JoeJr1485

hey everyone, do you all use a UAT on your smoke setup?? This is going to be my first one so I want to make sure I plumb it with the right stuff.

Thanks

Joe

bcovish

My Feedback: (8)

No, don't need it. Using a UAT would cause a lot of restriction in the smoke system.

SECRET AGENT

My Feedback: (18)

I don't use one in mine either.

Jetpilot24

My Feedback: (21)

I use them on my smoke systems. The reason is to supply a steady flow of smoke oil so you don't get the little burps of air when the clunk in the main tank passes through air. This causes the intermittent smoke clouds while flying. I set the UAT up with a clunk just like a small fuel tank. I use a 4 oz. fuel tank for this. Don't use the pre built UAT's as they will restrict the flow because some of them use a sock style pick up and others use a pleated filter for pick up. In reality you are setting up a hopper tank.

Joe Lewis
Kingtech
K-80, K-140, K-180
owner

SECRET AGENT

My Feedback: (18)

Hey Joe, some people pay lots of money and go to great lenghts to get those little pauses in smoke, without a header tank you get them for free! HA!

Yes, a header tank will limit air bubbles but again, no UAT, too restrictive.

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

If you are going to be doing normal flying then don't bother with the hopper tank, I carrie a 50 oz smoke tank but only fill it up to half most of the time and do normal flying with my Boomerang, I haven't seen what the other guys describe yet.

ravill

My Feedback: (11)

Just for S and G's, I put a UAT in one of my jets to see if I could get rid of the smoke pauses. But in reality, I didn't see that big of a difference.

And I used a real BVM UAT.

In short, its not worth it.

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

Seeee, do what the Dr. recommends

Dansy

My Feedback: (53)

I had read that it help....oh well I have one jet with a Intairco mini UAT and one without, both with the same pump....if I see restriction I will just removed that UAT.....my first summer of smoke, on jets....

SECRET AGENT

My Feedback: (18)

Smoke is a glorious waste of money. And I love it, HA!

CraigG

My Feedback: (40)

Depends on how well your main smoke tank feeds consistently in all attitudes and maneuvers. I've had some that weren't so good and would spit out intermittent smoke, particularly as the tank got low on fluid. On my last install, I put in a 12oz header tank (not UAT) with 3/16" lines and a very heavy clunk. It produces nice, uninterrupted smoke. Just my preference. This is what it looks like.

Craig

JoeJr1485

Awesome information and feedback. As always I can count on all of you to help me out. Just want want to set this T-1 up and get that smoke going hahaha.

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Ditto what Craig said, in my experience, the configuration of the main smoke tank has a bearing on this.

I had a very large center line smoke tank, and due to the lack of a fore-aft baffle, you could easily get air in the pickup, just the facts of life. I ran a very small (2 to 4 ounce, I can't remember) header, just a little normal hobby Sullivan tank with a central rigid pickup. It helped a lot to for a steady stream of smoke.

Springbok Flyer

I have a mixture of different smoke installations. Some without any UAT or hopper tank, some with a hopper tank, some with the usual fuel UAT (mainly CAT), some with the special CAT Smoke UAT. Absolutely no difference, EXCEPT in my CARF Ultra Lightning which uses the flat-in-between-the-intakes extra tank with a special CAT Smoke UAT - it splutters and spits very quickly and is rather disappointing. I think the main problem lies with the main smoke tank that is not a good shape to start with and sucks air easily, then the Smoke CAT quickly get too much air and cannot cope.

My conclusion - fit an easy flow UAT/Smoke CAT if you have the space or like the idea - otherwise don't worry about it and just make sure you always use a regular shape tank that allows proper movement for a decent heavy clunk.

Cheers,

Jan

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

I have installed smoke systems to about 15 jets, some mine most not and I have yet to see smoke pulses on any of my installs, lucky I guest one thing in common between all the installs was that I used a TamJets smoke system.

SECRET AGENT

My Feedback: (18)

Eveyone gets smoke pulses when the tank runs dry, never ever seen one that didn't. Kinda like a gas motor sputtering as it uses the last drops of fuel.

You might mean no pulses until the end, and I agree mine doesn't pulse till the tank is about dry.

CARS II

My Feedback: (7)

At the end is normal and inevitable.

bevar

My Feedback: (27)

I have been using a BVM UAT on my jets and turbo props for the past ten or so years on the smoke system. Absolutely I would recommend using a UAT and no, it's not too restrictive.

I have burned over 250 gallons of smoke oil so I can verify first hand the advantage of using a UAT.

Beave

Jetpilot24

My Feedback: (21)

Here is video of an F-15 I did with smoke. I installed a center line drop tank for the smoke system. The pump, tank, batteries for the pump and a 2oz. hopper tank are all in the drop tank. I made the tank removable so if I wanted to fly with out the smoke. The only two hook ups I had was a servo extension for the smoke pump and the oil supply line to plug into the line going to the smoke nozzle. My smoke nozzle was run down between the double walled pipe and exited at the tail pipe. One other thing I did was to install a one way check valve that would be pushed open from the pressure from the pump. This was done so as not to loose the prime on the pump when the smoke was turned off. The oil in this video was cement form release. It came in a 5 gallon pale and I added 1 gallon of the Tiki torch oil to it to thin in some. It worked ok but did not have the hang time the commercial based oils have.


Joe Lewis
Kingtech
K-80, K-140, K-180
owner

JP-1

Not sure if Mr Potter uses a UAT on his smoke system, however it is very effective, and gives consistantly good results

CraigG

My Feedback: (40)

I didn't even realize Harry was into rc jets. Probably just magic.

bevar

My Feedback: (27)

On the other hand, it also depends on the type of flying you do. If you are a race track pattern flyer or just do loops and so forth...a UAT is probably not needed.
I do lots of high energy aerobatics, lots of positive to negative and back transitions constantly so my exposure to unporting the clunk is quite high and used to happen frequently. I started installing UATs and presto...no more problem.

YMMV,
B

SECRET AGENT

My Feedback: (18)

HA! Good one! Funny.

JoeJr1485

Lol thanks to all of you. This feedback is awesome and I take all of it in by learning ��

gooseF22

skip the air trap, just put a felt clunk on your smoke tank.