Thank you for purchasing an RCV moel engine. The RCV engine operates on a unique mechanical principle that employs a one piece cyliner/valve which is riven aroun a conventional reciprocating piston an crankshaft assembly at half crank spee to facilitate a four stroke cycle of operation. The iagrams an photographs in this manual shoul clarify the elegant operating principle of your RCV engine. Following the very first proof of concept RCV, toay s prouction units have evolve into the current reliable an thoroughly practical range of moel engines. Backgroun The RCV Rotating Cyliner Valve engine is a unique concept enjoying worl patents. In 1997 Keith Lawes, a keen aeromoeller an a Cambrige mathematics grauate invente the RCV engine an helpe to form RCV Engines Lt, the company. RCV continues to evelop an increasingly iverse range of rotating cyliner valve engines, for the aeromoelling, aerospace an automotive inustries. All RCV engines operate on the four-stroke principle. Due to the unique mechanical arrangement of the RCV concept, there is just one extra moving part over the far less efficient two-stroke engine, thereby facilitating a four stroke cycle of events. RCV s unique rotating cyliner valve has eclipse the nee for the usual complicate four stroke valve train, whilst proving extremely urable an har wearing. With beneficial cyliner wear an heat istribution properties over conventional engines an nothing to ajust, unlike a poppet valve system, your RCV engine is practically a maintenance free unit an with ue care an consieration it will last you a moelling lifetime. A few Do s an Don ts As with any new engine, the temptation to try out your purchase immeiately will be a strong one, but we strongly urge you to rea this information (or the instruction manual inclue with the engine) before you attempt to start your new RCV. If your engine isn t to be use to power a moel in the foreseeable future you will nee to carefully clean all fuel resiues an oil liberally before you lay it up - Internal corrosion can result from bench running followe by a extene storage perios if the unit is not. If the engine is to be use in the near future, then just a few wors of caution prior to starting your new engine. Use only our recommene fuel types an be sure to use a eicate four-stroke glowplug. We only recommen the OS F type, having foun it to be eminently suitable. Using the wrong fuel an plug will almost certainly result in an inifferent ile an slow running performance an in extreme cases coul lea to engine amage. Lubricants Pure castor lubricants are not recommene because of their propensity to gumming an carbon eposition. Following extensive long term tests uner a range of conitions we now recommen a synthetic / castor lubricant an a fully synthetic lubricant base fuel. We have enjoye excellent results following extensive testing with Moel Technics Duraglo & Weston Prosynth 2000. Alternative fuels we recommen are: Morgan Omega 10%, Wilcat Premium 10%, Byron Premium Sports 10%. Other fuels, however suitable, have not been evaluate by RCV so we cannot therefore guarantee their performance. Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
Nitromethane (Nitro) Fuel containing less than 10% nitro will prouce inifferent iling an throttling performance even though peak power will not unuly suffer. Nitro, although generally regare as a power enhancing aitive is primarily use to improve flexibility an throttle response. Be wary of fuel manufacturers who quote liquor quantities by weight rather than volume. Nitro is a great eal heavier than methanol (or oil) an as a rough guie fuels quoting contents by weight will nee a 15% Nitro mix! Using appreciably more than 10% Nitro (by volume) is not recommene as the increase cyliner pressures invoke may overstress your engine. Receiving your engine Your new RCV will arrive in a stury box, insie which will be a pae wrap containing the engine in its own polythene oily protective bag. Each engine is iniviually teste at our UK factory prior to ispatch. The muffler assembly is separately bagge, together with a pair of Allen keys for ajustment an servicing nees. The warranty an instruction sheets are also inclue. Be sure to rea these thoroughly an register your warranty immeiately. Receiving your engine CD engines arrive with their carburetors affixe to the manifol which will then require you to bolt this assembly to the engine casing. Use moerate pressure, employing the supplie Allen keys to affix this component. Do not be tempte to overtighten, an Do not forget the gasket CD Series Carburettor Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
