Blackie, yow already know about finicky engines. If the engine is always going deadstick or sputtering, it gets frustrating for both the student and the instructor. The instructor is trying to guess wheather he needs to get the plane back to the runway or if he thinks it will be ok for the remainder of the flight. Bottom line here is the best all around engines for setting up and keep running engines that I have seen are either an OS engine or a Thunder Tiger. Re: Avistar, the plane is a great flyer, responsive, fast and aerobatic. The Avistar is rather small and very light. This means it can easily be overpowered which is the way most sport pilots like it! Most Avistars that seem to show up at our field have a hot 46 engine on the front. This engine on an Avistar makes the plane able to gain speed very quikly and fly fast. These are not the greatest traits for a trainer. The Avistar generally lands hot unless a lot up elevator is put in. New flyers are usually sweating bullets just trying to keep the plane level and lined up for the runway while learning to land. Never mind adding in up elevator to slow the plane down. I have seen a few newbies complete their training just fine with an Avistar. I have also seen many more that were having too much trouble, put the plane aside for their second plane and bought an LT40 to complete their wings training. The plane may work for some but be way too frisky a flyer for others! I have never seen anyone who had trouble getting their wings with an LT40! If the club is using the Avistar as a club trainer then I would guess that the throws have been reduced and a low power engine like an OS 40LA on the front. Using this I can see that it would make a good trainer.