NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

I agree, the .45CX is my favorite two-stroke Enya with the 80-4C being my favorite four-stroke Enya.

Having sold my original .45CX to a good friend some years ago (along with the model it was mounted on), I have always wanted to replace it with another. Then they stopped making it. I did catch up with two used ones on eBay and am getting ready to make Enya stew in a crockpot filled with Prestone. Then I have two Kaos ARFs they are going to be mounted and flown on.

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

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For the life of me, I can't understand why the whole Enya line isn't being sold in the USA. Surely it isn't because of the engines. They do not lack power when compared to modern products and we all know of their durability. Yes, they are a tad expensive, or they were, but people usually pay extra for superior quality without complaint. Beats me.

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

This is my sixth year in this wonderful hobby. I'm a short timer I know.

I never would have heard of Enya's at all if I hadn't purchased a 68" Stick with a 120R on it. They are wonderful engines but the people marketing them haven't a clue. Sad isn't it. [&o]

John

PlaneKrazee

My Feedback: (14)

Ed,

The Tam-5 flew in 2003,

The one with the Enya 1.20 did it in 1998.

I had mixed up the two.

sigrun

I've tried to work out the same here in Australia, which whilst a miniscule market compared with the US, is one where ENYA shares a similar same fate.

Some conclusions I have drawn are;

Profile, and this is the biggie, ENYA doesn't have one - except among a select few who 'know'. This includes distribution, marketing, advertising, on hobby shop shelves, winning in comps, used by the club member majority or club high profilers such as instructors or better flyers - and where none or few of these promoting ENYA, neither does word of mouth.

Price, even the established sales leader with huge market penetration is struggling to survive against Chinese manufactured competition. Having a huge impact on new and established novitiate entry purchase choice. That becomes significant when one can purchase the likes of a TT PRO 46 for just a fraction more than half price of an ENYA 50CX if one is savvy. Even taking the sales pitch at the hobby shop counter, AUD$150 vs AUD$220- is mighty convincing argument and a much easier sell. And regarding their pricing of the .53 four stroke, we won't even go there apart from to say that it assures ENYA will be a "no sale" to most. I don't know of many small business in these cut-throat times who'll keep non-consignment display stock on the shelf if it won't turn over rapidly.

Range. Having a now very limited range definitely works against ENYA, as people are creatures of habit and driven in part by insecurity. They will usually first look to buy into the same (familiar and proven to them) brand when they decide to buy another engine unless there's a strong incentive otherwise. As if pricing wasn't incentive enough, if ENYA doesn't have an engine which fits the bill as they often don't, naturally people will look to another brand. Particially due to poorer distribution and possibly margin, ENYA's situ isn't helped by sales shop droids pushing O.S. MAX as the easy and safe sell to every newbie they think will cop the price. For those they discern price sensitive, the pitch switches to Made in China is good too. Either way, ENYA have lost not just a sale, but a a huge and one time only opportunity. But perhaps ENYA don't want it? Their scale of manufacture and craftsmanship doesn't cater fror it. Maybe growing the company to a behemoth in subservience to corporate ideology isn't the ethos the sons inherited from their father or wish to pursue?

Policy & Fashion. Though powerful , ENYA doesn't push this pitch. Their generally known hallmark if any by those who've never owned one but have heard of them, is robustness. To the novice looking at ENYA in the glass case of the hobby shop or in a model at the field, they appear physically large for capacity, with an unfashionably outdated round head (2 strokes), and that magnificent machined alloy carb is viewed as, "It's big isn't it!" all the while thinking 'man that's the ugliest carb "I've ever seen!'. Of course, they have no experience of how well it works and like the initial poor impression at a job interview, ENYA have assured it unlikely they ever will. Sad but true. Got to hand it to O.S. MAX. Price notwithstanding, O.S. is really slick in catering to its contemporary audience's perceptions and desires.

