I just picked up my first twist and 3D plane for that matter. Which engine should I use?? I can go 2 stroke or 4 stroke. This will be a 3D trainer if you will so what would make a good match with this plane?

mac,
go with a Saito 72. A friend of mine flies his with a Saito 56 and it is marginal, IMO. With the 72 you have plenty of powerto pull out of hary situations.

I second the saito 72. If you prefer two stroke, the OS 50 with a tower hobbies muffler and an APC 12.25x3.75 will do the job.

Where as this is a 3D trainer, I would suggest one of the much less expensive ball bearing .46 sized two strokes. They have excellent power for the airframe and if you are like the rest of us, you will be doing some repairs to the airplane in the future. Save the expensive four stroke for the time when you become more proficient with 3D flying. Just my opinion.

I have an OS46AX on mine with a 12X4 Zinger prop and it seems to be just about a perfect match...
The 46 is mounted on the VERY FRONT of the motor mount and the battery is under the tank..

Just a little tail heavy but the way I like it... Added no weight...
HOVERS quite well and pulls out fine... remarkable inverted
flat spins...

cutlass60,
you're absolutely correct, if you consider the Twist an inexpensive 3D trainer. The reason I put a Saito 72 in mine was, I plan ahead in case I crash the Twist or retire it. I will (hopefully)have a broken-in engine for my next 3D plane, like the Funtana 40, or the likes. The other reason was Torque. I love the brute torque you get from a 4-stroke. I have become a devoted "four-stroker". I like the sound, the power, the fuel economy, etc.

I agree with thevirginian however I am a devout YS lover and say if you are going to do some thing do it once and do it right. Go for the YS .63 S. Sweet engines youll have it on any 40 size 3D plane available for ever. Eaisily pulls as much as the Saito .82. if not more 1.5 hp as oposed to 1.6 on the YS and they weigh the same. As far as fuel delivery and throttle response goes they are unmatched. Others may say if this is you first 4 stroke then a YS isnt for you I dont agree there is enough customer support for this engine that a novice can operate it and its not as bad as people make them out to be. Theres one more set screw and 9 times out of 10 it doesnt have to be touched. Worst comes to worse call Dave Shadel @ YS performance and he can talk you through any issue. Anyway just MO. in either case 4 stroke all the way.

Since you have the choice, I'd absolutely agree with the last two posts... go with a 4 stroke for this plane. I'm running a Magnum 91 RFS in my Twist, swinging a 15x4W prop, and it is a fantastic combination.

For learning 3D, you just can't beat a 4 strokes ability to provide quick throttle response, swing nice big props, and make the maximum use of that little tank you get with the Twist. Plus, they just sound so cool!

If cost is an issue, you can sometimes pick up a Magnum 4 stroke for not much more than a comparable 2 stroke if you keep an eye peeled for sales and specials at Hobby People (I picked my 91 for just $139). Regardless of what you may read, the Magnum RFS 4-strokes are great engines and a real bargain.

OS 50 with APC 12 1/4-3 3/4 AWESOME !!!!!!

i would go with a saito .82..... i have one on a .46 UCD which is a little heavier than the twist and it does whatever i want it to do but a little more power to pull out of hovers would be nice and i think the .82 would be a perfect fit for the twist.....you just have to keep in mind not to fly full throttle in normal flight, going vertical at full throttle shouldn't be a problem.

I'm sure the .72 will do a good job but for a little more money you can get the .82 and it will also be a good engine if you wanna move it into another .40 size plane like the Harrier 3D 40, Funtana 40 or similiar planes. The .82 will give you more power for basically the same weight as the .72, the .82 gives you a little more versitility than the .72.

Thanks Guys,

I have kind of a collection on the shelf. I have a Satio 82, 100, OS FS-52, OS 46 FX, OS 50SX, 61 FX all NIB . I have two Fx 61s but I think it would be a bit much in both power and weight and I would lean more toward a 4 stroke for a 3d plane. There is something to be said about having a cheap engine on this !QUOT!trainer!QUOT! plane to start with and then upgrade later. But I think I'm good enough to recover and smart enough not to try these things 5 feet off the ground for a long long while. So I'm only really concerned about equipment failures and that can happen with any engine on it as it pretty much just chance. Would the Saito 82 be too much for this plane at full throttle? I was thinking myself that an OS FS-70 II would be my choice simply because the satio 82 would be too hot. I still don't know what I want to do. Need time to think about it I guess.

put the .82 in it and see how you like it.....you don't have to go full throttle on it and you will notice a big difference in performance if you compare it to a .70 or less

my UCD with the .82 is also my 3D trainer plane...i started out with a Alda trainer then when i got confident with it i got the UCD, now my next move is onto a Harrier 3D with Y.S. 1.10.

don't be scared of the extra power that a engine can give, you just have to realize that a plane like the twist isn't made for a engine that size so stay away from full throttle attacks unless you are going straight up.

I have a Magnum .91 four stroke in mine....Love it..