There is a plastic plug sealing the inlet nipple an this, together with the breather nipple on the crankcase on the CD moels, will nee removing before use. These covers are a protective measure only for storage purposes Remove the black plug- this is for storage only Initial starting an running in Starting your new RCV for the first time shoul be an enjoyable an trouble free experience proviing you aopt a methoical an workmanlike approach. The engine shoul be firmly mounte in a safe environment. The SP moels rive huge propellers an must be mounte accoringly ue to the torque reaction from an 18 20 inch coarse pitche propeller, which is consierable. Do not run your engine in an enclose space such as a your workshop or the garen she ue to the very real risk of carbon monoxie poisoning. Do ensure that all clothing is secure an that rags an the like are not casually left on the bench. Anything that can get caught in the propeller will in all likelihoo be ingeste with potentially angerous results. Ensure that there is plenty of room to walk aroun your engine whilst running it so that you remain out of harms reach at all times. Never stan in front or to the sie of the propeller whilst an engine is running. In the eventuality of a thrown propeller or part thereof, your only place of safety is behin the propeller arc. Tachometer measurements shoul always be taken from the rear an we avocate that you stop the engine to make fine carburetor ajustments for your own safety. Propeller selection Whilst your eventual propeller selection will epen on the moel that the engine is use in, for initial running in purposes an general hanling familiarity we recommen the following propellers. RCV 58 CD 12 x 6 RCV 91 CD 14 x 6 RCV 60 SP 16 x 12 RCV 90 SP 18 x 12 RCV 120 SP 18 x 12 or 20 x 12 We have extensively teste a wie variety an range of propeller types an sizes an the sizes inicate above represent a goo general choice for engine familiarisation an general flying. In practice we have also enjoye goo results with APC s 12.25 x 3.75 (eicate fun fly) propeller on the 58CD in lightweight aerobatic moels. APC s 13 x 6 / 14 x 6 / 15 x 4 perform well on the 91 CD with the smaller iameters more suite to faster flying WWII fighter types an the like. Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
The SP moels will isappoint if propellers with less than 10 inch are employe ue to their geare outputs which halve the output RPM (whilst oubling the torque) over conventional moel aero engines (ie half the RPM = twice the torque = twice the pitch require) We recommen APC propellers (& other glass composite props) fining these to be both efficient an quiet. RCV carry stocks of these in suitable sizes shoul you have ifficulty obtaining the correct propeller from you local ealer. As an approximate guie, your SP shoul be fitte with propellers that rotate between 5000 an 6000 RPM whilst the 58 CD an the 91 CD run most efficiently between 9000 an 13000 RPM. Propellers shoul be employe that loa the engines to these spees. Three an four blae propellers will nee to be reuce in size by approximately one inch in either pitch or iameter per blae increase. One of the great benefits of the SP series engines is that they pull large scale like 3 & 4-blae props. We have extensively teste the SP range on three an four blae propellers an can supply suitable sizes or offer suggeste fitments. 16x10 3-blae prop on RCV60SP Wooen Props RCV on t recommen the use of wooen propellers as quality an weight can iffer significantly. In generally wooen props are much lighter than glass composite propellers an so o not give the esire flywheel effect. This can result in increase vibration on the SP series engines. Saying this however, many of our customers have use wooen propellers successfully. Zinger Propellers seem to work well with our engines. Starting a the new engine New engines will be very tight an may on occasion prove reluctant to turn sufficiently briskly with some less powerful starters. New 15 an 20cc units will nee a fairly powerful starter initially although once broken in, frictional resistance will be greatly reuce which makes starter performance less emaning. Ensure that your starter leas are sufficiently robust an that your battery is capable of elivering the amperage neee to turn the engine at a reasonable spee for starting. Corroe or very small battery connectors allie to long lightweight leas will almost certainly cause your engine to rotate too slowly to start. The SP series requires your starter to rotate clockwise, meaning that the leas will be reverse from convention ue to their geare output shafts which reverses the irection of the rive. Finally, some power panels are rather less than capable of supplying sufficient current to maintain a goo glow whilst riving a powerful starter simultaneously an for that reason we avocate a separate glow battery. Starting the SP engine from behin the prop Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