Era. A primary characteristic of our age which disserves ENYA, is that todays R/C flyer is no more likely to own only one, or perhaps two engines and models than he is to be an aeromodeller in every sense of that classic term. Engines today are like ARFs, both in affordability and accessibility. It's an age of the have THEM now, with something NEW to recreate that novelty and titillation again TOMORROW mentality. ENYA has refocussed including contracting its range to survive, but hasn't changed its engines to accomodate that change and mentality, and in a way, as long as they can survive in doing so, I hope they never do.

Currently own Enya, O.S. MAX, Thunder Tiger, Super Tigre (Italian), Irvine, Cipolla, PAW, ...of all the brands, ENYA is my favourite with their since superceded 45CX my all time favourite sport engine. But the truth is, I own more O.S. MAX and Thunder Tiger than I do ENYA.

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

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I agree with all you have stated.

BUT, there are still some discerning folks out there that prefer "the best". That is the market that I would appeal to most of all.

When I was twenty years old, 1966, the ultimate car to me was not the muscle cars of the era, but a Mercedes diesel sedan. Had I the income, I would have proudly driven one of those. Talk about a lady-grabber!

To me, Enya's are as the Mercedes cars were back then.

There are more powerful sport engines available, that is true. Not by much, oddly enough, even after all of these years the Enya designs have been in existence. I don't buy Enyas strictly because of their power, although that is a plus. I buy them because of their reliability both in operating and in staying in one piece without needing new pieces.

I am convinced that there is a market for Enya engines in the world today. No, it will not be the ARF crowd. Most of them won't be flying models in another five years. Yes, their dollars are important, but, they are unobtainable for all of the reasons that you stated, unless Enya reconfigured their SS series to utilize modern non ringed technology. But would they then be Enyas?

I would target the crowd that is still buying OS, Irvine, YS and MVVS engines.

The Enya four-strokes are due for an update. Weight reduction is important, but not absolutely necessary. While I know that the front facing glow plug is a PITA if you are not used to working around the problem with a remote glow plug adapter, the advantage of having the camshafts where they presently are is tremendous. Any Enya four-stroke can be made to operate in a clockwise direction by simply changing the timing of the camshafts. What other four-stroke engine can do this? Just those with a similar system and I don't know of any of those that are still in production.

Square cylinder heads are needlessly heavy, so I wouldn't change them at all. The old round headed engines did not overheat due to lack of cooling surface area. Square heads are just pablum for the "neat look" fans.

I feel that the high price is mostly a function of low sales. That could be addressed by selling via the internet. Hobbyshops are for selling mass market junk. Enya engines are not mass market junk. I haven't bought an engine from a hobbyshop in quite a few years. Their prices are too high and I end up having to deal with the importer anyway, should a problem arise. Why give those folks money for nothing in return?

I sent the wife in to buy an OS.25FP for me (I was still recovering from leg surgery). She walks out with a .25FX. The folks told her the FP was no good and hustled her into the FX. I thanked her and then sent her back in for a refund. When I got home, I picked up the phone and ordered the FP from Tower. No argument, no sales bullcrap and I got what I wanted. I haven't been back to that hobbyshop since then. They went out of business a short while ago. Poor babies...

sigrun

Enya pricing. Economies of scale and cost of labour. It is possible Enya would possibly choose to go out of business before either will occur. Only producing and selling volume combined with moving production to China would address that in the short to medium term. Though a current sink or swim strategy for some, in the longer term for those of us who remember when the yen was rubbish and Japanese engines were cheap, prices must reconcile over time, so this could prove a flawed strategy with everyone doing it so as to become just another new starter and potential also ran in a very price and performance competitive field where badging with an old and previously established brand name doesn't count for much. Some will eventually dominate just as O.S. MAX did in the heyday of cheap Japanese engines, others will run alongside, and some names must certainly disappear. For in an state economy entirely orientated to mass manufacture, there's no room for small family manufacturers to keep the name going in adversity like PAW, ENYA, FOX et al in PRC.

