ORIGINAL: trroscoe
I had the 66 inch extra and flew it with several different engines on it. I tried the magnun 91 4 stroke first and it flew the plane great. You will not have ulimimted vertical with it but it will haul the plane straight up pretty good. I then tried a Saito 100 and it had more power but it didn't really fly the plane any better. I then tried a Thunder Tiger 91 and this was the engine I liked the best. It will turn the same size prop at the same RPM as the Saito 100. It runs alot smoother than the saito too. All of the saito engines that I own all
vibrate alot at idle. The magnum and TT are both smoother running engines. The only draw back to the TT engine is that it weighs about 3 oz more than the saito. If you compare quality they are about the same IMO. The TT engine is built really beefy and has a large cylinder and head. That is where the extra weight comes from. I have never had any trouble from it either. It always starts and runs very good. I have about 300 flights on it now and have only had to adjust the valves once. The price is also quite a bit less than the saito. The TT engine is also built much nicer than the Magnum. Try one I bet you will be very happy with it. I like all of my 4 stroke engines but bang for the buck I would buy another Thunder Tiger.
Rick
I would have no trouble ever buying a Thunder Tiger 4-Stroke to try. I just wished they had one a little bigger than the .91. when I was debating on an engine to use for this project. The price is very attractive on the Thunder Tiger 4 Strokes, and if they are near as reliable as the Thunder Tiger 2 strokes, then I am sure they are fine engines.
I also like the Magnums. I have a little Magnum 52 Four Stroke that runs just absolutely fantastic. I debated on buying a Magnum for this project, but I didn't want to go as small as the .91, and didn't want to go all out on the 1.20.
The YS 1.10 was an idea also, but only price steered me clear of the that idea. I also have a Saito 72GK, which is a nice engine. I am most impressed with the Magnum though. I am not saying it is better than the Saito. What impresses me is the quality of the engine for the price. The saying "You spend less, you get less" don't always ring true in my book. The 1.00 Saito just struck me as a good mid-range engine for this Plane, and for a mid-range pilot.