wd

Technical questions, advice, sharing information etc (aircraft, engines, instruments, weather and such)
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Bacardi
I hate turbulence
I hate turbulence
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wd

Postby Bacardi » Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:49 pm

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Last edited by Bacardi on Thu May 17, 2007 8:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Morph
The Big Four K
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Postby Morph » Thu Sep 22, 2005 9:00 pm

Yeah this is a good question. I am thinking quite seriously about building a bushbaby and I am debating the whole 2-stoke(or is it just Stroke, cause thats what you feel like when it stops) vs 4-stroke choice. The 4-stroke is heavier but I understand that it is more reliable. By what degree :?:
Greg Perkins
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CloudBase
Learning to fly
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Postby CloudBase » Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:06 am

Flying the entire length of Cahorra Bassa in Moz with practically no place to land there was no sound more beautiful than the purr of a trusty 914 (not exactly a purr at 4800 RPM, but you know what I mean :wink: )

A lot of the engine-outs that I am aware of can be ascribed to insufficient knowledge, neglect or poor fuel. All of these causes can be prevented.

Automotive engines typically work at 45-60% of maximum power output for the majority of their life, have larger components because weight is not such an issue and are regularly serviced by qualified technicians.

A typical microlight engine will work at 75-95% of max power for the majority of it's life and be serviced by an owner/operator that is not required to have any qualification to tinker.

I have had two engine-outs on a two-stroke engine before. :shock: The first was caused by a piece of rubber inside the fuel tank that blocked fuel flow (could have been avoided). The second was caused when the previous owner set the carburettor needle to the incorrect position to "get more power" - go figure. :roll: If I had understood the engine better at the time that could also have been avoided.

The Rotax end-user course I attended ranks amongst the most useful investments of time I've made - at least now I know why I constantly keep a lookout for a field to land. :wink:
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DieselFan
Frequent Flyer
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Postby DieselFan » Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:08 am

Hi Guys

Please check out my link
http://microlighters.co.za/viewtopic.php?t=798

http://www.greenskyadventures.com/Engin ... ompare.htm

Basically to sum up on the one link it shows how running a 2 Stroke over 500 hours, in maintenance, you could buy a 4 stroke motor :shock: :shock:

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