I think the .40 LA is a pretty good entry level motor as well, but it's probably not going to deliver much more performance than what you're getting now.

"Bushing or BB" in and of itself has little to do with the performance of the engine, while port timing, etc has EVERYTHING to do with performance.

It's just that today, bushings tend to be used on entry level engines, and not the higher-performing models. The benefit of a bushing engine is the virtually "zero" maintenenance required.

This ease of use is one reason they're ideal for a beginner.

Higher performance? Buy a more performance oriented engine. Still...if you're new to r/c...your money/time/effort is better directed at mastering your basic flying skills (all of which can be done quite well with the LA engine) ....save the "vertical" crap for some other time.

My $.02

'Race