Hi Guys.... need some  


I want to put a smoke system on my Edge 540 ...
Need your advise on :

1. What smoke system should I use ( where to pick it up from )
2. Will it work good ?
3. any video's of the same.... setup, test, etc. etc,,,

Thanks for your help in advance...

I remember once my friend and I used DJ smoke liquid (The lengths we went to find one in today's parlance, was sheer stupidity, for want of nomenclature, we were sent on a wild goose chase in the middle of scorching chennai heat).
I saw one available here (http://cgi.ebay.in/Kool-Fog-Juice-low-lying-fog-1-Gallon-American-DJ-/350421406075?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item5196be517b). This liquid needs to be heated that's it, one canister to a heating canister, heat switched on at will remotely, so one channel is dedicated to that, connect a Laval nozzle to the exit of the smoke, you will get a well expanded smoke. be advised last i heard it is harmful to health (All you party animals, now you know).

Of course you can use dry ice and water, it doesn't last long and you have to use it the moment you take off. It is just CO2 and H2O, so it is cool. I have never heard of anyone trying it.

Nowadays, we use off the shelf available smoke gene cartridge, used as a survival aid (So easily available) to attract attention of Rescue Helicopter. this has very little shelf life (^ months-1 year), therefore you will find it in some nearby airport (Life expired one also works well, no issues) if you have somebody in the airport you may even get it for free.

i hope this helps

On the lighter side

Aata, Corn Flour, Icing sugar were tried too, with limited success.

Extra Castor oil, rich Mixture, isn't it good enough ?.... LOL

Is there anything we can use for foam planes? Looks good while doing 3D.
May be a solid alernative

Smoke gene cartridge, easy, safe, very light, lasts really long, One big gene, which lasts for 15 minutes to attract Heli pilots attention imagine how much of stuff it'll have for a RC pilot? it's like the nitro, get a litre and you are sorted for a long time. likewise get one and you are sorted.

I agree with the looking good part, especially during the Harrier and the Tumble. Gorgeous...

Funny I read some time earlier that 30% heli fuel was giving better smoke than a dedicated smoke pump on a .46 engine Looks like small 2 stroke nitro engine do not provide enough heat/pressure for a good smoke system.

The heating system for the DJ juice got to be batt operated (With some heating coil). will this help.? i dunno
http://www.regin.com/cart.html  

Heat (or lack of), maybe. But pressure comes from the pump and not the engine.

Thanks everyone ... but from what I see the question still remains unanswered.... hmmm...

Heat definitely. Seems like there are tricks like grinding cooling fins from mufflers, and wrapping a metal tube over the engine head to pre-heat the smoke fuel before being injected into the muffler.  The location of injection seems to be critical too.

Pressure, only in the case of some crank case powered smoke systems where the smoke itself is pumped using a hole made in the crankcase.  Not a general concern in systems that use dedicated smoke pumps, as you pointed out.

So Anwar... what do you suggest what kind of a system should one buy / build ... for getting some decent smoke from a plane using a OS.46 AX

I have no experience with these, other than seeing couple of people in the field with it   I would suggest that you wait till you hear from more people who have hands on experience.  A quick search led me to some US forums with interesting links, I am sure which you can try also.  But then all such threads have lots of varied information, and is probably not equivalent to someone who has managed to do it locally.

Just spoke to some one locally about this.  In short, there are challenges to doing this on a 40 size 2 stroke.  You can try it with something like a TME, but it seems like you will be in for some experimentation (fuel mixes, tricks to keep higher muffler temperature etc).

Thanks Anwar... I appreciate your help..... Hope to hear more from other on this ,,,

Smoke systems by using the engine heat is recommended for models 90 size an up. 46 engine does not produce enough heat to vaporise the smoke mixture. You can try cutting the cooling fins but even then it may not be enough to get decent smoke. Further, on top of all that you are adding more weight to the model... But then its worth experimenting...

I have used Sugar and KNO3 Potassium Nitrate to make decent smoke bombs.........



I use this mix as a solid propellant for my rockets.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/demonstrationsexperiments/ss/smokebomb.htm

Coloured smoke....................

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/a/coloredsmoke.htm

Pity that I couldn't help you on this..................maybe this will help.............

Divay,
Even on a 50CC airplane, the smoke system is "just-right" . I think a 80-100CC is the right size airplane to properly utilize a smoke system. Consider the following :
1. Adding a smoke system will add at least 600-800 gms of weight
(400gms for motor,fuel tank, battery, electronics ) and then about 400 gms for the smoke oil.

2. .46 2 stroke doesnt produce enough heat. Unless u use .90 4 stroke or above, you will not have enough smoke.

Added weight degrades flying severly. I guess you should just enjoy flying your plane as it is. Smoke, though adds charm, is best used when flying 50CC or above gassers.

I have run Smoke systems on .91 OS FS as well as a 55CC gasser recently.
Hope that helps.
-Gaurav

Perhaps this mechanism may help.
http://www.smokemachines.net/buy-battery-powered-smoke-machine.shtml

and http://wmunderway.8m.com/cont/smoke/smoke.htm



You may use homemade kerosene lamp type mechanism containing smoke fluid and heater coil in mouth, just like mosquito repellent mechanism. Use stage performing smoke (Harmless) that costs about Rs.600/- for a bottle (like 200ml). You get this liquid in Disco lighting shops.

You have to use your own coil. Use 35 watt (240mA-500mA for temperature) or 10 watt( 80-150mA)soldering Iron coil wire [cheap and easy availability). No pump is required as the Liquid will be suck by capillary action. The liquid mosquito repellent inner spindle cut piece may be used. Of course, you have to use an high current switch like MOS or BJT or simple EM micro relay contact buffer stage from Receiver for switching.

But using this make your plane weight more and the battery using timing will be less i. e. battery consumption will be more.

Your fine artwork can make a complete mechanism withen 20-25 grams (Incl a single 600mA 1S Li-Ion battery 10gm costing like Rs30-80/-, 10-15gm liquid+container [? cost], a C2233/123D/D882/S8050 Transistor max 2 gm with wire [with heat sink cut] costs Rs3-10/-)

Thanks

If you are truly inclined, you can always "cheat" using the stuff posted here :

http://www.rcindia.org/fuel-and-engines/need-help-how-to-put-a-smoke-system-on-a-plane-driven-by-a-46-ax-plane/msg41921/#msg41921

Sorry to mention that, using separate battery is better idea but you can use it's receiver battery  too.

The separate fan is not required [as shown in drawing as it is used in ship] as the prop is available being plane.

Thank you all for twisting your brains on this... but I was looking for a tried, tested and proven solution ... I guess the question is still a riddle.

Soldering Iron coils are designed for use with a 220V supply. They will not even get warm with a regular airplane battery. In addition 20-30 watts would mean a current draw 4-6 A!! Not at all feasible. Particularly with a "Rs 30-80" battery.

Please explain what "your fine artwork" means.

Smoke in a 46 size engine just bad idea. It has been tried tested and rejected by many the world over.
Unless you are 90 size or up, the heat is not enought to turn the smoke liquid into smoke (whatever smoke would be produced is very likey to be rapidly dissipated by the prop wash) and then there is the added danger of your plug being extinguished due to ingress of smoke fluid through exhaust