ORIGINAL: SushiSeeker
ORIGINAL: DenverJayhawk
I know lots of people say don't over power your model, but having done it, I can honestly say it's the most fun you can have legally.
I respectfully disagree. There is more to overpowering a model than just adding a bigger engine. The bigger engine throws a bigger prop and needs more ground clearance. Also you have to add a larger fuel tank as the larger engine will consume more fuel than a smaller engine generating the same thrust. I've done this, too but you are inviting catastrophic failure. My U-Can-Do 40 has an OS .65 because I read similar comments and as a result the plane is waaaaay over powered. She will accelerate in a vertical climb and outfly the large control surfaces causing significant flutter.
To the topic of this post, everyone has their favorite engine as do I and few people have bad things to say regarding OS Max. When my son steps out of his trainer, we will likely go with a Big Stick 40 with an OS .72 4-stroke which has the same HP rating as an OS .46.
I agree with the bigger prop issue but it is easily resolved by adding larger diameter wheels or longer landing gear. If the prop is properly balanced , you shouldn't have that much flutter. I also am using the stock fuel tank with the kit and I'm still able to get 15 min flights. I'd bet it could go even longer, but I generally set up landing at the 12-14 min mark.
These are small prices to pay for the added benefit of power.