I'd agree with a lot of folks here that it pretty much comes down to what you want to do. I have a .48 4-stroke from OS and love it (even though it's very aged and is beginning to act strangely), it's just great on my Cub. I've always liked the sound of 4-strokes but didn't used to think they necessarily sounded more like real planes. But after flying my .48 on my Cub the way it's MEANT to be flown (slow, throttle waaaaaaaay back) I'd have to say it does sound a lot more like a real plane at times than a 2-stroke. And I gotta mention the smoke.........this probably varies depending on the manufacturer, and maybe it's not a big deal to most people, but I kinda get a kick out of the stream of white smoke my Cub throws out when bumping the throttle a bit for a go-around (from idle to about half usually), or revving up for takeoff. It just looks neat.

OTOH, a hot sport plane with a screaming 2-stroke can't be beat! Plus they really are simple, and lots of power in a small package. I like 'em both, though if money were not an object I would definitely have more 4-strokes in my hangar, especially since I prefer scale models.

-Matt Bailey