YS-63s . . .

A YS 63s is a very high performance four cycle model airplane engine. I got one perhaps two years ago. Installed in cheap plane and about six months ago started to try to fly the plane. YS engines are made by Yamada in Japan. They are the most powerful per cubic inch alcohol fired engines available.

I could not get the engine to run at max RPM - about 12,000 RPM. All it would do was about 8,700. Not satisfactory at all. At about 8,700 RPM I would get detonation, that is pre-ignition of the fuel and stop the engine. What that means is the fuel mixture would ignite when the piston was on the way up, and that results in a sudden stoppage.

This engine has a fuel pump, it is part of the cam shaft. The cam acts as a pump when it turns. So it has a fuel regulator on it. The excess fuel is returned to the tank and the remainder goes to the carburettor. The engine also uses the down stroke of the piston to compress the fuel/air mixture and send it to the intake manifold. So it is a poor man's super charger, force feeding the fuel air/mixture to the engine.

I determined the regulator was not working correctly. It has a tiny diaphragm in it. All the YS engine gurus said that the diaphragm was not working correctly, replace it. I got the part (actually a couple of them), and went about trying to figure out how to get into the regulator to change it. It took several emails and a couple Radio Control forums to learn that the "s" model regulator simply pries apart and snaps back together again. That took about six weeks of research.

Got the diaphragm replaced and went to the field. No joy, finally I figured out I had the check valve in backwards. The check valve is in the return line to the fuel tank and keeps the pressure up in the tank and keeps the fuel from flowing backwards. With the check valve in backwards, no fuel was getting to the pump!

Got that straightened out, and fire that sucker up. Man it ran rich but fast and powerful. I did not TACH the engine, since it was new rich was good thing for the engine to break in on. But it sure and hell was turning a lot faster than 8,700 RPM, no detonation, no sudden stoppage.

So I flew it. The cheapo airplane could not settle down, it was sensitive as hell. After about 6 minutes I ended up auguring the bird. Destroyed the fuselage, buried the engine two inches in the ground and damaged the wing. But now I know the engine is good to go. Man-o-man, that engine is some powerhouse!

I washed off the dirt, cleaned out the fins (had some balsa stuck in there) and checked over the engine. It is fine. No damage except to my ego.

Now I need another plane!

Wow - What a Difference an Election Makes . . .

Wow - what a difference an election makes. Rush Limbaugh just announced that Madam Pelosi has announced that she does not have the votes to pass the Healthcare Bill in the House of Representatives. At last the Democrats are listening to the American people.

Senator elect Brown has upset the apple cart and that is a good thing. Does it mean we will not see a Healthcare bill, I think not. But it does mean we may see a more reasonable bill, at less expense and with more tort reform, something we need. It also probably means "Cap and Trade" is dead too.

Also the Supreme Court has struck down portions of the McCain - Finegold act limiting campaign contributions. It allows that corporations and non profits can contribute as much money as they want to candidates. Next will be a suit about limits imposed on individual citizens, it is a matter of free speech. That is we can give to who we want when want, and that includes political parties and candidates.

It seems rationality is returning to Washington. The absolute majority of the Democrats is broken and than means more reasonable legislation in Congress. All this backroom stuff: the "Louisiana Purchase," "Nebraska rake off" and the "Union Healthcare deal" are dead, as it should be. Perhaps openness will indeed return.

We need balance and we are about getting it. Socialism is being restrained, perhaps even stopped. Maybe the Whitehouse will listen and become more centriest. There is hope. Like it is said, "What a difference an election can make."

It Seems Strange . . .

Yes, it does seem strange, Judie with no glasses. The ones she has are useless now as her eyes have changed with the surgery. She can see without them, not as well as desired yet. But she does not need glasses to drive.

She can work her puzzles and watch TV. No glasses! I am jealous! I am envious!

True, she had to go through some rough times but it is beginning to pay off.

And she looks good without glasses. She does wear sun glasses a lot, her vision is much brighter now.

Second Eye Completed . . .

Judie's second eye surgery is behind now. It went very much better, except they kind of rushed her out of surgery. She was a little shaky. But we went to IHOP and she ate some breakfast and then on home. We were home by noon latest.

She sat in a darkened room and sort of slept. But by the next day she was fine and well on to recovery. It has been a week now, and things are very much better than the last time. She has been driving around and reading the paper, at least she is doing the crossword puzzle.