Behin the propeller starting is potentially the safest metho for any moel engine operation an with the SP range this is strongly avise. Stuy the photographs paying particular attention to the reversal of the battery leas on your starter. This is necessary ue to the gearing which reverses the propeller irection on these moels. If starting from behin the propeller, remember to reverse the leas!! Running In Running in your new RCV is simple if a few basic rules are followe. These are not RCV rules per se; but rather rules for running in any engine. 1 Ensure that your engine is securely mounte, having previously gone over every fixing on the unit an in particular the carburetor screws & muffler, ensuring that these are tight. Do not overtighten anything, but o ensure that nothing is about to rop off or loosen. Like any other prouction engineere prouct, human error may well throw up the o fixing that hasn t been fully tightene an checking before running is therefore a sensible precaution. 2 On the CD series o not open up the engine mounting holes. This can weaken the engine crankcase so is not recommene. 3 We strongly avocate familiarisation in a test stan environment, but shoul you ecie to fit your engine irectly into the moel, this will suffice for the purpose of running in the CD series, proviing that you run a few tanks of fuel through on the groun first. Break in times vary with most engines neeing one to three hours of accumulate time before giving their best. The SP moels ten to nee more time than the CD moels, particularly the 120 which has a lot of large components to be in. During the run-in perio vibration may be higher so it is best carrie out on a test stan. 4 All RCV engines are run prior to ispatch, therefore carb settings will be pretty much set. Running your new engine for the first time shoul be execute in relatively short bursts say 3 to 5 minutes with a measurable perio of cooling between runs. Set the neele rich an run the engine initially on about half throttle which will allow things to be in nicely. After half an hour of accumulate time run the engine for short full power bursts, but still on a slightly rich setting, graually increasing the workloa of the unit until it feels snappy an it will hol peak RPM without sagging. At this juncture you can atten to the low spee mixture setting. If ajustment is neee it shoul only require a ¼ turn either way. There is little point in trying to ajust this initially with a tight engine. Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
Ajusting the main neele Ajusting the ile neele Settings Your carburetor will in all likelihoo be set very rich on the slow running or seconary neele as supplie from the factory as previously mentione. This is intentional as it ensures that the engine will start, given that four strokes nee to be relatively rich when compare with a two stroke counterpart. We suggest that you pay little hee to the seconary setting for the first 15 minutes of running as the newness of the engine will preclue accurate settings an it is far better to err on the rich sie to begin with. The main neele valve setting will nee to be somewhere between three quarters an one an a half turns open from fully close but tank position an plumbing issues will affect this to a egree. The throttle must be fully open when this ajustment is checke. With the throttle barrel in the close position the main neele will bottom out against the spraybar. All four stroke moel glow engines nee to be wet for col starts. To affect a choke mechanism, simply place a finger over the inlet venturi with the throttle wie open. Turn the choke engine over a few times by han until fuel is rawn into the carburetor. Close the throttle to about one thir an turn the engine over a couple of times to check for flooing or hyraulic locking before energising the glowplug an starter. With sufficient richness an a goo glow the result will be an immeiate start. Spraybar en Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
Placing a finger over the exhaust outlet whilst spinning the engine on the starter will also choke the engine effectively if exhaust pressure fees the tank system but be aware that this can lea to severe flooing if overone. Silencers RCV four stroke engines are not unuly noisy but all are supplie with a small (typical) silencer. Silencers can vibrate loose an if your engine mounts are less than goo, silencer amage can result from continue running with the resultant severe vibration. Almost all silencer woes can be attribute to poor engine mounts or insufficiently tightene exhaust systems to begin with. Exhaust systems shoul be rechecke an tightene with the engine at running temperature to reuce the chances of further loosening ue to heat expansion. Perioic checking is of course a wise precaution. Exhaust Locking nuts shoul be retightene when hot Throttle linkages Throttle linkages shoul enjoy a irect straight run wherever feasible. Reliable throttle operation can only take place if the linkage is geometrically correct an slop or bin free. On typical ARTF installations, the supplie (usually) wire for the throttle linkage shoul be insulate with heat shrink tubing here to reuce the chances of raio interference (slight) from metal to metal contact. Insulation here Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