In my view, ENYA prices will remain high/er, like their quality and reliability. Whilst there's a price to be paid for that, on an upnote, there's unquestionably a target market prepared to pay it, but that has to be recognised, identified, proactively sought and exploited. ENYA's could almost certainly achieve this good marketing specifically targetting those wanting quality and elitism. Saito are trying this on now with their "discernment" nonsense, though they're appealing to the same exclusivity section of the market they already own, so it's merely a retention strategy in the face of resistance to their pricing. YS have also been successful with wider market penetration largely attributable to competition results resulting in many flying with YS engines who have no need of their principle characteristics, but desire the association of status and recognition ownership affords at the field. There are endless successful brand reinventions upon which ENYA could stylistically remodel itself, perhaps the best and most amazing taking advantage of human frailty and ego being Ducati. Now elitist and charging absurd prices for their bikes essentially with no good reason other than a demand created through clever marketing, Ducati whilst always a bit of a cult motorcycle and stylish in their own and a uniquely Italian kind of way (I know I went through my Ducati phase in the mid-70's), were once metalurgical and anachronistically engineered nightmare, and don't even get me started on their agricultural electronics. Before the rules changed to afford 4 strokes an unbeatable capacity and power advantage, Ducati couldn't win a GP (250 or 500) for 30 years against the likes of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki or Kawasak. But they very successfully reinvented and revived their demand and sales despite their actual lacklustre performance and still less than Japanese reliability through positiong themselves as elitist based upon style and status, and no question, they certaily do create beautiful looking bikes. But for that sort of money and less, I'd rather have an F4 from MV Augusta who have started doing the same thing, though I actually own performance orientated Suzukis X2. ie: RGV250 and RG500.

ENYA differences. I've always preferred ENYA's rearward facing pushrods and accepted the forward facing plug as a necessity for the reduced risk of pushrod damage in impact and, not to mention its advantage in offering superior cooling through unobstructed airflow to the head and cylinder finning. I think other people liking ENYA do to. The only thing I found difficult to figure out is why the other manufacturers didn't adopt it? As if the plug placement really interferes with starting? And should the well worn sacred cow of safety is dragged out, for the 'girls', ENYA could easily inlcude the optional remote connector in the box as standard just as they now do the marvellous N/V knuckle. ENYA's knuckle solution to N/V placement and perception of safety is the smartest, but most amusingly, simplest of the lot. Gotta' love it! I'll never warm to the guised as "safety" fad of the rear mounted N/V with all its inherent characteristic problems of susceptibility to vibration, inducing air bubbles and fuel foaming, snapping N/V mounts forcing the move to separate replacable components and or combined with the move to plastic backplates presented as 'fashionable' and "lighter" in order to sell the concept - but which are effectively a kludge to address the primary problem. Until we either eliminate the prop itself or human 'beans' from the equation, N/V tuning 'accidents' will remain regardless of shifting the N/V a mere inch or so aft though rear mounting it. TT's angled unit and ENYA's knuckles are a far smarter compromised approache to safety and functionality without any disadvantage which might be rationally argued. Agree with you about square heads being both heavier to an extent a function of fashion, though there is logical argument for their presentation of greater fin surface area and therefore theoretically, increased heat dissipation. Whether they are necessary or not is however an entirely separate argument. The trend away from chroming the head of course is primarily one of fashion in so doing reducing manufacturing cost, but which undeniably does have a cosmetic advantage as well as disadvantage. Chrome looks great in the box and so assists the sale (desire), but looks rubbish once nitro hits it and after the baked on gunk is cleaned from it. Bare alloy undeniably cleans up better. Same with the carb. Functionally, ENYA's carbs are legendary. Cosmetically they are as well, only the latter remark usually isn't complimentary. But once nitro hits that polished alloy, ugh! I know, I know, it doesn't affect functionality.....but it does affect perception and therefore desirability and sales. It mightn't stop me buying ENYA, but it will some.

Timing. I love ENYA's compromise of port timing, stroke and bore. From their metric crankshafts to their magnificent bushed conrods and everlasting P&Ls, their internals mightn't have the 'polish' of O.S., but they more than make up for it in every truly meaningful way. Interesting sidenote is ENYA's recent cave-in and retreat from 7mm metric to conform with the semi-ubiquitious ¼-28 shaft and thread on their latest offerings. Certainly food for thought what other "conformist" rationalsations are in the wind. I always preferred 7mm metric. Though it was a minor annoyance with reaming props and occasionally spinner fitment, but I suppose it presented a major aggravation to today's "I couldn't find it in the instructions" RC noob.

