Pegasus R-9/2800-200 Operating, Maintance And Safety Manual

4-CYCLE MODEL ENGINES

R-9/2800-200

AUTHENTIC SCALE MARK I SERIES

SCALE 9 CYLINDER (200 CC) RADIAL ENGINE

OPERATING, MAINTANCE AND SAFETY MANUAL

VOLUME 1 REVISION 4

CAUTION before attempting to mount and run

your engine on a test stand or aircraft, this manual should be
completely read and understood. If you have any questions,
concerns or things that you do not fully understand, you should
contact the Customer Services Department at PEGASUS AIRCRAFT
ENGINES, 1-888-898-7841 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00
PM, EST, Monday through Friday. You can also send an email to
[e-mail].

CONGRATULATIONS, you have purchased one of the finest

miniature radial engine available on the market today! The
PEGASUS AIRCRAFT ENGINES R-9/2800-200 radial engine is
an almost exact replica of the front half of the full scale Pratt &
Whitney R2800 TWIN WASP radial engine. The engine is a total of
200cc in 9 cylinders and is 1/5th scale.

All PEGASUS AIRCRAFT ENGINES are CNC machined from high
quality, alloy bar stocks and have unsurpassed fit and finish. Unlike
other engines offered on the market today, the PEGASUS
AIRCRAFT ENGINES line of engines are completely assembled in
the USA using the highest quality materials and components
available.

PEGASUS AIRCRAFT ENGINES has developed one of the best
customer support programs offered by any engine manufacturer.
When you call or email our Customer Services, you will be in contact
with an expert on your particular engine not a lay person hired to
answer the phone. What ever problem you are experiencing or
question you may have will be addressed quickly and expertly by
one of PEGASUS AIRCRAFT ENGINES qualified representatives.

WARNING this miniature engine is not a toy but

rather a power source for the propulsion of an R/C aircraft. It is

expressly forbidden to use this engine to power any manned or
human carrying aircraft or vehicle. Any misuse, abuse, incorrect

handling or crash damage can cause the engine to malfunction.
Such malfunctions could result in injuries to you and bystanders as
well as damage to the aircraft and property. In any of the above
mentioned situations, the engine should be returned to the factory
or an authorized repair station for evaluation and repair before
reinstalling on the aircraft for continued use.

Minimum age for operating this engine is 14 years of age. Young
people should be accompanied by an older, more experienced R/C
modeler.

Miniature engines have all the trappings of the full scale engines
such as becoming extremely hot when operating or after shut
down. First, second and third degree burns are a real possibility.
Fuel, oil fluids and exhaust emissions can be considered toxic. You
should understand the hazards of gasoline and be cautious not to
allow it to come into contact your eyes. Do not ingest even the
smallest amount. Washing your hands after contact with model
fuel is strongly suggested. Always keep fuel out of the reach of
children and pets.

Propellers are extremely dangerous whether they are full scale or
model. Caution should be exercised at all times when the engine
is running.

RIGGING YOUR ENGINE

FUEL SYSTEM: To rig your R9 engine for fuel, first you will need a

32 to 50 ounce fuel tank. The fuel tank must be adapted to use
gasoline. Your local hobby dealer can sell you the necessary parts
to accomplish this. All fuel lines need to be Tygon flexible fuel
tubing or gasoline compatible equivalent. When rigging the fuel
lines, run a line from the pickup port on the fuel tank to the electric
fuel pump (end with hex). Next run a line from the fuel pump (flat
end) to the port on the side of the carburetor. The top port (on the
carburetor) is a vent that allows the diaphragm in the carburetor to
work. If using a fuel filter, make sure it is gasoline compatible and
install it between the fuel tank and the fuel pump. The vent line on
the fuel tank needs a large loop of line affixed to the top of the fuel
tank and then exit on the outside of the airplane. The large loop (on
top of the fuel tank) insures that the vent line will not leak fuel. No
pressure line is required. Ad a third line to the fuel tank with a
stopper on the end. This line is used to fill the tank with fuel.

