Welcome to Club SAITO !
Everyone likes a good deal but a Saitoholic, as has been seen here before, will spend way more than the resale value on new parts and then keep the engine. A Saito-phyco will take a perfectly running new engine and mod the crap out of it to impress anyone who cares. I fear I have both afflictions.
I was pretty excited how hard the 100 was turning a 15-9 3 blade. But that just didn’t make sense and I checked again
and got the same 12500 reading. I know right not possible even with 30% nitro. Then a fellow pilot says do you have your tach set too 3 blade. Lol 🤯. I had to barrow his and then got the proper reading of 8500.
and got the same 12500 reading. I know right not possible even with 30% nitro. Then a fellow pilot says do you have your tach set too 3 blade. Lol 🤯. I had to barrow his and then got the proper reading of 8500.
My Feedback: (102)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Colonial Beach, VA
Posts: 20,370
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes
on
25 Posts
Many people I know spend more on a day Golfing than I spend on fixing up a Saito, at least when I fix up a Saito I have something to show for it and the fun can continue..
Last edited by Hobbsy; 11-04-2019 at 03:51 AM. Reason: Add Smiley
yeah I know but at least I was smart enough to know that wasn’t right. I didn’t have time to change it out with the 14-7 3B witch will probably give me the number’s that I was looking for. Something in 9800 range.
but have been pretty impressed with the 100.
but have been pretty impressed with the 100.
My Feedback: (102)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Colonial Beach, VA
Posts: 20,370
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes
on
25 Posts
I was pretty excited how hard the 100 was turning a 15-9 3 blade. But that just didn’t make sense and I checked again
and got the same 12500 reading. I know right not possible even with 30% nitro. Then a fellow pilot says do you have your tach set too 3 blade. Lol 🤯. I had to barrow his and then got the proper reading of 8500.
and got the same 12500 reading. I know right not possible even with 30% nitro. Then a fellow pilot says do you have your tach set too 3 blade. Lol 🤯. I had to barrow his and then got the proper reading of 8500.
Cap, that's a good way to get big numbers and if you want to look big, wear small shirts.
That's still an impressise number running 30% nitro. Something like a 12% hp gain over using 15% nitro.
I have a bottle of 30% nitro fuel, I'll be testing my 62 with it soon, just for fun of course, I can't afford to run 30%.
I have a bottle of 30% nitro fuel, I'll be testing my 62 with it soon, just for fun of course, I can't afford to run 30%.
So I posted I while back that i picked up a old senior with a Saito 40. The gentleman I bought the senior from just had one request to video the flight so he could see the old bird fly.
well yesterday was the day. The old 40 was castored up good. It wouldn’t even idle it took several starts to finely get the old girl loosened up enough to idle. But the good old Saito spite and sputtered to life and ran good. To the amazement of the other pilots there. We all took terns flying the old senior. The 40 had just enough to pull the her around.
One comment from a young 3D pilot was “boy you have to fly the plane” I said yeah it is vary humbling to dig out a properly powered plane and fly it. I think we all loose are respect for flying because we all have that more power is good and more more power is better.
the other thing that drives these young guys crazy is how much you can do with a three channel plane. Let’s just say it was a great day in spite of the rain.
well yesterday was the day. The old 40 was castored up good. It wouldn’t even idle it took several starts to finely get the old girl loosened up enough to idle. But the good old Saito spite and sputtered to life and ran good. To the amazement of the other pilots there. We all took terns flying the old senior. The 40 had just enough to pull the her around.
One comment from a young 3D pilot was “boy you have to fly the plane” I said yeah it is vary humbling to dig out a properly powered plane and fly it. I think we all loose are respect for flying because we all have that more power is good and more more power is better.
the other thing that drives these young guys crazy is how much you can do with a three channel plane. Let’s just say it was a great day in spite of the rain.
that is a lot for a Saito. So last night I finally split a gallon.
now check my math.
I gallon 30% nitro and 24% oil. Split into three gallons I added 8oz oil and then topped off with straight methanol.
so I figure I have something like 16% oil and 10% nitro.
what say you math Guru’s out there.
i
My Feedback: (102)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Colonial Beach, VA
Posts: 20,370
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes
on
25 Posts
Just making some conversation, in about 2006 or there about, Don Apostolico of Don's Hobby Shop in Salina, Ks. got a large order of the the TNC's. He sold them for 89 bucks. That's how I got mine. This is one of the early reads,
a Saito FA 30, the little one, turning a Graupner 10 x 5
Last edited by Hobbsy; 11-04-2019 at 04:25 AM. Reason: Add picture
My Feedback: (6)
I haven't had a lot of time to work on it. I discovered the airplane needs a little more work then I realized and a couple of pieces are missing. The diagonal brace on one side of the wing mount is missing. I'm still trying to figure out why the original builder would omit it. I got the wood sourced and it is now on hand I just need to cut and shape it. I am currently shaping leading edges and edges of control surfaces. I want to get the engine and tank installed next. Then I may try to cover it before installing servos and radio. Right now I'm trying to find some red/white checkerboard I got to cover the vertical fin which I misplaced. Later on this week I want to get a check in the mail to Callie for the graphics. A Saito deserves more than just a plain pink airplane.
