Guys
I was just reading a magazine (Airbourne)and in the next issue it was going to discuss how to turn your Nitro Glow plug engine into a petrol powered engine with the use of a spark plug and some electronic device. The magazine this month didnt cover this topic and I am wondering if anyone knows anything about the process. As is sounds like a good option long term.

Hal

Try Dave Brown..... daveb@ix.net.au ....Model Drafting

= = = Lonz

If you want to do it as a challenge or a learning exersize go for it, but there are so many good large and small petrol engines out there dirt cheap why bother.
A converted glow engine to spark can be very good have a look at M V V S petrol engines they started out as a ground up glow engine design and then M V V S transformed some into petrol engines, fantastic engines ask Ron Clerk he runs a few of them.

I was speaking to Brian Winch a few days ago on this subject as i have a BGX 35cc and an Enya 1.80 30cc sitting doing nothing and as the day of the large glow engine has gone, he said"converting glow to gas is no trouble just buy the last few copies of Airborne" as i have covered the subject in them.
But he did elaborate and said that you can fit a RCXCEL ignition for about $76 and buy the small spark plug that fits in the glow plug hole and away you go.
Apparently you can run the existing carb. and a 20 to 1 petrol oil mix so you dont have to buy the walbro pumped carb. but that means that it is gravity fed or i guess pressure from the exhaust and the standard bearings in the glow engine are ok.all the gas engines have roller bearings thats why you can run such a small amount of oil.
he suggested i have a look at the DLE Australia web site for more information and go to the ignition section the conversion CDI. is listed there.I had a look and it is.
Dave.

http://www.dlenginesaustralia.com/dlshop/index.php

Some years ago I converted a Super Tigre 4500 to spark. The 4500 was pretty ordinary in transition as the mid rangeI was always too rich if the idle and top end were adjusted for best performance. After many dead sticks I converted the motor by buying a ProMark ignition unit from Jerry Nelson in the US http://www.nelsonhobby.com/prospark.html and a 1/4 x 20tpi spark plug. I didnt bother to change the fuel to a petrol oil mix but continued to use standard Super Tigre (12% oil) methanol fuel. Went like a charm, even though it still burbled through the mid range it kept going and was far more reliable than standard glow until one day during the scale event held at Nowra the bloody ignition unit caught fire !! Never did find out why....I gave the project away and installed a Zenoah G62, best thing I ever did..

Hmmm wonder if converting my Moki 2.1 to gas would be viable, great engine but just like Stan mentioned with his ST4500 my Moki does not like prolonged idle and bogs down during transition. Seems to be regardless of cylinder head mounting position inverted sideways its to temperamental to fly. I also have an ST4500 in my Hurri and like Stans experiences again my one does not like to run inverted. I did plan on trying onboard glow at some point, but never got around to trying that...

The Moki 60cc twin cylinder engine has always appealed for some larger warbird projects also and going to gas might be the answer for that one also. My Vailly Hurricane and Aerotech P-51 are gathering dust due to lack of suitable "enclosed" non-chainsaw sounding engine options at present.