Weight. Well Saito are cutting their engines to shreds in the effort to improve their P:W ratio and public perception of them as other than substitute sea anchors , eg: the FA-72, though I wouldn't like ENYA to go that far so as to sacrifice robustness. But no question, some of their designs are in as in dire need of shedding weight as I am.

On your last comment re Hobby Shop 'n sales droids. A particular pet hate of mine is the droid who invariably sends the unbeknowing noob to me to train with a spanker O.S. 46AX fitted with a 10x6 in his RCM trainer. Arrrrrrrrgh! <gnashing of teeth and slashing of wrists>[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

I'd be the first t admit that whilst it'd almost certainly 'fly' in ENYA's case, the status and exclusivity thing wouldn't personally induce me to pay a premium. I'm not a status buyer. In summary, I can honestly say that the only two objections which have to be overcome for me to almost exclusively buy ENYA would be price and range whilst retaining their hallmarks of design and balanced performance. I know I can't have both from a Made iN Japan product, and ENYA's current pricing is about as good a compromise of all of those factors as I think we're ever likely to see with the options being a major drop in production costs and obviously quality if capable of doing so whilst still being Made in Japan, a move to China advantaging price with some retention of quality but necessary compromise and change, or brand reinvention targetting a specific market segment prepared to pay for an elitist product with priced so.

moodier

My Feedback: (1)

Hi;I just goofed and crashed my Enya 60 2 stroke!Ok except that sheared off the needle valve looks like need valve and the body.Where is the best place for minor parts such as this hear much about MRC but think they are only game in town for parts!Thanks!!

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

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The last time I looked, the Enya .50 CX was selling stateside for about the same price as the OS .46AX. Now, if we could just get Tower Hobbies to take over the Enya distributorship in the USA. <G>

I don't think of myself as an elitist. I own Magnum, ASP and GMS engines as well as OS, Saito, Enya, Webra, etc. In 1990 I paid $221.95 for an Enya 80-4C from Mutchler's Hobbies. Remember them? I would gladly pay $275 for one fresh from the factory today. If Saito can sell a .72 for that much, I'm sure Enya could sell their 80-4C (really a .74) if they wanted to do so and still make a good profit. Yes, I did the math. <G>

I'm relegated to buying used Enya engines for now. I already have a NIB .53 and a couple of .15 two-strokes, all bought from Sheldon's Hobbies. The rest of my present Enya collection were bought used. I'm not much of a large model flyer these days, so the 1.55 doesn't really do much for me. I'd use my Evo 26GT for that service.

sigrun

That's not ENYA's current pitch, but could be. Pricing here of O.S. has been rationalised by the distributor at reseller demand to be more competitive, but that's because everyone who wasn't an absolute noob had abandoned the local hobby shops and mail order to shop from Tower. ENYA's hasn't. The 46AX can be had for AUD$170- about the same as landed from Tower now inc shipping minus coupon, the 50CX is AUD$210. TT PRo is $150- OK I know, I know, the ENYA is a 50, but you can see the easy sell and enticement away from the CX. Even OS's 50SX is cheaper at around AUD$190 the very best price I recently recall seeing it at.

Whilst I've gained the impression that SAITO are comparatively less expensive in the US than they are here, re elitism, SAITO have always tacitly used that as part of their price rationalisation pitch, but are really pushing it hard and overtly now. Have a look at their latest "discerning" adverts. Smart, as it is representitvive of your average SAITO afficionado's observable if unjustifiable (in my view) 'attitude', and will appeal directly to them. Smart demographic retention strategy.

LaCerne

My Feedback: (16)

Here's my Enya collection: Starting bottom right: 15TV, 19XTV, SS25BB, 2 40XTV's, 45TV, 45CX, 53 4-S, 60XFIII, 2-GP60XLF-4's, 80XTV, 60XF in parts.
Next Photo is 11CX, then 40 4-S, and 35 4-S





[img][/img][img][/img]

TimC

That's a very nice collection LaCerne. I only have one Enya but would definitely buy another if I get the chance. It's a sad fact that of all the hobby shops I've been in lately, I haven't seen one Enya for sale.