The livery will be a 1/2" red/white checkerboard vertical fin with red edges. The rest of the airplane will be pink. The sides will have a red Cub style Lightening bolt stripes. The tail will have the "Pete' N Poke" replaced with a custom made "Pink' N Poke" in the same style. The fuselage sides will have the Pink Panther Paw logo, the PP Face will be on the top of the wing and mirrored so they look more balanced, and the black logo will be on the bottom of the wing. I'm still looking for a small PP to use as a pilot.If I could find a black panther the same size I would put it in the front passenger seat.
The livery will be a 1/2" red/white checkerboard vertical fin with red edges. The rest of the airplane will be pink. The sides will have a red Cub style Lightening bolt stripes. The tail will have the "Pete' N Poke" replaced with a custom made "Pink' N Poke" in the same style. The fuselage sides will have the Pink Panther Paw logo, the PP Face will be on the top of the wing and mirrored so they look more balanced, and the black logo will be on the bottom of the wing. I'm still looking for a small PP to use as a pilot.If I could find a black panther the same size I would put it in the front passenger seat.
FA45 to 45S conversion update
Warning: Technical stuff
My 45 to 45S conversion is not going well. As you all may remember when I tried to put a 62 cam (wrong cam) in the 45 to convert it to a 45S and had problems with bottoming out the valve springs at full lift. So Crunchy sent me a 45S/50/56 cam and it does exactly the same thing. Turns out the only difference between the cams is the thickness of the gear. Lift, lobe separation, base circle and profile are identical as far as I can measure without using a degree wheel.
So why does the 45S/50/56 cam produce too much lift in my 45? I'm not positive but I suspect the geometry of the tappets in conjuction with the pushrods is effecting overall lift.
The 45 has short tappets and long pushrods whereas the 45S and up engines have long tappets and shorter pushrods. There must be enough difference in the angularity of the two configurations to cause excessive lift when using a 45S/50/56 cam in combination with the 45 tappets and pushrods. There could also be a difference in the tappet bore angles between a 45 cam gear housing and the 45S/50/56 housing.
What to do, what to do? The easiest way to see if my theories are correct is to swap parts over from my perfect running 56, but do I really want to go there?
Now all this brings up an interesting question. Does the RCU guy who said he did the "S" cam swap on his 45 MKII without changing ANY other parts still have a running engine? I doubt it, he probably has broken valve springs, bent pushrods or a gouged camshaft; maybe all of the above.
My 45 to 45S conversion is not going well. As you all may remember when I tried to put a 62 cam (wrong cam) in the 45 to convert it to a 45S and had problems with bottoming out the valve springs at full lift. So Crunchy sent me a 45S/50/56 cam and it does exactly the same thing. Turns out the only difference between the cams is the thickness of the gear. Lift, lobe separation, base circle and profile are identical as far as I can measure without using a degree wheel.
So why does the 45S/50/56 cam produce too much lift in my 45? I'm not positive but I suspect the geometry of the tappets in conjuction with the pushrods is effecting overall lift.
The 45 has short tappets and long pushrods whereas the 45S and up engines have long tappets and shorter pushrods. There must be enough difference in the angularity of the two configurations to cause excessive lift when using a 45S/50/56 cam in combination with the 45 tappets and pushrods. There could also be a difference in the tappet bore angles between a 45 cam gear housing and the 45S/50/56 housing.
What to do, what to do? The easiest way to see if my theories are correct is to swap parts over from my perfect running 56, but do I really want to go there?
Now all this brings up an interesting question. Does the RCU guy who said he did the "S" cam swap on his 45 MKII without changing ANY other parts still have a running engine? I doubt it, he probably has broken valve springs, bent pushrods or a gouged camshaft; maybe all of the above.
Thanks Crunchy. I have the parts list for an FA45S. I know what is needed to upgrade now but it's just too expensive to upgrade from the MKII.
What would be more helpful would be to get my hands on 1 or 2 stock FA45 camshafts.That way I could get these 45 engines running in stock form and pass them along to someone who needs one. Thing is, I have no idea what the part # is for the MKII camshaft. I can't find a parts list anywhere.
UPDATE: Found the stock 45 MKII camshaft part#, SAI30S35.
What would be more helpful would be to get my hands on 1 or 2 stock FA45 camshafts.That way I could get these 45 engines running in stock form and pass them along to someone who needs one. Thing is, I have no idea what the part # is for the MKII camshaft. I can't find a parts list anywhere.
UPDATE: Found the stock 45 MKII camshaft part#, SAI30S35.
Last edited by Glowgeek; 11-04-2019 at 05:37 PM.