I have built 2 Twists, one with a os50sx a great engine but built tailheavy, and the other with a evo 100 2 stroke on it a little nose heavy. This plane builds tailheavy anyway so I think the ideal 2 stroke would be about a .60 size.

I wouldnt go anything different than my Magnum .91 4 stroke.

Dart373, agreed. The Magnum 91 4 stroke is a great motor for this plane, and I recommend them to anybody wanting a 4-stroke that is on a budget.

If you already have a Saito 82, I'd agree wtih tukkus and go with it for sure. You mentioned this will be a "3d trainer".. you really WANT the extra power when learning 3D since it gives you extra insurance to pull out of manuevers that don't go well (like hovering). If you have to worry about pull, you will be less likely to push the envelope and learn new maneuvers. I say this from experience, as the Twist has been my 3D trainer... even though I'm still learning how to hover/torque roll, I feel comfortable trying it at low altitude because I know my motor will pull me out and away since I'm already hanging the prop at less than half throttle.

I built my Twist and assisted a buddy with building his... and tripp3d is right, they tend to be tail-heavy. With the big 91 up front and the battery/receiver in the logical locations in the fuse, the balance is within specs (albeit towards the front-most CG setting). Moving the pack behind the throttle servo puts the CG at the rear of the recommended range, which is where I like it. Certainly a smaller or lighter motor would result in a tail-heavy situation, but some folks have reported that the plane flies well even with a CG rear of the recommended range (in the 6+ inches from TE area) but I'm not brave enough to try it yet.

I did have to use a Dave Brown mount, and just skim the edges of the mount on a grinder lightly to flatten the rounded sides a bit. Other than that, redrill the firewall and go. Awesome power. Idles low. These Magnums... I like them. I have 3 now.

Hey guys, Thanks for all the input. I have decided to go with the Satio 82 of course. I am moving on to new questions. I have heard hoar stories about how these Saitio engines vibrate while they break in (3-4 Gallons). Should I be concerned about getting a isolation mount for this? And if so which one? I think I have it narrowed down to Durbo and Sullivan's models if I want to go that way. I am amazed as to how easy this plane builds. It is really nice not needing to glue wings together, let me tell ya. Second area of concern. I like to have my battery and receiver accessible in the normal spot in between the servo tray and fuel tank compartment. My question is because this motor is not as heavy as the magnum 91 and the plane is still tail heavy with that engine, couldn't I install a much larger fuel tank? Like a 16 or 20 oz? I don't think I am going to have any problems with power to weight ratios. Also, Where should the CG be on this !QUOT!3d trainer!QUOT! plane? Should it be !QUOT!normal!QUOT! to start out with then move it back after time and training? I have also seen lots of people question calling this a 3D trainer. What would everyone's choice of a 3D trainer be?

Typically Saitos do break in rather rough however I do not belive that an isolation mount is necessary. I didnt use one on my 100 and it was fine. Just run it in per mfg recomendations 40 mins of break in time approx 3 to 4 tanks. I have never put a twist together so I cannot help with the battery placement and fuel tank size questions. But I would say that its a fine 3D trainner. Quick build prob easy repair. And you can tune it down so its not so wild at first. I will advise this, if you have never flown a 3D plane I would not recomend putting the CG anywhere but right on or slightly nose heavy at first these planes can get very touchy when they are tail heavy. If you have triple rate buttons on your remote or even duel rates I would use them and have a nice low rate to start.

I dont see how you could get an insulated mount in there with a Saito .82...

macguyver77;
If you going to get a Saito82, which is fine, although way too much power, you definetly don't need a vibration mount. Break in your Saito in the air. Perhaps, run one tank thru on the ground with the factory settings and then go flying. The only thing you need to adjust is the low end. Otherwise you will not get a reliable idle on the ground. Use a 14x4W APC and fly half throttle, at the most. You'll find out really quick, how much power you'll have. Good luck and have fun!

macguyver77, In reply to you asking if you could install a larger fuel tank to add nose weight is a bad idea. If you run low on fuel, you are still tail heavy. Balance where recommended, then adjust after you fly if needed.

My Saito .82 started running smooth after about 4 tanks. Run a 14-4w or a 15-4 on this engine.
I used an OS 61FX in a Pizazz once. Lots of power, but difficult to hover. I now run a Saito .82 on the Pizazz and I can't tell you how much easier it is to hover with the 4 stroke. The Twist and .82 should be a great combo.

here is my set up
FA .82
rx b/h fuel tank/batt infront of servo tray*pic is b/f i switched them*
Cg is at around 5 1/4"

Ok, Yes I have decided not to go with a larger tank and the isolation mount. Thanks for the input. I'm going to set it up with a very conservative CG. I will go with the 14x4W Prop for break in and flight I think. I'll play with it. Are there any weak spots on this plane? Like I know with the Funtana 40 there seems to be a week point with the landing gear folding easily. Anyone had any problems with anything like this?

There is a good twist forum open under the ARF catagory with many pages of information on the twist. I have not had a problem with my landing gear.