LIMITED-B Prop Tests please ?

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Jimbo
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LIMITED-B Prop Tests please ?

Post by Jimbo »

I'm going to do some tests this weekend with an APC 10x3 prop and I was hoping I could get some of you try it too. I would like to get as much input on this as possible. Let me know how your plane handles. I ordered some other brands and sizes from Tower but they wont be in till next weekend. Don't forget to take off the tuned exhaust.
Thanks

Limited-B
Try it,you'll like it !
Feathers
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Post by Feathers »

Already on it. I've flown my 64" Open B with the APC 10x3 and it flew very well. Much slower than with the 9x4 on pipe- I'd say closer to SSC speeds than I thought it would be. However the plane would do continuous loops pulling a streamer and had pretty much unlimited vertical (though slow). The bigger prop seemed to keep it slower in dives and kept the speed pretty steady. It could handle more control input than my SSC but would not take what it can at Open B speeds. I've picked up a bunch of 10x4 MA's and tomorrow I have enough guys together that we'll be flying some rounds of combat with both props.



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Tim Feathers
Wild Wings Combat
RCCA 538
Jimbo
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Post by Jimbo »

Thanks Tim !
Did you check the RPM's ?

Limited-B
Try it,you'll like it !
Feathers
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Post by Feathers »

Ok,

Didn't get out to the field 'till the evening as we ended up taking care of....well, who cares- we didn't get out there until evening. So, Steve only has his Jett .30 choker which is too "special" for him to put a streamer on. Down to Ryan and I testing props. Oh well, we strapped on some 10x4 MA's first.

Ryans well-worn FX spins it at 14,300 on PowerMaster 15%. We give 'er a toss and I'm not liking what I see as much as the other day. The MA is spinnin' up in the down lines and picking up speed then getting sluggish on the ups. This creates a lot of speed variation. We took turns flying the plane. Ryan looks at me and says, "It's really slow." I know....it's supposed to be- pay attention.

We put a 10x3 APC on and we're hitting 15,000, again on 15% PowerMaster. Give that a toss and things are looking good! It sounds better, stays much more even in the up and down lines, and is just a touch faster. I slapped a 10x3 APC on mine (though my FX is only hitting 14,400?) and we tied on a couple of streamers. It was great fun! With the planes a good deal slower it was easier to avoid hitting one another. Well, I was trying to avoid the hit- not sure whether Ryan was worried about it or not?

This could be a lot of fun. Forget about the 10x4 MA's. The 10x3 APC's are the way to go.


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Tim Feathers
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BigCountry
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Post by BigCountry »

That's kind of what I expected we'd see Tim. APC keeps the RPM's down but is a more effiecent prop in the long run. Curiosity, what do you think your speeds were in comparison to a good flying SSC plane? I realize this is strictly ballpark but how would you compare them? Thanks again for the input and help...[:D]

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Jimbo
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Post by Jimbo »

Thanks Tim, sounds good. I picked up some APC 10x3 props today so I'll be flight testing them at my club tomorrow.(On an Irvine)

Limited-B
Try it,you'll like it !
Rabbit Leader
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Post by Rabbit Leader »

Tim, we had about the same experience with the MA 10-4 that you had. We flew it on my Mustang on it's first demo last year at North Dallas, and it was a little slower than the 9-4, but not by much, although the thrust had improved quite a bit. The APC 10-3 is what we've been running the 2548 birds on since then, it just seems to give a good compromise in speed, thrust and handling. There are a couple of other 10-3 props out there, the MA is a paint stirrer, and I have no data as of yet on the Graupner, but I'm going to try to get my hands on one pretty soon and see how it works out..

Cash

"Furballs are for cats!"
Feathers
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Post by Feathers »

One of the guys at my club has access to a very good gun and he occasionally brings it to the field. I'll see if we can get some real numbers in the near future. However, all three of us agreed we were faster than SSC. If my SSC plane is traveling 50-55 (which is about where it was last time we put the gun on it) and my piped 9x4 is in the mid 80s (again, what it was doing the last time we had the gun at the field)- then I would say we were probably doing about 65? Again, just a guess. After supporting us with the NACS I wish we could make a MA prop work. They also take our no-wheel landings a little better. I was surprised to find I'd broke a prop on my last landing- even if it didn't turn I don't think I'd have lost a MA in that situation.

