Eggmotor Development

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eggmotor — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 10:46:36 +0000

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Big Egg, Big Thrust

eggmotor — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:21:24 +0000

6.11.11: It’s has been a while since I last updated the blog and there is much to mention. The original Loncin gx200 engine now has a new home in a larger stainless steel frame together with a Bailey-Egg reduction kit and a 1.3m prop from D&T Propellers. This machine was originally built for a BIG challenge but due to financial constraints the ‘challenge’ has been abandoned for the foreseeable future. I did initially try a smaller alloy framed design to utilize the redundant fan blade assembly from the defunct Eggmonster project but I was unhappy with the strength and quality of my ‘Durafix’ joints. So I invested in some 16mm stainless steel and made a tube bender to roll the cage sections.

DIY Tube Bender

New Cage Construction

Bare Stainless Cage

Engine Close Up

New Eggmotor

Now we have the same thrust of the old Eggmonster but for much less weight. With our bathroom scales we achieved 48-50kg (106-110lb) thrust this afternoon. A few minor niggles to sort out and we will be ready for our maiden test flight.

All Change

eggmotor — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:29:04 +0000

07.07.11: Hello folks, a lot of changes happening in the ‘Egg’ camp at the moment. I can’t give too much away at the moment but the little Eggmotor has been stripped down. The 36×10 Xoar prop and hub have been sold already and the black chassis/cage might have a new home very soon too. Many factors have contributed to recent developments, mainly my inability to loose weight to make the direct drive option a viable means of propulsion but also a new project which requires the original Loncin gx200 engine as I’m too skint to afford a second tuned engine.

An all new reduction drive unit and brand new cage design are currently in the development and construct stages…….. more to follow.

High Marnham 2nd Test

eggmotor — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:14:59 +0000

08.06.11: Back in April I headed down to a field in High Marnham. This site is used by the CloudHoppers Club and I was also there with an unsuccessful test the previous September. This 2nd test flight, despite the bigger carb and higher compression head seemed to be a carbon-copy of the first test at this site. After take off I seemed to stop climbing and so again made the decision to abort. I really need to get back down to 14st (90kg) to stand any chance of decent performance, I’m currently around 15.5st(97kg). I probably would benefit from a larger wing too. My Kinetic is a ’27′ but I could do with a ’29′ size at least really.

Not Quite Oomph!!!

eggmotor — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:17:19 +0000

30.03.11: Sam and I conducted another bathroom scales test at the weekend and amazingly and also annoyingly only achieved around 35kg thrust??? I’m not sure how accurate this method is but the carb jetting is much better/richer now than the last recent scales test when we got around 38-40kg thrust (see previous video). I can only speculate that is type of testing is quite flawed……… Well that’s what I’m hoping any way.

So to try and get some accurate information regarding the prop’s performance I’ve pestered Xoar again for some technical data for the 36x10PJD-P prop. When I asked them for the data a good year or so ago they didn’t have any. Thankfully they now have the relevant information and Rebecca from Xoar emailed me the PJD-P 36×10 data yesterday. (I also have the ‘old’ PJD-P 34×10 available too for those of you who may require it)

Unfortunately, when I checked the data, the 4900rpm I achieved in the garage a week or two ago doesn’t equate to the 45kg thrust I was expecting with my own calculations. It is more like a meagre 42kg thrust instead. I need to achieve 14.5hp/5000rpm in order to get the 45kg (44.7kg according to data) performance I’m wanting, the 4900rpm we got only equates to 13.5hp.

I’ve ordered a Pulstar pulse plug to try and achieve improved combustion and may be squeeze an extra fraction of thrust.

I will update soon…..

Extra Oomph???

eggmotor — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:29:19 +0000

23.03.11: Well we finally got to thrust test the Egg with the new head and carburettor combo a couple of weekends ago and things didn’t go to plan. As you can see from the video below, we only peaked 38kg thrust which is 2kg less than with the previous cylinder head and stock carb. I wasn’t sure where the problem might have lay and so doing some quick, rough calculations it appeared we were only getting about 4500rpm.

Any way, I took the spark plug out as I suspected it might be running lean with the stock jet fitted (size about 0.88mm) and after I uploaded an image of the plug to a couple of forums the general concensus was that it was quite lean indeed. I had a spare 1.00mm jet lying around and so I fitted it and did a quick rpm test in the garage and I achieved 4900rpm. Yippee!!! If those previous rpm/thrust calculations are correct then that shows that the Egg should now be pushing about 45kg(99lb) thrust.

