OK, I picked up a Great Planes PT-60 trainer, and I am trying to decide on what engine to put in the plane that will be good for future kits that I build. I think I have it narrowed down to the O.S. .61 FX, the Thunder Tiger GP .61 ABC, or the Tower Hobbies .61. Assuming price is not a concern, which engine would be better for future use?

Thanks,

John

Go with a TT pro .61. A GP is bushing and not bearing. Cheaper than the FX, and just as good IMHO.

The O.S. and TT are very similar engines. Power wise and in dimensions. The TH one is decent as well if you get one that has been put together correctly. The engine forum always has discussions on Towers engines. If it comes down to price I'd go for the Thunder Tiger. Just what I'd prefer.
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I have an OS .46 FX and it has been great. I have crashed it into mud and hard ground as well as had props hit under full power.. I'm learning as you can tell...lol I have also ran OS engines in my RC trucks for years and always have had great luck. If the .61 FX is at all like the other OS products, you can't go wrong with it.

IMHO, tower engines for the most part are junk, except for the 75, several in our club run well. If you are considering the tower 61 I would spend the extra $10 for the 75. Personally I like the FX, I have three of them and the all run great all of the time! My advice is to look at your budget, do your research, and get the engine that you like best. For the most part if you do your break-in correctly, take care of your engine, and do not run it lean trying to squeeze out that extra 100 RPM, any of those engines will make a good choice. Just my two cents.

I don't buy store brand engines. The store doesn't actually make engines and that discount price comes at a price - quality. Something has to be cut out of the engine to make it that cheap. Generally they're rip-offs of a real engine. Some manufacturer spends the money to develop an engine and then some overseas factory buys it, takes it apart, and makes sub-standard copies of it. Of course that happens with brand name engines too.

The last time I checked, a Tower engine looked like a GMS engine, and was made by the same folks that make GMS... And a GMS engine looks like nothing I'm familiar with. So who are they ripping off?

Maybe no one. I don't know who makes the engine or anything else about it if it's a store brand. That and the general lack of quality is the main reason I won't buy one. It's actually the name brand engines that look more like clones than the store brands.

Sorry to reverse myself there. Just didn't think about it too hard when I was typing.