By the way, though one would assume, I didn't specify in my previous post that all planes were flying with stock mufflers- no baffle.


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Tim Feathers
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BigCountry
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Post by BigCountry »

Tim,

If your accurate on the speeds then that's where most folks that we've spoken to feel we need to be which is awesome. Thank you again for all your time and input into the idea. It's folks like you that will make this fly and Jim and I appreciate it a great deal...[:D]

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Bad Dawg
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Post by Bad Dawg »

Here are some performance numbers on my fastest Norvell bushed Big Mig .25
I used my can of mixed fuel (remains of many jugs usually 15% but some FAI, %5 and 35% too)
On a mousse can muffler the flyable settings got me

MAS 9x4 19.7 k
MAS 10x3 18.5k
APC 10x3 14.6

On a stock Norvell muffler I got very good needle response and these flyable rpm numbers.

MAS 9x4 17k
MAS 10x3 15.6k
APC 10x3 13.44k

On the stock muffler I got a better low end idle and better mid-range transition.

Now for the subjective part.
The 8036, 64" Flat Bat flew well on all combinations.
MA 10x3 @ 18k launched the easiest.
But there was no real problem launching any of them into the wind.
The APC 10x3 on a stock muffler gave me the most consistant over-all performance, as it wasn't the fastest or slowest, its needle vlave was more adjustable, its mid-range response was quicker, its climb was great.

I am not the best engine tuner on the block, so take this info in that light.

NUNC AUT NUNQUAM
Mark V.
The perpetual 'newbie'
BigCountry
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Post by BigCountry »

Awesome Mark, thanks for the input [:D]

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Dane McGee
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Post by Dane McGee »

What Cash said! The 2548 guys have almost a year of testing with the APC 10x3 prop on .25's and have stated results many times on this forum...... Bottom line it works. It pulls around my 4# bird with ease. Proof is I launched by myself with a tail wind and flew the demo at Paris for the combat world to see. Don't guess there was much interest at the time, but I'm glad to see others now joining in.[:D]

Dane "MadMax" McGee
Greenville, Texas
Jimbo
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Post by Jimbo »

Ed,Cash, all I can say is thank you thank you thank you. Travis and I did some test runs with the APC 10x3 props and the results were fantastic. The two planes could not have been more different but the results were the same. I flew a Raptor with an Irvine.25 and Travis flew a Wasp with an OS.25FX both on 15%PowerMaster. Both planes had plenty of power to launch without a shove, both had very good vertical and did good tight loops. This was just like the combat I used to fly with the stock .40FP 3lbs Gremlins, great pulling power without the blazing fast top end.I would like to hear from anyone with a .28cid
I used to fly with some guys that had .28's on their combat planes and I can see no reason to leave them out. They don't have the power of a good .25cid. and there are still a number of people that have them. One benefit of including the Mag.28 is it is one of the more popular bands of motors and it is CHEAP.

Limited-B
Try it,you'll like it !
Rabbit Leader
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Post by Rabbit Leader »

Jimbo, all we are waiting on is someone to post some RPM data..I don't have a mag 28, don't think I'll ever buy one as my experiences with the mag15 in SSC kinda made me a little crazy(er)...[:p]

Seriously, if ya'll can get us some hard data, we will take a good, hard look at it...

"Furballs are for cats!"
Jimbo
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Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2001 11:28 pm
Location: USA

Post by Jimbo »

I forgot to mention, the Irvine.25 was turning 13.6K and the OS.25FX was turning 14K. I think we will start with a 15K max limit. When winter rolls around we will take another look. Both planes were plenty fast at around 14K.

Limited-B
Try it,you'll like it !
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