What is glow fuel?
Q: What is glow fuel?
A: Glow fuel is a type of fuel used for model airplanes, helicopters, cars and boats. It typically contains methanol, nitromethane and oil.
Q: What are the components of glow fuel?
A: Glow fuel is mostly made up of methanol, nitromethane and oil. Methanol provides most of the ability to burn while nitromethane adds more power and makes the engine easier to tune. Oil helps lubricate the moving parts and also carries away extra heat from the engine.
Q: How much nitromethane can be found in glow fuel?
A: The amount of nitromethane in glow fuel varies depending on its purpose. For most model planes, boats and helicopters it has 5% to 15%, but for race cars it can range from 30% to 65%. In some countries where nitromethane is hard to get, there may be no nitromethane at all in their glow fuel mix.
Q: What does FAI stand for?
A: FAI stands for Fédération Aéronautique Internationale which states that models used in racing or other competition under their rules may not have any nitro in their mix.
Q: How does a glow plug work?
A: A small amount of electricity is used to cause the glow plug to start glowing as the engine starts running. This catalytic reaction with the methanol causes it to burn very hot as the engine runs due to thermal inertia which helps keep it glowing even when running fast speeds.
Q: How do you clean off oil after using a model with a glow engine?
A: After running a model with a glow engine, it will be coated with a film of oil which can easily be removed by using ordinary window cleaner and paper towel.