On Boar Glow Systems On boar glow systems are worthwhile for multi engine scale moels where the ultimate in reliability is paramount. We have enjoye successful results with the Telco glow river which operates intelligently by supplying current to the plug on eman only. Telco on boar glow system Sub C cell will facilitate both starting an flying whilst a single AA cell is sufficient for flying only Trouble shooting If your engine refuses to fire then check your plug an particularly your glow battery - the plug element shoul be an orange colour when energise rather than a ull re. Check the rotational irection of your starter. We have ha many SP owners try to start their engines backwars with the starter rotating anti clockwise (ie the conventional irection) an it s a common mistake! With a healthy bright orange glow allie to sufficient richness an with the throttle set to one thir your RCV will start very quickly. All RCV engines are easy an quick starters an a logical an methoical approach will soon etermine any reason for failure. Warranty claims Proviing your RCV engine is operate in accorance with these instructions it is guarantee against all manufacturing efects for a perio of 2 years. RCV engines Lt are UK base an we are available to answer technical or warranty enquiries by email or telephone. If your engine nees to be returne for any reason, please use the original packaging an ocumentation. Applications Customers have fitte the entire range of RCV engines to a very iverse selection of moel types worlwie. Some of the more exotic or unusual moels have been mae known to us an our technical team, all keen aeromoellers, will be more than happy to offer avice an information shoul you have an unusual project in min. Some extremely sophisticate competition winning scale moels have benefite from the unique characteristics of their RCV engine(s). Spleni scratch buil Flying Flea powere by RCV58CD Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
Hangar 9 ARTF Mustang RCV 91CD powere note how the compact nature of the CD facilitates a fully cowle engine FAQ How powerful is my RCV engine? Whilst our engines are not as powerful as out an out competition types, having been engineere for reliability an longevity, they all perform willingly an enjoy excellent hanling characteristics. Testing has show them to perform similarly to other sports four strokes of similar capacity, with the very real RCV avantages of low maintenance an reuce physical imensions. RCV91CD is the same physical height as a typical 48/52 conventional 4-stroke What is the fuel consumption of an RCV engine? The whole range is remarkably frugal. In practice an 8oz tank will prove sufficient for the 58 an 60 SP increasing pro-rata for the 90/91 up to the 120 SP where a 16 to 20 oz tank shoul prove aequate for most applications. 16 oz tank in Hangar 9 Mustang gives more than aequate uration for its RCV 91 CD Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
Mounting your engine The SP range prouce huge torque an rives very large iameter propellers an for this reason these moels must be very well mounte. We supply a eicate back plate mount esigne to sprea the loa of the mounting points to prevent the firewall of your moel crushing. You shoul always use this when mounting your SP an pay particular attention to the suitability of the structure of the moel in the appropriate areas. If you are looking at using the engine in more than one moel you can purchase aitional backplates from RCV RCV SP series backing plate Cowling your RCV Cowling any RCV engine is easily achieve ue to the very compact nature of the esign. Be very aware that your RCV, like any other IC aero engine, must be aequately catere for in the cooling epartment. Because of the reuce physical imensions over other engines of similar power an isplacement, this can be overlooke. The examples shown here give an inication of goo practice. Full size aero engine installations may look as though they have relatively small entry an efflux ports but upon closer inspection cowls are ucte to irect air irectly over the cooling fins an you shoul replicate that situation too. Mustang cowl has aitional outlets for cooling air as a general rule outlets shoul be three times the area of inlet holes 3D from Moeltech is powere by RCV 91 CD cowl inlet has been carefully shape to force air over the cyliner hea cowl bottom has been rille an relieve to ensure that it can escape again Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
