Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

Has anyone got a lead on where I can find new spare parts for a Thunder Tiger Pro .46? Specifically looking for a new piston and sleeve set and a new connecting rod.

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

HRP is the new distributor for Thunder Tiger. See link below for your closest hobby shop....

http://www.hrpdealer.com/consumer.html?pg=dl

Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

I'm still searching. Thanks for the lead Hemi. I may have to bite my lip and settle for an OS 46. One of my issues is they have so many confusing model numbers and a non descript liner plating process that I'm not sure what I'm getting. Is it chrome or what is it? Their past issue with pealing liners leaves me cold also. Someone want to convince me that an OS 46 Axyzw3m is a good engine?

Sport_Pilot

It appears HRP will sell direct. No TT parts on the web site yet and only one engine. They may have them but not yet on the web site, I would give them a call.

1QwkSport2.5r

OS engines with tapered & plated bores are inferior to any engine with a chrome plated cylinder IMVHO. OS engines are nickel plated which is a much cheaper and easier process than chrome. A Thunder Tiger ABN engine is far and away a better engine than an OS engine IMO. Not to mention that several OS engines aren't made in Japan anymore - they moved production of some engines to China now.

fizzwater2

My Feedback: (61)

um, isn't ABN Aluminum, Brass, Nickel? why is that better than a nickel plated OS?

Not that I'm an OS fanboy.. I own at least 4 TT engines, used to have more before I thinned the herd..

1QwkSport2.5r

Yes, it is. But the process OS uses and the process TT uses are not the same. Ever hear of a TT liner peeling? Not likely and there's a reason for that.

jester_s1

I've never heard of an AX series liner peeling. Early FX series engines had a problem with liners peeling, and OS did the right thing and replaced the ones that failed quickly. I'm not particular loyal to any brand, but I appreciate a well built, good performing engine when I see one. The AX series are good engines with the best carburetors in the industry. Yes, they are more expensive than anything else, but they are also better. It's up to the buyer to decide if the extra cost is worth it.

1QwkSport2.5r

I know someone with a 55AX that peeled and have heard of others peeling as well. Hobby services does not cover peeled liners. They call it "operator error" or some other excuse.

Put an OS carb on an ASP/Magnum and you'll have a true ABC engine that'll outlast an OS engine with nearly the same or more power and with parts that cost 1/3-1/2 as much.

edit: I am quite biased, but not from a technical standpoint. As in I don't have years of college education and decades of work experience that some folks have. What I do have is knowing that an OS .46 and a TT .46 (for example) will make similar power, will fly similar models, and use similar fuels, etc., but the OS costs more. Enough for me to question why when it is so similar in many respects to other engines in the same class by other manufacturers. I feel the TT is the better value because it's initial cost is lower, the parts are cheaper (once you can get them - the change in distributorship has hampered parts availability lately), have a very similar fit and finish, and more importantly run as well or better. It's very rare to hear about someone actually wearing out a TT.

Maybe I just need a totally different hobby. Maybe I'll learn how to play bridge or cribbage.

Sport_Pilot

I like the fact that the new TT .46 carb is bolted on, instead of clamped on as most are. That carb appears to have a midrange adjustment. Either that or both the high and low speed needle are on the same side.

BTW I notice that Amazon has a few TT engines left.

jester_s1

I'm a huge fan of TT engines because they are good and they are cheap to buy used. That said, OS makes a better carburetor than TT does. The TT carb needle valve assembly will get loose and leak sometimes. The OS won't. TT saved some machining costs with that 3 piece needle valve assembly while OS made theirs leak proof. When at the flying field, I never see people have tuning problems with OS engines. I've helped a few beginners with OS engines that were very easy to get set right. I can't say that for the guys who bought Magnum or Super Tiger engines. Nobody makes a better carb than OS, at least no one in the "sport" engine class. I'll agree that the OS liner isn't as durable as the ABC liners are. That said, there are an awful lot of the ABN engines out there running just fine with many hours of operation on them. I'm lucky enough to fly with a lot of guys who have been in the hobby a long time and have bought nearly every brand of everything at some point of another. And what do they fly based on prior experience? OS 2 strokes and Saito 4 strokes. I don't have an engineering degree so I can get into the details of what makes them so consistent and reliable, but they are. It's up to the buyer to decide whether or not that's worth the extra cost.

1QwkSport2.5r

Well said and totally understandable. OS does make a good carburetor though I feel the SuperTigre carb can be tuned as easily once one understands how to set them.

hsukaria

Unfortunately, I am one who had my OS 55AX peel the liner. It happened because dirt clogged the carb (my fault) during flight with an Ultimate biplane that does not glide in a deadstick. So, I chose to risk a very lean run on the engine to salvage the airframe. I dumped the engine and never looked back. At least with the older OS series like FX, you can replace the piston/liner set with Magnum/ASP equivalents that are true ABC for a vastly lower cost. But I have not heard that is possible on the AX series (I might be wrong there). BTW, the low cost Chinese made engines like ASP/Magnum, SK/JBA, are quite good and don't have carb issues like the old days.

Now I also have OS and TT 4-stroke engines, the OS 70 Surpass II and the TT 75. In my experience, the OS is substantially superior to the TT 75. More torque and power, easier to tune, and now, you can get spares for it. Unlike the TT 75 which is in limbo.

