The great irony is the Syssa engine is NOT all that much more expensive than the MT engine. The DLE engine seems to run well, and now has a factory rear-carb mod available.
I had to chuckle at guys who bought the side carb engine, then paid $120 more for the home-made, aftermarket "conversion" system. Why not just pay an extra $15 or so and get it right the first time?
Many times I have been similarly pennywise and pound foolish. Never again will I compromise on quality when it comes to engines, servos, airframes, and receivers. The savings simply isn't worth the investment of my time required to make everything work right.
Also I have used the Permatex Ultra Copper for gaskets on other engines (I don't have a Syssa yet). It works very well. Much better than gaskets IMO as it won't expand and contract with heat cycling, which is the real reason we have loose mufflers.
Well said!
And on top of that, the SAP-180HP comes with an excellent Pitts muffler, top-notch standoffs w/bolts, and a quality ignition switch. And Todd has proven his dedication to customer service.
I only hope that the Syssa brand expands to the point that it becomes a corporate entity (a nice, tight one that continues Todd's level of excellence!) with leadership succession so that its operation continues for a long time into the future.
Unfortunately I had a bad experience with a 'boutique' operation that depended solely upon one or two guys to do everything, and my engine and money disappeared into the ether.