How do Thunder Tiger 4-Strokes do? Are they good?

How about Magnum (Sanye) Four Strokes?

What are the most common sizes that I should plan on getting?

I'm definitely picking up a .52.

Thanks!
David

Yub,

Usually you pick the plane then match the engine to it.

If you are planing on pickinup a few as you state I'd suggest in the .70-.91 range

Saito is a better 4 stroke than either mentioned, but does cost more. It's real hard to wear one out in normal use. Both of the mentioned engines will provide generally acceptable service.

I agree with the 72 size range. You will be sorely limited with the 50 sizes by any manufacturer. You can always throttle back.

From what I gather from the forum Thunder Tiger .91s are just fine even tho they take some time to break in. They have better power than the Magnum and about as much as Saito. They weigh a bit more but this is an advantage for most warbirds. They cost about $60 less (than Saito) too!!
Having said that, I own a Saito, but will try a TT .91 if the need arises.

You will be hard pressed to beat a Saito. They USUALLY fly great right out of the box and require a minimal breakin before flying, although you will need about a gallon of fuel through it befor it is completely broke in.

The Saito 72 has the power/performance of MANY 61 2 strokes (and some 75 2 strokes), but the weight is somewhere between a 46 and 61 2 stroke. The Saito also comes with a 3 year warranty. Yes, they are more expensive than a Thunder Tiger or Magnum, but in this case, you are getting what you are paying for.

I have a Saito 72 in a Jack Stafford Rearwin Speedster. With a 13 x 6 MAS prop the plane has UNLIMITED vertical and a VERY broad speed range. It also just "SIPS" the fuel. I usually do a 10 - 12 minute semi aggressive flight (loops, rolls, hammerheads, a vertical run or 2). A 10 oz tank still has 1/2 - 2/3 of its fuel left upon landing.

A couple of other things.

For ANY 4 stroke, you need a tachometer to PROPERLY set the engine up. Also make sure the engine is "MAKING SMOKE", especially at full throttle. If it isn't making smoke, it is either too lean or you do not have enough oil in the fuel.

Yub, you got a big payday coming up or what?

Andy

David,
I have a Thunder Tiger 52 and a Magnum 52 (both four strokes), and they seem like good running engines. My Magnum has quie a bit of run time on it, and it did just develop a minor problem.

I was noticing that the engien seemed to be running rich, so I leaned it a little. A few minutes later I touched down, then tried to take off again, but the engine was real rich. It turns out that the needle valve wouldn't hold a setting; he vibration was slowly working the needle valve out to a richer setting. (Better than working itself to a leaner setting. ) All I had to do was place a piece of fuel tubing over it to give it some additional friction, and it works fine.

I do tend to agree with these guys about going up to a 70 size if you can. While a bit big for say your Tiger 2, a slightly larger engine will come in handy if you decide to move to aerobatic plane later.

By the way, I often see these four strokes (as well as Saitos and OS's) selling at reasonable prices on eBay and here on RCU. I have purchased a number of them and have had great results. Just another option.

Does your mother know about all these planned expenses??
Dennis-

The saito .72 weighs LESS than most .46's.
Saito .72 - 470 (g)
OS .46 fx- 511 (g)
TT Pro - 529(g)
Super tigre- 524 (g)

Hehe, I'm going to China and I heard that Thunder Tiger is Taiwanese... hoping to pick up some of those at a low, cheap price

(I'd be happy if it were 50% retail!!!!)

Since Thunder Tiger only sells a .54 4-stroke and a .91 4-stroke, most likely I will be picking up some Sanye (Magnum) .72's and .80's, most likely one .52 or .61 4-stroke and probably one .46 2-stroke for batboy. If batboy won't buy it, somebody at CMRCM probably might.

Don't assume you'll get a better deal overseas! I don't know about engines but, as an example, it's cheaper to order a Nikon camera out of one of the online shops in NY than in Japan (or Hong Kong or...). To tell the truth, after 20 years of living overseas, I'd bet you'll find a better deal in the US. And of course China ain't Taiwan unless your flight stops off there.

Also be aware that many products made in China are only available as export items -- i.e. they can't be purchased in the country.

I hope that you're able to get the stuff you want, and at the dels you're hoping for. You might want to check with the airlines and make sure therre aren't any restrictions on bringing some of that stuff onto a plane though.

Dave Brown (AMA President) wrote recently that he had been hearing rumors about the airlines banning internal combustion engines on planes.
Dennis-

aww man!

Darn!!!

That totally ruins my trip.

That was one of my top goals!

Oh well. Can't shoot the messenger.

I can awlays fall back on the prospect of buying Sanye (located in Shenzhen, China) engines if they let you bring the engines onboard.

DB: Can you check to see if we can't bring engines on board? Why can't we? I mean, HOw the HECK do you use a dry internal combustion engine for uuh bad purposes?

Did you know that sanye makes the Global P51 Mustang ARF?

There is a problem with thunder tiger that you should take into consideration. None of the local hobby stores carry thunder tiger parts of any kind. All parts have to be ordered. I have a tendancy to drift towards the more popular models like OS, Pico, norvel.

David,
I don't know that it's the case now, or if they'll ever actually be banned. (Can't really understand the thinking myself.)

I'd still look at them while I was there though.
Dennis-

If you do find the "deals" your looking for , you could always ship it home,but it may not be worth the savings.....Rog

Have you found a retail location to purchase the engines from? This is all very pointless if you haven't.

As far as what you can or cannot bring on an airplane, just call the airline and ask. They'll have far more accurate information than what can be provided here. There's always import duties to take into consideration as well. Your costs will be higher than just the retail price you pay.