ORIGINAL: Steve Campbell
Well, your wonderment, amazement, whatever (not really sure exactly WHAT you were trying to say) at the "newbies" with the expensive planes and motors can also be applied to the cost of "nitro-laced fuel". Again, I must assume here, but I'm guessing you're referring to the 30% nitro heli fuel that the larger Saitos thrive upon.
I ran this stuff for a while in my helicopters, but when my bulk-purchase contact left the business and I had to start paying regular price ($27 per gallon) for it, my enthusiasm waned rather quickly and I went back to 15% fuel.
I love flying the larger planes, but do not intend to spend a major chunk of my modeling budget on fuel. So I'm keeping a few small glow planes that don't guzzle the Cool Power 15%, and going to gas for the "big iron".
<<...OS was cheaper than Fox of K&B...>>
Man... that's difficult to imagine.
I realize you began the hobby long before I did. When I started in 1986, the LHS guy tried to foist one of those miserable K&B Sportster engines on me. I bought an OS 40FP mail order, and haven't looked back.
BTW, 7aso, I too have an OS 1.08 (in an H9 ShowTime), and I'll echo the sentiments here; it is a lot more engine than the 91FX of today.
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Did you ever wake up in the middle of the night, fire up the computer and then start typing away, but wasn't really awake? That's what happened. I don't know what I was trying to say either, but it could have been much, much worse. <G>
Nope, a .91FX is not going to fill the power producing place of an OS 1.08. The 1.20AX seems like a worthy replacement, but why did they sweep the cylinder fins backwards like that? I doubt that it needed the extra cooling capacity. No engine needs extra weight. Why?
They (OS design team) must have had a burst of the Anime' virus running through the place when they designed that engine. The same virus that made all of the chrome doo-dads come out crooked on the 2006 Kawasaki motorcycles. Glad I bought the 2005. At least the chrome is straight. <G>
If it were not for all of the excellent 20-26cc gasoline engines that have been apearing lately, I too would buy an OS 1.20AX engine. However, with the US modified SPE 26cc and 40cc engines becoming available for the same price as the 1.20AX, it is a no brainer to buy an engine that burns much cheaper fuel and produces close enough to the same power as the OS.