BADMOTORFINGER.com

I got a GREAT DEAL on ebay last week. I found an RC Airplane Engine test stand for sale, hand built by a gentleman in Arizona.  I have seen some professional rigs that cost over $150, and I got this for a fraction of that, and is every bit as good.  This guy is really a great craftsman!

You just bolt your motor under the well made clamps, and hook up the pushrod to the throttle.  The gas tank can be raised/lowered to be even with the carb (very important to start some finicky engines).  I tried it out, and it works like a charm, is easy to use, and looks nice to boot!  Completely fuel-proof, too… so I am impressed!

I was able to fine tune my Saito .82 to get the most out of it, learning a bit about what propellers this engine likes as well.  The 13×9 grey APC propeller only topped out at 8200 RPM, while the smaller Zinger 12×9 produced a whopping 9600 RPM.  Clearly the 12×9 zinger will give me a LOT more power.  In addition, I tuned the mixture, discovering that I was only producing about 7200 RPM on my first couple of flights with my Bipe… and a rich-sputtering 7200 RPM at that.  So the improved mixture, and better tuned propeller should give me a much improved third outing.  Can’t wait to get it in the air again.

So the test stand has already paid off for me, and should for years to come.