Several things,

That flywheel adds too much weight to the plane and the engine is very reliable without it. The flywheel makes it too docile, imo. These Evo engines run well and aren't known for quitting on you when adjusted right. There really isn't any reason to keep one on the engine unless you are very new to glow engines and don't have experienced club members around to help you out.

Yes, I would say that an Evolution engine in the .45, .46 and .61 sizes could outlast similar OS engines. There are some good teardown reviews on them by Clarence Lee. He reports quite a few good things about them in terms of quality of build, quality of materials, design, etc. Solid, single piece, milled crankshafts; not forged. Polished connecting rods. Chromed liners. Everything points to a goal of producing good quality engines. Plus, I've run the .45 and .46NT myself for hundreds of flights. And, they are priced right instead of priced right out of reason like OS.

When you stack obvious quality against declining quality you don't need fifty years of precedent. That is nonsense. OS does have a precedence of poor plating, covering up defects, rising prices, over pricing, etc.

Loughbd- you've been around these glow engines longer than me according to what you claim, yet I know more about glowplugs it seems.......