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

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The folks that handle Enya have always had a hard to do business with reputation from the hobby dealers I have spoken to. Ditto Ace, which is now defunct. Having great products is of no use if your buying/account policies are so screwed up that no one will deal with you.

LaCerne does have quite a nice collection of Enya engines. It is far more extensive than mine.

sigrun

Speaking from the perspective of this neck of the woods, they aren't carried because they are a non-consignment buy-in from single line distributorship on a shallow margin even at SRP. I suspect MRC and ENYA have a similar SLD arrangement in the U.S.?

With a single or small volume buy-in price higher than the street sell price of a 46AX or FS-52, ENYA can't compete here on price, nor against O.S. on brand recognition and reputation to the mindset of the masses making them a very hard sell even to the average R/Cer, and virtually impossible sell to the novice. Let's face it, by the time the intending RC noob comes into the shop to buy, he's either been in half-a-dozen times previously to look and seduced to the familiar by the endless lineup of blue boxes and O.S. product on display, or had contact with a local club where 10 to 1 he's been influenced to buy O.S. and 20 to 1 to get a 46FX to train with! Any takers? [:-]

If we were in a small business where the bottom line counts every day, would you or I bother with ENYA either when O.S. virtually sells itself? If I was in the retail hobby trade I'd probably relent and push O.S. as well with a cheaper but reliable alternative choice such as TT as backup ..rather than have the customer walk out and lose the sale and potential full R/C kit out to a competitor who would.

LaCerne

My Feedback: (16)

I got my 1st engine, the 45tv, when I was 15. It was my 1st engine with a throttle (all cox engines prior). I bought the older looking 40xtv on my 16th birthday. It's on it's 3rd ring and still runs great. That was a little over 23 years ago! Wow how time flies.
I also have Saitos and OS Max engines, but Enyas are my favorite. I often wonder if World Engines had been the importer of Enyas instead of MRC/Altech, if Enya would be the dominant engine vs OS. It always seemed to me they didn't advertise or promote Enyas much, even back then when OS and Enya were very equal in price and quality. Oh well, I enjoy my off-beat engines.

Larsen

sigrun

Wow......a .45 .......rich kid!

My first ENYA.

I remember my first awareness of ENYA was hearing that distinctive bark. Back in those days, for smaller engines in C/L at least, silencers were still an optional extra seldom fitted. Little were we to realise at the time we were witnessing the end of an era. So over at my flying mate's place one sunny morning preparatory to leaving for our flying venue, we heard the distinctive din of C/L flight coming from a nearby park. Immediately setting off on foot in search of the action as we were wont to do in those days, we headed in the general direction of the noise. 10 minutes later we arrived to witness two circa late 60's era Brit combat wings having an impromptu bout. Ferociously flown and pitted by four brothers spread about our age, when the dust settled we got the opportunity to investigate. One of the models, a "Dominator" and "Liquidator", fielded an ENYA 15 II or III.

I distinctly recall it leaving an impression because I had never seen or heard an ENYA before, and because of its relative size for a .15 in comparison with its contemporary O.S. MAX .15 II or III made seemingly all the larger because of that huge ENYA chromed head and gigantic springy needle valve extension. It certainly made a LOT of noise!

So circa Xmas holidays 1970-71 I bought my first ENYA, a C/L version of the venerable ENYA .09 with left hand exhaust outlet which used to burn the livin' $@#&$% out of yer hand when you were trying to adjust the N/V! - sans silencer of course. I can't remember the exact why .09 instead of a .15 now. It may have been being on a tight budget which wouldn't stretch to a .15, or perhaps wanting an engine to compete in the less competitive ½A class combat (in Britain and Australia ½A is .09 not .049). That engine served faithfully for years fighting many a bout in ½A combat wings.

ENYA still haven't lost that mystique and ability to arouse respectful attachment for me at least. My hard working .45CX still holds it, and I have a brand new .15 IV sitting here in a box with both C/L venturis and TV carb options ready for fitment to either George' Aldrich's "Peacemaker" or SIG's "Wonder" if I can coax myself into buidling either.

