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Old 01-18-2008 | 11:32 PM
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Hossfly
 
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From: New Caney, TX
Default RE: fox engines ???


ORIGINAL: skoda450

Fox is still very much in business but they have not kept up with the technology. They do not offer any ABC or exotic combinations. Nor do they offer any four cycle engines. They do have a line of gasoline powered engines in addition to the older technology nitro powered engines. You can do much better for the same money with OS engnies.
May I suggest you check out the Fox Website. http://www.foxmanufacturing.com/ Fox has had ABC engines for many years.

Duke Fox was of a personality totally about himself although a good-hearted person. He refused to accept new technology early on in the '70s and could not understand why HS dealers were not selling his engines rather than the imports. I spent several long times trying to get him to accept that the new RC fliers wanted plug-and-Play, not 2 hours of break-in. However he did start making changes but rather late.
Somewhere around the late '70s or abouts, Duke was involved in some harsh charges for which he did some time. I still think he was framed however the model trades people dropped FOX like a hot potato.
Duke passed on and his wife ran the business but later passed on also. Fox just never accepted the hard-core small margin trade of models and engines that came to be in the business. Their engines are so very overpriced that I don't know how they move any. They still live in the 40-20-40 hobby market world which no longer exists. If they supply you with an engine at 1/2 list price that is still 10% of the retail price above the price they sell to distributors which is 40% of the advertised retail price.

Back in my CL stunt days, I flew a number of Fox .29, .35, and .40. After about 4 hours of in air brak-in that .40 was as good as my George Aldrich expensively modified Super Tigre.

Now back on topic: Fox engines are really specialty engines and they are very good engines, but not for the plug-&-play operator. It takes some time to get them going.
I have a retired GB Eaglet 50 with a Fox .25, over 20 yearas old, that must have 150 hours of flying time. I have no doubt that engine would today start right up and fly and fly with no problem although it has not been started for over 2 years. I just need to be sure it has a good slug of castor in the fuel.