ORIGINAL: Ed Cregger
ORIGINAL: Skypilot_one
I'm happy I found a few 60XL AAC engines, both pumped and regular NIB. Though dated and heavy by today's standards, they are the best 60 size glow engines ever made. Excellent carbs, AAC, stainless bearings Etc. They were also the most expensive, SELLING for over $330.00 back in the day.
Not changing engines just for the sake of stirring up more sales is a plus as far as I'm concerned. A few comparison based advertisements by MRC would have generated more sales of existing engine designs. In fact, I'm not sure that they did not do this at one point.
Since the introduction of Schnürle porting by HP around 1970 and ABC by Super Tigre a bit earlier, nothing has changed in the mechanics of model engines to warrant a new model...
Enya's AAC is a rather subtle change, also used by Nelson and Jett in their up-market models, but this is a drop-in change, which can be incorporated into any current ringed, or non-ringed engine.
So is ABN, on its various varieties (a change for the worse)...
Look what is happening with other manufacturers:
Webra's .40-.61 engines, the basic models are all the same as they were in the late '70s (some new models were introduces in different displacements). The #1024 .61 is still the same engine, with the same TN, or Dynamix carburettor and so is the #1030 Racing. The 'Long Stroke' hype was a temporary malady...
No drastic changes in the .40-.50 engines either.
The mufflers (which used to come apart) were changed, though.
If something works right, why change it?
Super Tigre? Changes have been made to overcome previous shortcomings.
External changes were incorporated, when going from S to G and to GS models, but many parts interchange.
MVVS? New carburettors, since the earlier ones did not run well, sleeve porting changes and crankshaft threads were changed to larger sizes. All else remained the same.
YS? Now they concentrate on four-strokes, but the .45 is the same as it was 25 years ago.
OS? From the FSR, to the SF, to the FX and now to the AX... Can someone truly say that the AX is better than the FSR?
I don't think so...
But like the new Corolla, some companies need to stir up sales every few years, just to prove they are still there...
From the marketing point of view it may work well, but from the hobbyist's standpoint, you would typically just pay more and get the same... Aren't you ashamed to be using last year's model???