I then checked the plug again and it still looks a little lean so I contacted Shane at AGK stating the engine specification and asking what would be the best jet size and he reckons about 1.05-1.1mm. So I’ve ordered and now received some suitably sized drill bits and I will be drilling the jet out to probably 1.1mm either tomorrow or the weekend. I might even squeeze a few more rpms and a smidge more thrust too.

So watch this space, the Eggmotor could soon be exceeding 45kg thrust. Lets hope reliability holds up New thrust test will be taking place very shortly.

On Wheels

eggmotor — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:07:32 +0000

22.02.11: Well I’ve now fitted the new crankcase cover gasket and while I was in the garage I decided to see if the frame dimensions were close enough to the Monster’s specification to see if it would fit on the quad attachment,……. it did.

I just needed to drill a couple of holes for the securing nuts and it was a tight squeeze with the fuel tank cradle but all went well. With the harness connected up I sat in it and performed the starting procedure to have a short, part throttle bash. With the ignition already set to ‘ON’, I reached my left hand behind me and made sure the choke lever was set to ‘CLOSED’. Then while applying half throttle with the control in my left hand I sharply pulled the recoil cord from behind my head, over my left shoulder and down towards my legs. After three or four attempts she roared into life. I then ease open the choke. Now that the prop is back on the throttle response seems very sluggish and tends to bog if quick throttle adjustments are made. Just like the short run previous, the idle is lumpy and it can only be the large GX390 carb causing it. I didn’t rev up in the garage in case debris on the floor got sucked through the prop. Hopefully there will be plenty of power in the top end to give the requisite increase in expected thrust. I have purchased a new GX270 carburettor quite cheaply as according to ‘C-Line‘ in America the GX270 carb produces a significant power increase to a stock degoverned GX200 engine. If the 390 carb is too much trouble then I will swap over and see what happens.

I have also weighed the complete Eggmotor with harness and three litres of fuel and it tops out at 28.5kg.

Alive Again

eggmotor — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 14:41:12 +0000

05.01.11: The engine is complete again, albeit with a leaking crankcase gasket. That’s no surprise though as I have re-used it several times now. I’ve a new gasket now and will be fitting it asap. I have had it running as it is and it started fairly easily once I worked out the best choke and throttle settings. I’m still a little concerned about the con-rod bolt torque but we’ll see if she destroys herself with a full power test when the propeller is back on.

I’m still expecting 15-16hp at loaded maximum rpm (~5000rpm) and about 45kg(99lb) thrust if the larger carburettor suits the engine and other mods.

Partial Rebuild

eggmotor — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:18:30 +0000

25.01.11: While waiting for the new con rod bolts to arrive I thought I may as well build up the top end and figure out a new throttle set up as the gx390 carburettor throttle butterfly turns the opposite way to the gx200 butterfly. The video explains in more detail.

Eggmotor set back

eggmotor — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 09:48:28 +0000

24.01.11: In a recent post I mentioned about the improvements I’m wanting to carry out on the little Eggmotor. Well, firstly an update on the blown gasket problem. I think the reason the gasket could have blown is that when I fitted the 18cc GX160 cylinder head on the first time I built up the engine and then also when I swapped to a 14cc head, is that I used ‘thread-lock’ on both occasions and I think this has caused incorrect head bolt torque results. I don’t think re-applying the liquid over caked on thread-lock from a previous time is a good idea. Watching some of ARC Racing’s tutorial videos on the ustream.tv web site I’ve seen that they apply motor oil to all bolt threads to prevent corrosion and to aid correctly torquing the bolts. I suspect the gasket blew due to lack of bolt pressure. I have now in preparation for the new parts re-tapped(cleaned) the block threads and bolts and I can now easily screw the bolts into the block by hand.

'Cleaning' out the threads

Hand tightened with ease

Also, while using for the first time a new torque wrench with the correct sized drive head (so I don’t need an adaptor which would make getting inside the block impossible) for a borrowed 1/4″ 12pt socket for the billet con-rod I accidentally overtightened the bolts to the point where one of them snapped. The torque wrench was ‘clicking’ as it should while gradually pre-loading the bolts but when I got to the 120in/lb setting there was no ‘click’ and so stupidly I slowly continued to tightened. I’ve ordered a new set of bolts from AGK and currently waiting patiently for them to arrive.

Snapped ARC billet con-rod bolt