Now there is a wait until things are really healed up and all swelling has disappeared. They usually wait about 3 months. Then they will do Lasik to tune up the vision, hopefully she will come out of this with normal vision.

So I use the line from Harry Potter, "And now we wait. . . "

Cold This AM . . .

It was 23 this AM when I got up. And that was late, I was up about 8 AM. It has steadily risen to a warn 28 degrees. And the winds are ripping. I noted the ice glaze on my neighbors roofs has ablated, blown away so to speak by the dry winds. I imagine the chill index is down in the single digits. I, for one, am not planning on going outside.

Checked on New Roads and they are still well above freezing at 46 degrees. The Audubon Bridge web cam gives the temperature. It is wet, raining a bit and looks like the wind is ripping along too. I also note the river seems to be up a couple feet. Must be really tough to work out there right now - 100 feet above the river with the wind blasting through. I know they have safety containers that must block some of the wind but still got to be cold up there.

I note they are also doing some work on the piers now near where the deck goes. I would imagine there will be a cross bar constructed, something similar to support the deck on the piers. The bridge deck will progress out from that central point in both directions - toward the bank and out over the river. Really beginning to look like a bridge.

At least the streets are dry. Some reports of truck accidents west of Weatherford early AM when the brunt of the front came through. Now it is just cold and thankfully, dry.

Keep your heads down folks.

And Then There Was TCU . . .

And then there was TCU playing in the Fiesta Bowl touting themselves as potential National Champions only to be beaten by Boise State. So long to perfect season and so long to going undefeated. They lost.

I wonder how that female reporter for the Fort Worth Sun Telegram feels now. She was bad mouthing BCS and cheering on her TCU Horned Frogs. Now she can slink home again and curl up to face the music. What music? A funeral dirge maybe.

While I think TCU had a very good team, even a great team (and they seemed to think the same thing about themselves), they were not a National Champion calibre team. Teams like Texas and Alabama have to much more talent than TCU. Yes, TCU did much with their resources but it was not enough to reach the mighty heights of a National Championship. They were on the cusp, but not there so to speak.

Maybe next year (the same call we all make).

Its Monday . . .

Its Monday and I find football season is winding down. Een the pros are going into playoff season. Most of the bowls are done, just a couple to go and college football is done until next season. Lot of controversy all season long, first it was the referee's and their alleged bad calls and now it is the firing of head coaches. It is getting to be like a soap opera, who shot charlie and why. There will be a little carping over the final game outcomes and since we live on the very edge of Fort Worth, why the Horned Frogs are not National Champions.

While I think the TCU Horned Frogs are a great team and have a great coach, they are not a top tier team. They do not belong in the National Champion game being played in Pasadena, California in the Rose Bowl. They are playing in a BCS bowl game in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona which respects their achievements as a football team. So they have their shot at glory. But I do not think TCU can beat either Texas or Alabama on a one on one basis - they just do not have the talent those teams have. Nor do they compete in similar high profile conferences. When TCU has a 80,000 seat stadium and can fill regularly, then they are moving on up. North Texas is building a new stadium, larger and grander, and they will move up.

I believe the whole BCS argument is not worth getting bent out shape about. Those schools had their chance at joining the BCS and did not. Now to cry that it is unfair, well that's sour grapes at best. Those schools have been let in and are playing at BCS level this year. But will they be there next year or the year after. And I think Congress should stay out of it.

Until next year, Geaux Tigers!

LSU Mudfest . . .

What a mudfest, two teams slogging it out in the mud. I recall as youth playing a football game in the rain at Iowa, LA. It was a mud bath. But both teams enjoyed the effort, slip sliding away. The football field looked like it had turned into a pig sty, ripped up sod, gushing mud, squishing water, what a mess.

In the case of the LSU game it was a pretty even match. They, Penn State, scored one touch down and LSU scored two touch downs. It all boiled down to field goals, they had more than LSU. Once again, the Tigers offensive director had his had up his you know what. Sometime ago, we were warned about him, great the first year and a gradual decline after to mediocrity. Yes, it is Gary Crowton; he needs to be replaced - soon.

I admire Coach Miles and think Coach Chavis a great defensive leader. I mean, Penn State could not run the ball into the end zone, at least two goal line stances kept them out. But it could not keep the field goals out.

Oh well, next year . . .