BOB ABERLE CONCEIVED the “From the Ground Up” article series to enable all new pilots to get the most from their RC modeling experience. As successful as his concept was, Bob was also so successful in the execution of the first two parts--radios and electric power--that it is a challenge to even try to continue the series. But try I will, and I hope to continue the spirit and detail of Bob’s series.

As Bob covered so well in his radio series, "From The Ground Up" will continue detailed coverage of all aspects of becoming a successful, experienced model pilot. Selecting and building that first airplane, learning to fly it, maintaining it, progressing beyond the solo, and those first steps after the trainer will be discussed.

However, gaining experience as a pilot first requires flying! For the pilot to get flying practice, the airplane has to leave the ground, and the most common way to make that happen is to drag it up there behind an engine. That makes engines the next step in this series.

Having the correct engine for the airplane, making it easy to start, and running it reliably and without excessive wear are some of the most important aspects of learning this hobby/sport. Learning to fly is challenging enough without having to worry about flights that end too quickly and far too quietly.

Engines come in bewildering series of variations; these are .60s. L-R: K&B .65 is ABC, non-Schnuerle; SuperTigre .61 is Schnuerle ported, ABC; blacke-headed Rossi .61 is high rpm, high compression, rear exhaust; O.S. rear-exhaust, long-stroke .61 produces enormous torque at lower rpm and has fuel pump.

If you are flying with an instructor (always recommended), engine failure too far from the runway is almost the only way your trainer will be damaged during your flight instruction (if you follow Bob’s great radio advice). Having to repair your airplane may improve your building skills (covered later in the series), but it does little to speed your flight training.  

So the goal here is to present engines, installation, mufflers, break-in and tuning techniques, fuel, fuel tanks and supply lines, propellers, support equipment, spinners, maintenance, minor repair, and, above all, safety practices in as much detail as possible to help you forget about your engine while you are learning to fly. Your engine is important but should not be the center of your attention during the early stages of becoming a model pilot.

The engine theory presented is intended solely to provide beginning RC pilots with enough knowledge of its workings to understand why choices regarding mixture settings, fuel selections, propellers, and other topics will be made.

There is no intent to fully detail an engine’s intricate workings. The new RC pilots are not going to be designing or disassembling (hopefully) their first few engines, but they will be setting high- and low-speed mixture settings.

All the theory presented will be strictly from an operations viewpoint. Proper engine operation is my only goal in this discussion. As with most things mechanical, a model-engine’s true operation is complicated.

Operations that are separately explained and appear to be independent actually overlap, and sometimes interfere with, other operations. But I will explain each operation as if it were the only action happening at that time, to simplify the theoretical presentation.