IronCross

IXLR8
I agree with what you say. A beginner needs a reliable engine so he/they can concentrate on the flying end rather then fighting an engine every trip to the field. OS does seem to fill that bill.

Johng

My Feedback: (4)

OK, but I didn't see any. I see a pretty civil discussion going on here, having been involved in a couple of barn-burners.

IXLR8, just because someone refutes your point with fact, doesn't make it fiery.

You have a good point on the supply of parts - not that it's hard to get parts for other popular brands. However, on performance and simple operation TT has 'em beat.

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Stuff to stay away from Anything( any size) described as a K&B Sportster. The K&B .48 and K&B .61 are excellent engines though.

I just got my hands on a pair of new K&B .61's for little more than the price of a single OS .61 FX - plus trade-in on a pair of old motors. Anybody with an old motor to trade can can get one for $80 from Mecoa. Sent the order along with the old motors 10 days ago, recieved the motors Friday. Check out:

http://www.modelengine.com/61/6170b.htm

PS - and yes, I will gladly have a fiery argument with anyone who thinks the FX is a better motor than the K&B .61. :stupid:

ZAGNUT

My Feedback: (1)

os should bring back the good old FSR engines. would make buying an os worth the money.

dave

jschenck

My Feedback: (23)

I have a couple of K&B 61's (Model 6550). I have been flying one of them almost exclusively for the last month and I really like this engine. I put a pipe on it and am able to pull 12,500 RPM on a 10x8 3-bladed prop! I am able to fly the tank dry and get a good idle out of it. It did take about 1/2 gallon through it and some fiddling with the idle mixture, but I did take apart the whole mess and boil it in antifreeze, including carb (just the metal pieces).

I stated before that I would not hesitate in recommending the new K&B 48 for a trainer as the K&B engines are excellent and this engine would have a place in almost any 40-ish airplane once you are ready to move beyond the trainer. Bonus - it's made in U.S.A !

If you want a really good trainer, get a 60 sized airplane and put a K&B 61 on it. The bigger airplane is easier to fly and the engine is fantastic. They can be had for a bargain on the swap boards. If you can find someone at the field that is willing to help setup the engine, this is something you may want to seriously consider.

Overall, for your initial experience my suggestion is go with what the majority of the field instructors suggest. Your goal is to learn to fly! Specific brands and engine tuning will come to you as you get into the hobby, but for the first time pilot the more help you get the less frustrating the initial learning curve will be.

TimC

I always prefer to buy Made in U.S.A., but that sure is getting hard to do nowdays.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

I am one who falls outside that "nearly everyone has owned an OS at one time or another" statement. I have 90 plus engines now, with most made in U. S., Europe and Japan, one from Korea, a Maloney 125. None has given me cause to wish I had an OS.

mbiedul

My Feedback: (3)

Here's some engine advice for beginner power pilots: Get one with the carb in the rear! I've been transitioning from gliders to R/C power, and boy those front end carbs sure break easy! Or at least fill up with mud. Of course the basic problem is my thumbs on the sticks....No one in this discussion has mentioned 4-stroke engines, probably because of cost. But I just bought a new ThunderTiger carb assembly, and a few of those go a long way toward an Enya .53 four stroke, where EVERYTHING is behind the cylinder, even the pushrods. They say they use less fuel too, and methanol is kinda expensive.

Perminator-RCU

My brother in law bought an old used OS .91. Great engine with loads of power and very good fuel economy. BUT , with the pushrods on the back, the glow plug is tilted towards the propeller. Not so nice to those little things sticking out of your hands (fingers, that is). Other than that it's a really nice engine that's going in a Kyosho F4u Corsair when the bearings have been changed.

Ladyflyer

My Feedback: (2)

I agree with Hobbsy.
Enya , Saito , Super Tigre ,Webra and YS have all left me with better impression than OS .
Why spend the big bucks for OS when a Thunder Tigre is as good or better ? And they stand behind them better than the GP monster.
The OLD OS engines before GP took over the distribution were decent engines . They got a whole lot cheaper after GP raised the prices !!! YES ,cheaper made and higher priced !!! NICKEL PLATING ,,,,SURE ! Someone mentioned the FSR series . GREAT engines. Aside from the crappy Japanese bearings they used the FSR engines ran strong and easy. Once the junk bearings were replaced with US or European bearings they were excellent.

ZAGNUT

My Feedback: (1)

haven't played with an os for over 15 years, my last was a .40 fsr ring that never let me down. from the rpm numbers i see for the newer fx engines it seems as if the power has gone down. i switched to the ys45 but i see a lot of old fsr engines (even nib) for good prices, perfect for someone in need of a good engine at a low price.

dave

ChuckN

Wonder how well that O.S. 61FX that Dave Gierke tested for the MAN engine shootout would have done with the muffler baffle removed? Anyone catch that? He said only the .65LA was quieter. And the all conquering Fox was the loudest of the bunch. Wonder what the test results would have been like if the Fox and OS FX were able to swap mufflers?

Also, the Tower .61 was very impressive with it's tuned volume muffler. I know from experience these engines are very loud. Wish Dave would have tested them all without their mufflers so that we could better compare apples to apples. Or, better yet, put Pitts style mufflers on them all since so many of these engines are used in .40 - .50 size Extras and CAPs.

adrian-RCU

thats the problem with any test or shootout never apples with apples but the novice or the not so experienced will probably take years to find out

Sport_Pilot

The Fox muffler is an expansion type with a fairly small stinger. IMO there is way too little expansion volume, which is why it is too lowd. Increasing the expansion volume would decrease backpressure not decrease it. So I doubt there would be much differance in performance with swapped mufflers. Owners have said that it is probably the strongest 60 or 74 when running pitts mufflers.

