happypappy

My Feedback: (10)

Was looking at a V-Max .46, which looks suspiciously like a K & B Screamin' .48. Anybody know anything about this engine?

mike109

G'day Gold five sided head? Here in Australia they were common a couple of years ago but I haven't seen one lately. Made in Vietnam I believe. A friend at another club had one in a Vmar trainer (also made in Vietnam) and it runs well. But they don't seem to sell all that well. I think that is simply because they are up against ASP, Magnum, Super Tigre, Thunder Tiger, GMS and various other Asian low cost engines all competing heavily on price. Of those, I would go for Thunder Tiger. They have been round the longest (if you don't count the real Super Tigres made in Italy) and they seem to produce a more consistent product than the others. Thunder Tiger is Taiwanese and seems to be more attuned to western ideas about quality control than the Chinese engine makers. They seem to just compete on price. "Don't mind the quality - feel the width." Would I buy one? Probably not. I like to know that the engine will be well made in the first place, and that parts and service will not be a problem for years. That is where the Japanese excel. They may charge a bit more, but it is generally worth it.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

The North American distributor, Richmond RC, has been carrying VMax engines for many years and they also carry a full line of parts. Their line of 2-strokes seems to be pretty well received from folks who've bought them.

The VMar Hornet trainer ARF review here on RCU goes into some detail about the VMax .46 2-stroke that they reviewed along side of the plane.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=330

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

I looked around that website for ten minutes. Still couldn't find what I was looking for. The titles you click on to go to a designated page took me to the wrong pages. The engines are expensive for being no name, no reputation engines. Couldn't find a glow airplane, so I finally gave up. They need to hire a professional to do their web pages for them.


Ed Cregger

fredscz

My Feedback: (47)

A couple of my friends went thru several of the V-max's and one of the new guys still has a couple. One destroyed itself when the rear bearing cage came apart, another had a bad carb. They all had an extremely tight pinch at top dead center. There are other better engines out there for the money.
Fred

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

I always guessed that the VMax engines were simply a house brand version of the GMS line. Richmond RC used to carry GMS but probably had to get them re-branded after Hobbico acquired the North American distribution rights.

The engines aren't much of a bargain ordered seperately, but they're pretty reasonably priced if ordered as a combo with a VMar ARF:

http://www.richmondrc.com/shop2/VMX_USA_Retail.html

When I mentioned that the engines had been well received by those who bought them, I guess I was thinking of the VMax .52 2-stroke in particular:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_gu...?engine_id=752

The .46 didn't receive quite as much praise, but it was funny reading some of the comments. One user gave the engine poor marks because the crank shafts seem to bend easily when crashed directly into the ground. Another user gave his a 1.5 out of 5 rating because the connecting pin broke and was repaired under warranty. Other comments included that the muffler bolt broke easily and that the engine didn't run well inverted; both comments apply to most .46 2-strokes.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_gu...?engine_id=751

I don't own stock in Richmond RC or anything, but I don't think I'd be willing to write these engines off completely without at least trying one or two of them. I'd imagine they're like most budget 2-strokes - good values for the experienced tuner but not ideal for a beginner. Then again, I've never tried flying one either, so what do I know?