So, tell us about your first ENYA?

Kostas1

Hi.
Can you tell me where i can find Enya 4strokers to see their prices-specs and even order one?
Thank's

downunder

Ah ok...I'd been using a Merco 35 in my stunters which served me very well (4 times Queensland state champion) but it was time to step up to something larger, that being the trend. I can't even remember now what persuaded me to get it but I bought an Enya 45 model 6001. There were a few other guys using them but most had the ST G46 at the time. The Enya turned out to be at least the equal of the ST and a few times I was asked how I got mine to run as well as it did. I didn't do anything special at all, just straight 25% all castor and zero nitro. One flick starts every time, at least for the first few years, then new rings and off again. That engine helped me along to a 3rd in the Aussie Nationals and I can't even guess how many hundreds of hours running it's had.

sigrun

I m p r e s s i v e. I'm humbled. Which years? Your home club was a Qld club at the time?

Sounds like 80's? A .45 for stunt was really your first ENYA?

I'm forming the impression we all feel this way about our ENYAs. Their sterling service fosters reciprocation by way of fondness for the brand and attachment. I used to feel like that about my O.S MAX engines in the 70's as well, but the brand doesn't engender those emotions in me now.

sigrun

The ENYA four stroke engine range is now severly limited (understatement). Here are a couple of links. Sheldons (the last link) are often a source of (NEW) ENYA odds and ends and ship internationally.

[link=http://www.modelrectifier.com/products/rcModelEngines/4stroke.asp]US dollars from MRC USA[/link]

[link=http://www.modelflight.com.au/enya-engines_four_stroke.htm]AUD from Model Flight Australia [/link]

[link=http://www.sheldonshobbies.com/listing/emp.html]Sheldons USA[/link]

downunder

Here's somewhere closer to Greece for you...the Canary Islands.
http://www.clubtamaran.com/ENYA.htm
From all reports he's very easy to deal with.

Doug 50

Okay,sounds like we have a whole lot of Enya fans here............
I've been offered a pair of Enya 30s attached to a C160.
How do they compare,performance-wise to,for example,similar sized O.S.or Irvines?
Thanks,
Doug.

misfitsailor

My Feedback: (6)

One can also buy Enyas online from the UK. I just ordered a Enya 41 4C from the Servo Shop in England. I could not find this model in the U.S. The prices are less than it looks like, because they subtact the VAT tax from the price for outlanders. I will post how it goes.

http://www.servoshop.co.uk/index.php...0b084172c26f26

I have had good luck buying things online from England so far, such as Ben Buckle kits, direct.

Someday, I hope to land a nice 35 4C! Anyone have an extra one?

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

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I wonder if those prices include the 17.5% VAT? They are very, very high.

I just bought a new Enya 53-4C, a couple of months ago, for less than 200.00 USD, from Sheldon's Hobbies. These folks post a price of 189 pounds, which is a great deal more expensive than what I paid.

Alas, they didn't have any old stock .45 CX engines listed. I would have considered paying their price for a new one of those.

PlaneKrazee

My Feedback: (14)

I'm bewildered by the last Enya I bought from Sheldons. This engine had no anodizing on the valve cover or warranty card.

It had grey oil around the glow plug hole as if a plug had been installed. I pulled the head and found a discoloration on the piston that wiped off, it looked like products of combustion so I pulled the front housing off. In the crankcase it looked like a mixture of machine oil and glow fuel oil the way the oil beaded up inside. Looked and smelled like the engine was run. When did Enya start running engines at the factory?

Where the crankshaft is machined to accept the drive washer it's machined too deep and too far back on one side so there is very little for the front bearing to ride on and the counterweight was 1/16" thinner that two other of the same engines I already had. This is not the high quality I had come to expect.

Sheldons shrink wrapped the engine box and there return policy states you can't return something that has the shrink wrap removed.
The only thing I found wrong with the engine was the crankshaft machining and rust forming on the back side of the cylinder sleeve, the rest seems ok. I think it's time to send the crank to MRC for replacement.