Hey Dan!

I just had the privilege of competing and being the "Team Pilot" for a group of FIU Seniors working on their BS. There was one woman(25 yr), and two men(29&22). Claudia, the 25 year old woman, is already hired at NASA to work on the next big rocket that goes to Mars. OK!! This event was sponsored by SAE International/Lockheed as an Engineering contest for these future Engineers. First, these kids, I call them kids, due to being twice their age, were for a thesis for a Degree, were required to calculate the design, design the plane and then design the internal structure of the plane for maximum payload. All planes were electric with a 1000W limit of power from 4 cell battery. Lockheed threw a monkey wrench into the contest, by distributing and requiring all planes use a "Power limiter" . Problem was, there were no instructions to the limiter on how it reacted with the different speed controllers. I am NOT an electric guy, but due to the limiter, it would read the "spikes" of the power system and limit it to 700 Watts. This issue was truly more then half of the competitors' issues. We, our Team, only flew 2 flights out of 5 Flights or Rounds. So, FIU did quit well.

Now, to answer your question about the glow engines. In an event, glow can be temperamental, if not properly tuned by the pilot/owner/mechanic. At the SAE contest, Byron Fuels sponsored the fuel, so that all had an equal glow fuel, or a given in Engineering terms. Problem is, those who knew how to tweek a tuned pipe, which all glow engines were running, successfully every flight. Most would tune them to what they though was correct, only to have it go rich in the air, or over tune it to the lean side. Something that can't be heard, and only seen on a tack. Took me a couple years of proper tuning of a glow tuned pipe to see the right results. Not something learned by a local pilot helping those students that don't have pilots. So, due to the temperament of a glow engine, the owner, how it was broken in at the beginning of it's life, engine for engine it is hard to compare.
That being said. I have had a OS .46 engine and even the Thunder Tiger Pro .46, best engine ever, on the same Quickie 500, and switched it out with an OS .55. The .46 would kick it's ass in speed!! So, as a judge, contest director, and wanting to make it fair for all competitors, please consider these suggestions and observations.

I encourage any of you that are asked to help as a volunteer r/c pilot for SAE/Lockheed...........do it!! Totally fun!