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sustaining enough flight for the re-start to be completed. Some aircraft examples include: lightly
loaded planes, gliders, or multi engine planes.
It is highly advised that a shutdown simulation be done before selecting Auto-restart option in the
ECU RADIO menu. Do it during a normal flight at a high altitude, then throttle down to idle then
begin a 10sec count down. From this try to gauge if the aircraft can maintain controlled flight dur-
ing this time at idle setting.
If your plane cannot maintain flight for a minimum of 10sec without engine power, do not enable
the Auto restart function.
“I’m flying my plane and the engine has shutdown with restart enabled, what should I
do”:
1.
Think that the chances of that the engine restart are slim.
You don’t know why it
has shut down, so likely it will not restart, DO NOT RELY on it.
2.
Fly your plane.
Leave the throttle at mid setting and fly your plane keeping airspeed in
aft for a dead stick landing.
3.
In case you see the plane begins to stall
or an uncontrolled landing is most likely,
IMMEDIATELY set the trim and stick to STOP
position to abort the restart function. A crash
with the engine running normally ends with a fireball; a crash with the engine off is not likely to
catch fire.
Do not use the “digital trims” to shut down the engine, use a dedicated switch to be operated
quickly.
4.
If the engine restart is initiated while on approach
, evaluate if the speed/position of
the plane is still good for a safe landing, if so, land immediately, you don’t know why the engine
stopped and may stop again during a “go around” but this time the aircraft may not be in an as
favourable position. If the position/speed of the plane is not convenient, use the engine power to
go around and plan for a normal landing, BUT land as soon as possible.
5.
Once the plane is on the ground
, even in normal landing or crash landing, set the
transmitter in the STOP position. The engine could restart and go to full power on its own; the
ECU does not know when the plane is on the ground.
“Can I use the restart function many times”?
NO!
Restart function is an
emergency
procedure
and places a high stress on the engine ancillary
components. The starter and ignitor are fed with extra power that is not used in normal startups,
this places considerable more wear on them, also the engine is subjected to abrupt temperature
changes that could shorten its life.
Restart function is not the replacement of a poor fuel system.
It can save a plane in par-
ticular circumstances, but it can do much more harm than good. A belly landing or landing gear
damage due to a flameout induced heavy landing is more favourable than a similar landing arrival
with the engine in start phase that can possibly cause a fire and result in total destruction of the
model and or property.
Please consider carefully before enabling the auto-restart feature.
