote:Hey Bob! I think you'll do just fine with either .020 engine. Look into a small LiFe (6.6VDC) receiver pack (as well as a charger for it..) and some quality nano-servos. The model could finish-out underweight by as much as "ounces".

I have been using the 6.6v LiFe batteries for a few years. I love them. I will use a 300Mah Spektrum battery in this plane, along with two Hitec HS-65's, a JR micro switch and a Common Sense R/C reciever. I am hoping the all up weight will be around eight ounces. The current generation micro gear has sure made the hobby a lot more fun!

With a 40" wingspan and 212 sq. in. wing area puts it into the .049 reedie category. A throttled reedie would work very good. It is rather draggy with its cabin fuselage, a .020 turn a 4.5 inch diameter prop won't put much wind past it. Even a Medallion .049 with exhaust throttle would work nicely.

A Texaco set up Baby Bee .049 with one of those "needle in the air tube" throttles would work nicely.

lol, i'll vote Tee Dee .020, bigger fuel tank, significant more power than Pee wee. do you really want throttle, with that set up you're going to get to altitude and glide back? Two channel, elevator and rudder.

Mark Boesen wrote:lol, i'll vote Tee Dee .020, bigger fuel tank, significant more power than Pee wee. do you really want throttle, with that set up you're going to get to altitude and glide back? Two channel, elevator and rudder.

Yep, I am going to fly it like a glider: power up and glide back.

Perhaps there may be a sense of humour in the suggestion of a .049 reedie, but then my Sterling Minnie Mambo has about the same wing area. I had its bigger brother, the Miss Stik Sr. At 50" span, I was planning to put a Thunder Tiger .07 RC in mine, but gave the kit to a friend.
(A smaller engine? Oops! I feel the hypocrisy!     )

Where I live, we rarely have low wind conditions, nominally expect 15+ MPH. When it starts to get above 25 MPH, I pack up and call it a day. These planes are built very lightweight, sort of like a strengthened rubber powered. Being light doesn't take much power, but then are basically IMHO reasonably calm weather fliers.

The electric motors installed tend to be oversized, basically putting something akin to a 1960's .10 in, why they can stunt from the horizontal, mostly flying throttled back.

But then, recently I bit the deep end towards something more my speed, now that I have a gray haired head. I recently bid and won on a 66" (1675mm), 532 sq. in. 1941 Vanguard kit on E-Bay. Probably the right engine for it might be my Enya .35-V TV, or perhaps the Fox plain bearing cross scavenge .25 R/C.

I'm just following Murphy's General Rules of Model Flying. "If you can't fly fast, then fly big!"

I just didn't want to rile up the Cox NAZIs by suggesting a Wen Mac, that's all. No, in all seriousness, a needle throttled Cox Texaco Bee set up with 8" prop and all would be just the ticket for a leisurely climb with a few low G stunts and leisurely glide down in low wind conditions.

Oh, I don't think anyone is bad mouthing your ideas.
(I was going to say, "Heil Herkimer!" )

What this discussion has revealed is everyone approaches powering such an aircraft with a different perspective. Any of the solutions suggested will work, and none of them are unachievable. We all have a perception on how we'd want such an aircraft to perform, if we were the builder. Ultimately, it will be the OP who decides since it is after all, his aircraft and his workmanship with it.

I believe the decision has been made to go with a Cox .020 Tee Dee, which is fine. He received inputs on what to power it with, and we all contributed.

If we want to participate further, I guess we all can craft our own Miss Stik Jr. or similar and post about our experiences thereof.

Yep. the OP is gonna go with the Tee Dee .020. This will be my first time using a Cox.020 of any kind. The plane shoud be more than light enough. I am omitting the landing gear and throttle to keep the weight waaay down low. Here is where it stands for now.