The fuel pump should be powered by a 6 to 12 volt battery. 2000 to
5000 mAh NiCad, NMH or LiPo is recommended. If using the larger
mAh battery, the one battery can be used for both the fuel pump and
the CDI ignition system. It is recommended to have a separate
on/off switch for the fuel pump. This allows you to prime the engine
without the ignition being on.

IGNITION SYSTEM: When rigging the CDI ignition box to your
engine, start by determining which cylinder is #1 cylinder. Hold the
engine with the scale magneto facing straight up. The scale
magneto is the black part between the two scale distributors (round,
silver canisters) on the nose cone housing of the engine. With the
engine in this position, look at the bottom most cylinder of the 9
cylinders. This is #1 cylinder. The spark plug wires starts at #1
cylinder and progresses in a counter clockwise direction (when
looking at the front of the engine, propeller end).

Place #1 spark plug wire on #1 cylinder’s spark plug and #2 spark

plug wire on #2 cylinder’s spark plug (just to the right of #1 when

looking at the front of the engine). Continue this progression until
you have all spark plug wires installed.

Install the grounding leads that are sleeved to the spark plug wires
by first attaching the lead to the upper most screw on the intake
tube’s brass retainer ring. Next install the other end of the
grounding lead wire to the ground wire on the CDI ignition box. This
is a black wire protruding from the ignition box with a ring connector
affixed to the end of the wire. All nine grounding leads need to be
attached to the ring connector on the ignition box ground wire using
a small bolt, 2 washers, lock washer and nut. On later models, the
ignition box has a nine lead extension with bullet connectors for
greater ease of rigging.

The CDI ignition is powered by a 6 to 8.4 volt battery. 2000 to 5000
mAh NiCad, NMH or LiPo battery is recommended. As stated
above, one battery can be used if it is a high capacity battery (5000
mAh) for both the ignition and fuel pump (not to exceed 8.4 volt). If
using one battery, it is recommended to check the amount of charge
in the battery between flights. A separate switch (from the fuel
pump) is recommended for the ignition system. Also recommended
is transmitter operated switches (one for the ignition & one for the
fuel pump) that will allow you to kill the engine remotely in case of an
emergency. See diagram below for the engine’s suggested fuel and
ignition rigging in your airplane.

ENGINE COMPONENT RIGGING SCHEMATIC

The above schematic is a suggested way to rig the components of
your engine. It is situated to use a single battery (not to exceed 8.4
volts) for both the CDI ignition and the fuel pump. Separate
batteries can be used for the CDI ignition and the fuel pump if you
choose. The above schematic is a way of saving weight by using
only one battery. NOTE: Only one mechanical switch is shown to
operate the fuel pump and CDI ignition. Another mechanical switch
can be installed between the Y harness and the CDI ignition box to
allow you to turn off the ignition while priming the engine.

Also shown is the receiver battery. In the above schematic, the
Tach. is powered by the receiver battery as the Tach. draws very
little current. NOTE: Be careful not to cross polarity when plugging
in the various electrical connectors. Always check that the color
coded wires match up. The grey lead from the sensor cartridge to
the CDI ignition will only plug in one way.

STARTING THE PEGASUS RADIAL ENGINE

All radial engines have an inherent tendency to possibly become
hydraulically locked. This means that the 3 bottom cylinders can
become flooded with fuel and oil causing the engine not to turn
over. Before attempting to start the engine, always roll the engine
through several revolutions (making sure the ignition is turned off
before rotating). If the engine does not want to rotate past a
certain point, do not try to force it. At this time, you will need to
remove the spark plugs from the 3 bottom cylinders and rotate the
engine until all excess fuel and oil is pumped out the spark plug
hole. Reinstall the spark plugs and continue the starting procedure.

When the engine is cold, first be sure the Ignition switch is off, the
fuel pump is on and the choke is closed. Flip the prop
approximately 5 times. This will prime the engine with fuel. Next
with the choke in the open position, set the throttle to about ¼
throttle. Turn the ignition switch on and start the engine. To insure
that all cylinders are firing, you can use a temperature gun to check
the exhaust temperature near the cylinder head. All cylinders
should be similar in temperature and the engine running smoothly.

