Chimpanzee, I don't know about current production quality... I fly an old (1991) OS .40 SF Max,and it has been very reliable. It is in a 1991 Midwest Aerostar 40. I've noticed that the newer engines (OS) have fewer head bolts,and the castings are not as nice. Guess that is to be expected as companies are more likely concerned w/ production times & expenses. I also fly an Evolution .46 in a World Models T-34 Mentor. while it is a fine engine, it does not sound as crisp or seem as powerful as the SF Max. As to the radio TX question, I still use the HiTec Flash 5 (2X) of about the same age. I've had to replace a switch on one,while the other is still OK. Defective switch caused by corrosion (I fly over the ocean in Pacifica Ca.). Salt air,fog,etc. I've had 2 Hi-Tec Laser 4's fail after a couple of years, as well as 2 Hi-Tec Focus 3's. My oldest radio is a Futaba Conquest (1991) and has had years of use @ the same flying venues,and has never given me a problem. If you fly a lot of different planes ,choose a computer radio that has a lot of model memory. Also, features like expo,dual rates,endpoint adj. various mixes,etc. are quite handy. Good luck & have fun tearing up the sky.