Ultimate powere by RCV 60 SP cowl ucts air irectly towars engine fins How o I maintain my RCV an keep it in tip top conition We strongly recommen that you run the engine ry after use to remove all unburne fuel resiue as this is extremely corrosive. Methanol is Hygroscopic, meaning that it retains water an moisture retention will invoke rust an general corrosion problems. Disconnect the fuel fee from the carburetor an restart the engine, repeating the operation until the engine refuses to fire any longer before storage. Never leave raw fuel in your engine an where possible, always isconnect the fuel fee from carburetor after use. A small piece of oily rag or tissue use to block inlet an exhaust orifices will help to prevent moisture ingress uring storage. Finally, store your moel nose UP. This prevents fuel an exhaust resiue running back into the store engine, minimising problems. Keep your engines clean an ust free an treat your RCV as the precision miniature engineering evice that it is, both uring use an in storage. Crash amage We at RCV appreciate only too well that moel aeroplanes crash from time to time. The engine is invariably the first point of contact with terra firma an amage can be almost inevitable following an accient. If the engine looks amage in any way at all then resist the temptation to rotate it to check for bent or broken parts as this may exacerbate things. Dirt or mu shoul be washe off using a toothbrush uner a running tap followe by a liberal spray with a WD flui. Closer inspection will reveal how serious the amage is an shoul you suspect a bent crankshaft or isplace bearings or worse then remove the engine from the (remains of ) the moel, spray with a proprietary WD protection flui an return the unit to RCV for a repair quotation. Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
For those that feel confient enough to unertake maintenance or repair work themselves, the following information will prove useful. Be aware that whilst both SP an CD types are simple to ismantle, there are one or two parts that may get lost uring isassembly, such as Wooruff keys an in particular the PTFE pa that locates on one en of the gugeon pin. When putting your engine back together it is essential of course that the cyliner valve is correctly time. As from 1 st August 2005, if you return your warranty form within 1 month of purchase, you will automatically benefit from our lifetime repair offer. Therefore even if you crash your engine, you will never have to pay more than 50% of the cost of a new engine (RCV RRP) to cover repair or replacement. Reassembling an timing the RCV Timing the Cyliner (on all engines) The rotating cyliner on all RCV engines has to be time with crankshaft rotation. RCV assembly an timing is infinitely more simple than similar work on conventional poppet valve four stroke engines an with care, is foolproof. The correct timing placement of the cyliner valve assembly will be effecte when the cyliner port is equiistant between the inlet an exhaust orifices in the casing. with cyliner correctly hel in position in its casing, carefully engage the gear to the crankshaft with piston at TDC This can be achieve visually by holing the unit up to a winow or light an peering intently through the ports but for absolute certainty a very small plastic tie wrap passe through the inlet an exhaust will lock the cyliner in place in its housing. Carefully bring the piston to top ea centre by rotating the crank assembly ensuring that the small PTFE pa remains in situ on one en of the gugeon pin before gently lowering the cyliner over the piston as you gently compress the ring. The piston ring is free to rotate meaning that orientation of that component is non critical, but it is essential that the crankshaft remains stationary uring this operation until the gears are meshe Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine
SP moels can be assemble with the two halves of the engine in one of four orientations, making scale moel installation very flexible. As long as the rotating cyliner is correctly time to the crankshaft, all will be well. Changing the orientation of the outer cyliner will NOT reverse the rotational irection of the engine (a common misperception). Changing the Orientation of the outer cyliner Storage Moels not in use shoul be have ALL traces of fuel remove from the engine (ie start an run DRY) before being hung from a suitable hook nose UP. Storing your moel nose UP is very beneficial because it ensures that no nasty corrosive exhaust by proucts run back into the engine uring the lay up perio. Storing nose UP also ensures that shoul you be less than vigilant with the aforementione, at the very least these corrosive elements will rest on the backplate of the unit, rather than in the bearings, thereby minimizing the risks of corrosion amage. Suitable lay up oils are now commercially available expressly for the purpose allie to which blocking the inlet an exhaust orifices with an oily tissue will help things stay in fine fettle. Store your moels in a ry area which shoul ieally be free from ust an col amp air. If this isn t feasible an you really o have to resort to the rafters in your unheate garage then removing the engine for prolonge storage is avocate. Corrosion amage can be terminal an more engines are ruine this way any. Photo User Guie Issue 1 2005 This is an aitional support guie an shoul only be use in conjunction with the RCV user manual provie with the engine