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Troy Built Models (TBM)
Modellbau USA
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Smoke Pumps
SMOKE SET UP IN COMPOSITE-ARF 2.6M EXTRA
Photo Courtesy Jeff Allen
Jeff is using a 40 oz smoke tank (yet only a 32 oz fuel tank) and gets about 11 minutes of smoke!
The smoke is not on steady for 11 minutes, the pump varies with throttle position.
At full throttle the smoke won't last more than 6 minutes.
Jeff uses a 730 mah 3-cell LiPoly (from his Shock Flier) to power the system on 12v.
Info on smoke systems:
- Nothing is cooler than flying with smoke. If you be "da" man, you need "da" SMOKE!
- Smoke will add weight to the plane, about 12-16 oz for the empty tank, the pump, lines, battery and valves.
- You need as much smoke oil as possible. You can easily use 50 oz in a 4 minute freestyle routine on a 150. For my freestyle I used a 24 oz gas tank and a 50 oz smoke tank. That's another 3 pounds of smoke oil! That was before the Slimline system
- If you use canister mufflers, you can shoot the oil into them, but the canisters are fairly cool, so won't get as much smoke as if you shoot the oil into the header! While the canister is 140 degrees F, the header is 300 degrees F.
- The life of even the black smoke tubing isn't long when attached to a header, it will crack from the heat in a year.
- Use the black smoke tubing at the muffler. It's for high temperature. The other stuff melts!
- The Showtime pump varies the flow with throttle setting. This is great!! It really reduces the mess on the outside of the plane. Also if you are shooting oil into the header, when inverted you can easily shoot oil into the cylinder at idle, so shut the oil flow off below 1/4 throttle.
- Bring some paper towels to do clean up. You should clean up after each flight.
- Be sure that your elevator and rudder hinge gaps are sealed very well. The tail will get a coating of oil which tends to work under the gap seals and remove them.
- You can put the smoke tank behind the CG so that when the tank is full you have a more rearward CG. Usually you are doing crazy stuff with the smoke on and the rearward CG makes it easier to do these stunts. Once the oil is gone, the CG is restored to normal for landing.
- Be sure to turn the pump off at the transmitter when the oil is used up to avoid draining your battery. In case you forget, it's best to have a separate battery for the smoke pump.
- Use a 3-cell LiIon or LiPoly for the smoke pump. The pump works a lot better on 12v than on 6v. Have a separate switch on the plane. If you aren't going to use the smoke during the flight, leave the switch off.
- Have the 3-cell battery for the smoke held in by Velcro so you can remove it completely if you aren't going to use it that day to save weight. When you are going to use smoke, install the battery.
- If you are a weight freak, you can velcro in the pump, and remove it when not in use. It weighs 1/4 pound and just needs a couple of tubes and a wire hooked to it. Just takes seconds to install. Then you can use it on other planes as well.
- Use top quality, very clean oil. The oil is very hot and will get into the seams of the covering and try to lift them.
- White covering on the bottom of the plane where the hot smoke oil will touch will discolor to a light yellow/brown. Use a darker covering.
- You must use a filter on the inlet to the pump. A little dirt will mess up your pump.
- You need a check valve very close to the muffler so that the pressure from the exhaust doesn't push the smoke fluid back into the tank. It takes awhile to get the oil into the muffler again.
- If you have two mufflers that you are feeding, the two lines must be exactly the same length. Run the yellow tubing down between the mufflers, then use the black for the last few inches from an aluminum T valve. The black tube must be the same length.
- If you are going to remove the pump, use a spring clips to hold the tubing onto the nipples. You must wire tie or spring clip every (and I mean every) junction. The spring clips make it easier to install over and over.
TBM TIP - SAVE MONEY ON SMOKE FLUID! - I found that Diesel fuel, which is available at just $2 a gallon, works extremely well!! The smoke lingers for 15 seconds and can be as dense as you would like. Very little mess to clean up. It is clear and colorless, though it has an odor additive. We are looking at fragrances used in Dragsters to make it smell nicer. These fragrances come in Pina Colada, Grape, Bubble gum and more. Just check your local hot rod shop. It costs about $9 a bottle which serves 25-50 gallons!
Check out: http://www.smokingairplanes.com/smokingairplanes_smokesystem_smokeoil.htm
WARNING - Gasoline and Turbine powered R/C model aircraft are not manufactured to withstand unlimited G's. Any R/C model aircraft can fail, be it a wing folding up or a fuselage breaking in half under too high of a load. Just as any full size aircraft, model R/C aircraft have a maximum G rating. Because you are not in the plane flying it and experiencing the G's and reading the G-meter, it is more difficult to judge the G's on the aircraft, and it is very easy to exceed the limits of the aircraft. Understand that if you perform a snap roll, parachute, wall, blender, knife edge loop, or pull hard on the elevator at almost any speed, you can be putting in excess of 15 G's, even in excess of 30 G's, and most aircraft can only designed to take 10-12 G's. If you perform any violent maneuver, you can break your plane. When I perform hard maneuvers, especially for the first time on an airframe, I am prepared for a failure and am prepared for it as best I can be. This mainly includes performing the maneuver far enough away from spectators that in event of a failure that I am not endangering others. In addition, be prepared for the manufacturer to not pay for a new airframe which is broken during flight. It is common practice for any manufacturer to not replace an airframe which breaks in the air or upon landing. I have only seen manufacturers replace airframes when they have received many of the same failures and the manufacturer determines that there was a design or manufacturing error. If you break an airframe, and you are the only one to do so, then it is probably not the fault of the manufacturer. Please fly safely, and avoid full throttle operation other than at low airspeeds.
R/C model jets, warbirds, aerobatic planes and UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to name a few are not a toy! If misused, it can cause serious bodily harm and property damage. Fly only in open areas, and AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) approved flying sites. Follow all manufacturer instructions included with your plane, radio, servo's, batteries and engine. Aircraft manufacturers guarantees each kit to be free from defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover any component assembled by the customer. All parts of high stress must be inspected and reinforced if necessary by a competent builder. Some parts should be glued again. High stress areas such as firewalls, motor boxes, wing mounts, landing gear mounts, etc., are areas of high concern. Seek help if necessary. In not case shall TBM be liable for the cost of any product it offers which is not manufactured by TBM. The liability to the manufacturer cannot exceed the original cost of the purchased item. Further, TBM reserves the right to change or modify this warranty without notice. In that TBM has no control over the final assembly or materials used for final assembly, no liability shall be assumed nor accepted for any damage resulting from the use by the user of the final user-assembled product. By the act of using the user assembled product, the user accepts all resulting liability. The kit manufacturers have provided you with a top quality, thoroughly tested kit and instructions, but ultimately the quality and fly ability of your finished model depends on how you build it; therefore, we cannot in any way guarantee the performance of your completed model, and no representations are expressed or implied as to the performance or safety of your completed model. It is the user's responsibility to inspect each component for worthiness.