To start the engine when it is hot or warm, first turn the fuel pump
on and the ignition off, close the choke and flip the prop 2 or 3
times. Open the choke, turn the ignition on and set the throttle just
above idle to start the engine. Our test engines usually start with
one flip of the propeller blade.

OPERATING AND TUNING

Operating and tuning your PEGASUS AIRCRAFT ENGINES radial

engine is not difficult but requires attention to carburetor tuning,
propeller choice, periodic valve adjustment & lubrication, correct
(fresh) fuel and overall awareness of its general condition.

Fuel for your radial engine should be a high quality gasoline of at

least 91 octane. The recommended oil is Klotz KL-189 and should
be mixed 50:1 for break and normal use. Adding nitro methane or

methanol for any reason will not enhance the engine’s performance
but rather cause undue wear, overheating and the voiding of your
warranty.

Starting with the carburetor adjustments, both the high speed
and low speed needle valves are pre set at the factory for correct
fuel delivery under normal operating conditions (air temperature,
barometric pressure and elevation). The elevation of your location
is important to properly tuning your carburetor. The elevation of
the PEGASUS TECHNOLOGY factory is 188’ above sea level. You
can find out the elevation of your area by calling your local airport.
Depending on your location, minor adjustments may need to be
made but major adjustments are a mistake. Minor adjustments
usually consist of no more than 1/8 turn in either direction of the
low and high speed needles valves. If you loose your place (with
the needle valves) the low speed needle is 2 turns out (counter
clockwise) and the high speed needle is 6 turns out (counter
clockwise) from completely closed. This is the factory settings.

It is critical to insure that your linkage and servo throw do not allow
the throttle plate to move past center line (FULL OPEN POSITION)!!.
This could cause an unsafe loss of power and or stall of engine. It is
important to use a stiff linkage rod to prevent High G forces from
flexing the linkage rod into a position that could allow the throttle
plate to move past full open position!!

For the start up and initial break-in period of your engine, be sure
the fuel to oil ratio is 50:1. Run the engine at approximately 1/2
throttle for at least 4 tanks of fuel (32 oz or 1000 ml per tank).
During this period, vary the throttle up and down slightly. Run the
engine 5 to 10 minutes at a time letting it cool down between runs.
Do not try to idle the engine during the first 15 minutes of break-in
as doing so can cause an adverse and degenerating affect on the
cam, cam lobes and cam followers.

To properly adjust the engine after a break-in period of at least 1
US gallon of fuel, bring the engine to full throttle. Using a
tachometer, lean the engine (using the high speed needle) until it
turns its highest RPM (never more than 4200 RPM depending on

prop selection). Do not attempt to lean the engine to produce more
than 4200 RPM. The electronic ignition has a built in rev limiter
preset at 5100 RPM but this setting is only for safety purposes. It is
not meant to be the maximum RPM setting for the engine.

After the engine is turning the recommended RPM (without loosing

RPM), turn the high speed needle valve counter clockwise 1/8 turn.

This will insure the engine has sufficient fuel when the aircraft starts

accelerating forward and the prop loads by cutting through clean air
instead of cavitating the air when run in a static situation.

Once you have the high speed needle valve set and the break in

period is complete, the low speed needle valve can now be
adjusted. A common misconception is that the low speed needle
valve only affects the idle performance of the engine. In reality, the
low speed needle valve affects both the idle and mid range of the
engine. The high speed needle valve only affects peak power
settings. If the engine idles rough and is sluggish when the throttle
is advanced, the low speed needle valve needs to be leaned (turn
clockwise no more than 1/8 of a turn initially). Continue turning the
low speed needle clockwise in 1/16 turn increments until the engine
idles smoothly (app. 750 RPM) without trying to die and responds
fast and crisp to throttle advance. Between each adjustment, the
engine needs to be revved up to clear out excess fuel and oil.

At this point your engine is adjusted well enough to make the first

flight. Further “tweaking” of the high and low speed needles may

be necessary to get the ideal performance for your area. As the
seasons change, adjustments may be necessary to keep the engine