|
|
Which exhaust?
What should I buy? If you're buying a Raptor kit, it will generally come with an exhaust, stick with this until you're finished learning the basics, then go ahead and get either a Muscle Pipe II, or a Hatori exhaust. Unless you know what you're doing, don't get a full tuned pipe.
|
"What? I need
to buy the exhaust seperately" you ask?? Yup, you certainly do! Buying
the helicopter kit is only a part of it!
You need to buy
the exhaust system seperately. You need it cause most engines won't run properly
without an exhaust system and in most cases the engine relies on the pressure
generated from the exhaust to feed more fuel into the engine, but we'll get
to that later.
There are a few
different types of exhaust systems. These are the muffler, the tuned muffler
and the tuned pipe. All have different characteristics and will make your engine
perform a little differently.
When you're looking for an exhaust system for your helicopter, you've got to
take into account a number of things. Some of these are:
- Does it match your engine?
Some engines have different exhaust port mountings than others. You want to
make sure that your selected system will accomodate your particular engine.
- Does it match your helicopter?
Some helicopters may require different exhaust mountings
due to their construction. This becomes more of an issue for tuned pipes where
you may have to buy a different header.
- Does it suit your flying style?
Some exhaust systems such as some tuned pipes, only
really work at certain rev ranges (ie full throttle). This may not be ideal
for you if you're wanting to do a lot of hovering as most helicopters don't
hover at full throttle. In that case, maybe a good muffler or tuned muffler
might be more beneficial.
- Does this exhaust system require different fuel
mixture to run efficiently?
Some exhaust systems run better with increased nitro
content which will increase the cost of your fuel expenses.
- What reputation does this system have?
Ask around and see what others think about your chosen exhaust system. There
are some dogs out there that you'll want to avoid.
|
Muffler
Mufflers get rid of the exhaust gas produced by the engine. The pressure
generated by the outward flowing gas is often used to pressurise the
fuel tank (on a non-pumped system) and push fuel to the engine's carbuettor. Generally the
engine will run fairly consistently (depending on how well you've
set up your engine) throughout it's rev range. Good for if you run
a two speed headspeed setup (for hovering and fast forward flight)
because the engine should run consistently.
|
|
Tuned Muffler
Tuned mufflers follow the same principles as standard mufflers but
have been tuned to enable the engine to run optimally at a certain
rev range.
Tuned mufflers are designed to try and get the best of both worlds
of mufflers and tuned pipes. They're very popular for people who want
to run a two speed setup for hovering and fast forward flight.
Tuned mufflers often have a 'range' where they run optimumly, and the heli will 'want' to run there. Set your throttle curves so that your engine is running within this 'band' to get the best results, in most cases the manufacturer will recommend what RPM to use.
|
|
Tuned Pipe
Tuned pipe's are designed to make the engine generate peak power at
full power. They're most often used for pilots who do heavy aerobatics
for 3D where the helicopter is always running at full power and has
to make full power.
Tuned Pipes aren't as popular anymore because everyone uses tuned mufflers like the Muscle Pipe II and Hatori's.
.
|
My own personal experience
I'd go for either the muffler or the tuned muffler when first starting out.
Firstly cause you're very rarely flying around at full noise, and they're easy
to tune the engine with. If you later decide that you want to do full noise
aerobatics, go for the tuned pipe.
|
| Free newsletter! |
Register for the free newsletter, pilot locator & Market
Click Here |
|
|