Jazzy

Since you guys are talking about the .61 shootout I cranked up my TT Pro .61 today. I bought it used (ran once) here on RCU.
I took the cone shaped baffle out and filled my test stand tank with Wildcat 10% premium xtra. Stuck an APC 11x6 on it and cranked it up.
The engine easily held 13,980 RPM with an old used Fox plug.
During the second through fourth tank it would peak around 14,200 and held 14,100 pretty steady.
What a screamer. Ear protection is absolutely necessary!
(I'll post this where it should be-the Tach forum )

herc75

I know...you were looking for 2c's, but have to post about this engine in hopes of reaching someone debating a 4c .4x siz substitute.

Own 2 TT91FS's best value I've ever seen...1 in a Hog Bipe, just got the second in a U-CAN-DO-IT (Bobby Bouche'). Yeah I know they are heavy...just tape the battery pack underneath the stab and you'll be okay!

Thought I'd try the 54 and didn't do my research...not a dual needle carb...airbleed. I thought they had updated this, I couldn't get a reliable idle or transition out of it to save my butt.

I couldn't believe I had payed $20.00 less than i could have had a .91 for and the horrible performance it gave....stick with the .91!

At least tower let me return it!

Nick

Jazzy

Herc75, If your .54 FS is set right on the top-end but loads up the more you pull the throttle down, you need to drill out the airbleed hole. I drilled mine out to 1/16" and it ran much better but still a little rich on the low-end. I drilled it out to 5/64" but haven't tried it yet.
Then again, you sent it back.

Dougboiler91

My Feedback: (23)

I'm into gas now, but I've used Super Tiger and O.S. glow engines for the last 15 years without any problems unless it was my fault. Too lean etc. I currently own as O.S. 46 FX that's about 4 years old that still runs like it's right out of the box. On top of that, I have one of the first production Super Tiger GS 40's that's been on so many planes over the past 10 years I've lost count. She still runs well after years of run time. I mean this engine has seen a lot of use. Some guys will try to steer you away from Super Tiger because they say they don't hold a setting well. My experience has been the opposite. Break them in really rich, and take your time finding the low end sweet spot. Once you do this, you'll have a reliable engine that will give you years of enjoyment. My two cents worth!

Dougboiler91

remcl

Interesting how many people have different opinions. One person says stay away from XXX and another will post I love that one. Engines work for people who are familiar with how they run and how you need to set them. It will do no good for me to tell you which engines I am accustom too, because I will not be at your field to help you break it in and adjust it properly. I highly recommend you go to a local club and see what they are running in trainer planes. Look for someone who is doing what you want to do and step in his (or hers) footsteps. That is what a club is for.

ramcharger

Super Tigres and OS amount to well over 90% of all 2c engines at our field. Our club is huge. It seems most new engines these days are 4c and Saito and OS lead the pack with Magnum showing up a lot. With Super Tigre out I wondered why other brands of 2c engines were not appearing. Another local RC CLUB has a "NOT RECOMMENDED" list of 2c engines for RC flyers in their training program. The not recommended engines are any, FOX, K&B, Merco, Irvine, ASP, Tower, Royal or any bush bearing engine to include LA or FP OS's. From my experience the list makes sense because these engines are generally the one's requiring the most trouble shooting at our field.

Sport_Pilot

I don't agree with the bushed engine ban. Bushed engines are more trouble free than bearing engines. And less dollars lost when you crash them. The only engine I see on that list to keep beginners away from is the Fox, too many carb designs, many of them bad on those engines. The rest are OK. Some better than others but OK.

Hobbsy

My Feedback: (102)

The Fox, Irvine, Merco, K & B, and Enya should be at the top of the recommended list.

IronCross

Sounds like that other local club lives in a world of there own. Irvine is not recommended ?. One of the easiest running engines made. Have never seen a "bushed" Irvine either. Our club push OS and Irvines for beginners because of there easy set up and dependability.
Roger

Sport_Pilot

Fox is a good engine, but too quirky for a beginer. Enya should be on top, except for the long break in, but the crash warrenty is a big plus. K&B good also, if someone familiar with the carb can help. Merco and Irvine I have no experiance with.

DarZeelon

Hi All, Sport_Pilot,

What is this I hear about some engines needing a long break-in?

All AAC and ABC Enya engines need a break-in that would take just as long, as in any other AAC, ABN, or ABC engine. 20-30 minutes of rich, two-stroke running, NO FOUR-STROKE RUNNING, two, three tanks in all.

...That is, unless you have decided to "remove" that "nasty" TDC pinch and to RUIN-IN (also, BREAK-DOWN) your engine... Pinch is power. Remember that.

In ringed engines, if the ring end gap is correct to begin with, two or three tanks of very rich four-stroke running is all it takes to seat the ring. After gradually leaning to rich two-stroke in the next tank, the engine is ready-to-use. If the ring has a flash Chromium running surface, or the steel sleeve is Chromium plated, or both, it may take 2-3 more tanks.

If, however, the ring gap is too small, the engine can never be properly broken-in. It will seize every time it gets close to normal operating temperature, cutting a "step" into the bore in the process. Eventually it could seal, but I would not call this a break-in...

If this is the "long" break-in you are referring to, take your engine to the vendor and have the ring end gap measured.

Sincerely,

Sport_Pilot

Sorry, Thinking of the cast iron piston versions, most are no longer made. Fox still makes a few also. But thought Enya ringed engine were built tight and tend to take longer to break in also. As does Fox. Saito. TT 4 strokes. Super Tigre is also known to be tight. I recall George Aldrich claimed that some Super Tigres were built with almost no ring gap. HP's were on the other end of the spectrum with many going out with too much ring gap. But this is a recollection of what was said by him. But I have a HP .40 which is a bit soft on compression.