Does anybody know if the ASP/Magnum p/l's fit the TT engines, like they fit on the old OS Fx series? That would solve the OP's issue.

jester_s1

And that's probably the case for most if not all of the OS liner peeling stories. A lean run can ruin any ABC engine, so no one should be surprised when it does.

I have to disagree about Magnum and ASP being "quite good." They run, which is something at least, but the quality control and (usually) overall power leaves something to be desired. My club has a lot of Q25 pylon racers. When OS discontinued the .25FX, they were in a real pickle for engines. The Magnum .28 was considered an equivalent for the OS, so one avid racer ordered 10 of them. He broke them all in using a proper ABC break in process then set out to see how good they were. In testing, he found that only 2 made enough power to compete with OS powered planes. The rest were dogs, good enough for a .25 sized sport plane but not powerful enough to make a competitive racer. The OS engines, on the other hand, could be relied upon to give the same power engine after engine, new liner after new liner. That corroborates what I've heard from others about the Chinese engines; they are serviceable if you get a good one, terrible if you don't, and don't expect the vendor to do anything to help you. So I've concluded that ASP/Magnum engines are not good engines for a low price, but rather a cheap usable engine for a low price with a little bit of luck.

Sport_Pilot

I have had trouble with the Magnum and ASP engines as well. One was because the metal was too soft, the other the metal was too brittle. So quality control is iffy. But I have a couple that had no issues. But IMO 50% is a poor record.

MMGOOD

I guess I must one of the lucky ones with the ASP 90. I did own a Magnum 52 4-stroke that was very weak.

But another thing is how long ago these engines were purchased. I suspect that a lot of the earlier production had issues that may have been fixed?

jester_s1

Doubtful. I had that same Magnum .52 and it was really puny. Wouldn't idle low enough either. If you've ever worked in manufacturing, you know there are two major ways the the lowest end brands cut costs: buying the cheapest materials and using the cheapest labor. Add to that scant quality control, and you get products like Magnum, Frsky, Turnigy, Nitroplanes ARFs, and a few others. They usually work because the designs are sound, but they are obviously not the same standard of quality as similar products at higher prices and there will always be the few duds that the consumer has to figure out what to do with.

aspeed

I think if you take any of the older motors from the 60's to the 80s you will find that the quality of most were pretty bad. Os had some fairly bad smaller motors, and T Tiger was very crude, even the Enyas were having teething pains. Compared to each other at the time they were similar, but today they are old antiques. CNC machining changed a lot of things, and I think in the last 5 years even the ASP/Magnums are pretty good, and even better than the OS stuff from years ago. It is not right to compare a company making motors for a few years to some that have been going for many decades, and saying all ASPs for example are crap, when they heard of someone having bad luck with one twenty years old, and never forgetting that. Personally, I have never had a good T Tiger yet, some ran ok, but never performed. They were all .10s .15,s and .25s. I do have a TT .40 pro that I haven't run much yet, and have high hopes for though. Since I am on a bit of a rant, there are really no new designs out in the 2 strokes lately, so comparing stuff is kind of hard. While an LA is a great motor, it is an old design, as are most of the smaller ones. Kudos to TTiger for bringing out the new .46. (even though they seem to be winding down) and the Magnum XLS line.

308jockey

I've had nothing but good results from OS engines and have several older than me that I got from my Dad. They run beautifully after many hours of service. I don't mind paying the higher cost because they run so well. That said we also have several TT engines, some .40's I use for CLub 40 and 424 racing and some .46's that absolutely scream. Wonderful engines. I wish they would bring the .40 back as they are so well suited for the racing I do. I've never made friends with Magnum but then I can't get a YS to run either so who can say? If I had to pick just one brand though it would be OS without a doubt.

Rick H.

jester_s1

aspeed, ASP and Magnum have been around long enough to have worked the kinks out of their operation. And since their engines are just clones of other successful designs, there shouldn't have been any kinks to work out anyway. Nobody said they are all junk. I said their quality control is bad which makes for an inconsistent product. And I'll stand behind that statement. Also, no one is comparing today's Magnums with OS engines from the '80's. We are talking about currently available engines. ASP/Magnum does not give the consumer the same quality as OS does, but as I said above it's up to the consumer whether or not the extra cost of OS engines brings enough extra value to make it worth it.

hsukaria

That was my exact experiernce with the Magnum 52 4-stroke. I had to drop the prop size from 12x6 to 12x4 and switch to 20% nitro so that it would run well on a lightweight 3.5 lb plane. After a long period of fighting it, it ran well with the lowered expectations. But then, I bought it new for $80. Can't complain.

As far as new glow engines, I only buy used ones anymore. No sense of paying for all that cost when people are dumping their glow engines for any price.

aspeed

I am trying to think if I ever even bought a new OS. I probably have 20 of them, but can't remember buying a new one. Swap meets are great, as people are getting out of the glow stuff now for some odd reason. LA's seem to go for a song when the needle valve is busted. I can see the little stuff going to electric, but the .40 size stuff is still great as far as I am concerned.

the pope

whats up with frsky ?

jester_s1

FRsky is great if you like products built in sweatshops by 9 year olds with no quality control. What's up with them is that it's the bottom of the barrel quality wise.

hsukaria

I can't say much about 9 year olds and sweatshops since I have not been to their facility. But all the receivers I have used from them have been flawless.