ORIGINAL: hllywdb

In most of the western world it seems, every new product is launched with great fanfare and a media blitz of outrageous claims of how it makes you look 10 years younger, cures your asthma, and makes you lose 20 lbs in 6 days. Much of the world is not like this. How ironic is it that we distrust the companies that DON'T do this? It is the insane cost of doing this combined with selling to big box stores at steep discounts that has forced good companies like OS to outsource manufacturing to China just to stay in the black.

Both Fox and Enya have stepped off this crazy train. Fox has quietly released a .50 size gas motor with just a 1 paragraph blurb saying that it runs on gas. I have no doubt that it works well, but at a retail price of $399, even the introductory offer of $275 doesn't make me jump. I know if I want one I have to contact Fox.

Enya dropped North American distribution a while ago. But if you e-mail Enya they will gladly sell you a motor and promply ship it. I replaced a crankshaft on my Enya .09 and a carb on an Enya 45, I could'nt just go on Tower's site and point and click, I did it all by e-mail, and at no time did I feel this was somehow ''Dubious or Shady.'' I also don't feel that Ken Enya is being unscrupulous by not telling me how he makes his plug for the 180 or what is in his oil mix. I also don't expect him to stop and take time to comment on these forums, especially given the content of some of the posts.

I have ordered engines and parts for my Norvel engines the same way and have no problems. I certainly don't expect NV to appear on these forums and jump into the fray or explain to me how they make their motors other than what they post on their site. Most of us that play in the 1/2a side of this sport are used to this. We were ordering parts from Bernie and happily running our engines while others chose to speculate on the state of his company or where the parts were coming from. If you wanted a VA, Cyclone, or Fora it was the same way.

I happened to be fortunate enough to test this motor and have answered everyone's questions the best I can, have tried different props you asked about and reported the numbers and flight charecteristics. I've told you how I mix the fuel, what plugs work, etc... I think most of you that have contacted Alex and asked for a motor have gotten a very straight response, just like you would with Enya. I guess I just fail to see the issues that people seem to get so up in arms about.