After all the negative posts I have seen on RCU concerning VMAR I have avoided them until recently when I decided to try out their engine test stand which happened to get a favorable review here on RCU. I figured the price was right so I went ahead and bought one.

It is definitely usable and the design is OK but the quality of the parts had me a bit mystified. The main mounting board that they provide looks like some sort of pressboard material. How this would hold up to glow fuel had me worried so I threw a coat of polyurethane on it before using it. The ply piece that holds the fuel tank was crumbling out of the box, various pre-drilled holes didn't line up quite right and the bolts they included were actually rusty!

For the price it is a decent product for the intended purpose, however, I'm not so sure I want one of their planes if there is a chance the quality is the same. Their ads for their test stand specify that it is usable up to "1.80 cu. in. or greater" but I'd be leary about putting that much power on it - although I haven't tried it, it could be just fine. Don't think I will try it, however.

In fairness to VMAR maybe we should be comparing their products the same way we compare other manufacturers products - by product and not by using blanket statements like "VMAR products are junk" since statements like this are rarely true. The opposite is also true of the more popular manufacturers. Just because a manufacturer may have a stellar reputation doesn't mean thay won't occasionally put out a dud. These kind of blanket statements will never tell the whole story.

In my experience with their test stand I see it as a case of you get what you pay for. For what I spent on the test stand I would say it was worth it.

Just don't expect 5 star quality at a 1 star price!