Which of these should I choose for the LT-40 that I'm building.
I'm considering one these 3 , TT 46 PRO, OS 46 FX or IRVINE 46 MKIII. They all cost about the same here in Sweden so I'm just wondering which one is the best?


Thanks,
Jarmo

Was that a can of worms I just heard open?

Hello,

I have been flying an LT-40 with a Thunder Tiger Pro 46 with a 10 by 7 Master Airscrew propeller (The added clearence on landing really helps ) for almost a year now and really enjoy this engine. The O.S. and the TT are almost identical in power and performance yet the O.S. is more expensive.(In U.S. at least :greedy: ) I cannot comment on the quality and performance of either the O.S. or the Irvine but from what I have heard and read (these boards) I understand that both of these engines are high quality and are reliable. You will probably get a lot of different opinions on which is best. Also look at the warranty each manufacturer offers with their engines. (TT offers 3 years in US).

Well these are my $.02 for now.

RF

I prefer the os fx models. (i have 4 of these)

No Magnums over there? I fly the LT 40 with the Magnum .46 xls..its great.

Moderately priced Thunder Tiger.46 Pro Propels my LT-40! Great combination !

Ugo

I used a OS 46 fx with a 11x6 prop, works really good.

I tried several other props....11x5, 11x4, 11x8, and 10x6 but the 11x6 worked the best.

Since they all are very close in every respect, what spares does your hobby shop stock more of? If you loose the muffler, what brand do they carry?

I like the FX because of the ease of adjustment, reliability, and the remote needle vavle. The other engines are fine choices as well so you really can't go wrong with any of those! I have OS 32,40,46 and 61 sizes and they all run exteremly well so haven't seen a reason to try any thing else!

I own three TT Pro-46s and one OS 46FX. Both would make an excellent engine for your trainer. I own more TTs simply because they are significantly cheaper and perform just as well as the OS. Another engine to consider would be the Irvine MK3 53. It's more powerful than all three 46s you mentioned and weighs only an once or two more.

In terms of props for this sized engine:

Speed - 9x8, 10x6, 10x7, 11x6, 11x7
Vertical - 11x4, 11x5, 11.5x4, 12x4, 12.25x3.75

Probably the best all-round prop for a 46 sized engine is the APC 11x5.

I've been flying my LT-40 for about 2 months with the OS FX 46. All I can say is that after the first day, its only had one deadstick landing.

In fact, its been the easiest to use and most reliable piece of equipment I have had since joining the hobby.

0S46FX,PROBABLY IN THAT SIZE 80% OF OUR MEMBERS FLY WITH THE OS

A friend of mine bought a LT-40 and learning to fly. I put a OS 40 LA on it.... It is a very reliable engine and why spend the extra money for a 46 FX when it's for a trainer that is meant to fly slow? I have a 46 FX on a fun fly plane and I think that it would just be more power than needed and for people starting out usually they are trying to save the money anyway to buy all that they need to get started.... But I guess you can get the 46 FX so that when you are ready for another plane you got a powerful motor. That is my idea.. Anyway, good luck and get flying !!

I first flew my LT 40 with an OS 40 La. After learning to fly I went on to another plan. About a year later I put an Irvine 53 in the LT 40. It was a whole new plan... one that I greatly preferred.

I recommend that you consider an Irvine 53 for your plane.

Blue

I bought a LT-40 Kit and put a Tower .46 on it. Liked it. A friend crashed his LT-40 and was going to toss it. I rebuilt it, changed the down thrust to about 2 degrees and put a Tower .61 in it. Probably won't fly the .46 very much anymore as it isn't near as fun as the .61.

I vote for the Irvine 53 and will work well on youre next airplane.

Remember you can always throttle back, but you still have reseve power if needed.

Having owned a .46fx, I can say that it's a fine engine. Up until this season, I'd have recommended it. Anybody who recommends it hasn't owned an Irvine.

I picked up an Irvine .53, and it has really blown me away. Ran well right out of the box. Never had deadstick. Gives me great veritical with my Ultrastick. I've never had a glow engine run so reliably, and in such a user friendly fashion. It's also pretty powerful. Usually with 2-stroke glow engines you can get 2 of those 3 qualities, but the third lacks. Powerful and friendly, but unreliable. Reliable and friendly, but not powerful, etc. The Irvine is all of them, and is tops in all the categories in my experience. The FX is good, but compared to the Irvine it is merely average. My next 2-stroke will be another Irvine.

Thanks for the input guys.
I'm back from a 2 week vacation in Cyprus and I'm just about to pick up a my new engine from the post office.
Its an Irvine 46 MKIII. I choose the Irvine because of price & support.

I know that many people hate them, but I use an OS .46 LA on my LT-40 and it works great. It's a great starter engine for a fantastic starter airplane. It's very light, has slightly more "crash tolerant" bushings, and is cheap. I would recommend it especially if you weren't too sure how far you are going to go in this hobby. You can't go wrong with similar priced TT's or Magnums either.

Just remember, engines today are great. If you throw out the occasional manufacturing defect, all the engines out there will be reliable for you if you take care of them and run them right.

Just my $0.02 and it's worth what I charge......

I would go with the TT .46 Pro (Price) and an APC 11X4 prop. I have the .46 FX (same engine, well almost) and went from an 11X6 to an 11X4, and what a huge difference. Now the plane can really slow down on landing, and fly just as fast.

YS 63.No question. 12X6 or 11x7 three blade.

Hey Jarmo, another fine Euro product is the Italian made Super Tigre, I have 2 ST GS 40's that I use on my 40 size planes and they run flawless, cost less than OS's and parts availability in Europe should be as good as Irvine. The GS 40 may be a ringed engine but it keeps up with the ABC 40's and quite a few of the 46's in my club. Just my 2c worth, your mileage may vary.

Cheers, Tom.

Super Tigres aren't made in Europe anymore. It's another brand that the Hobbico empire has ripped the quality from in their quest for the almighty dollar. They're boosting their margins by making the engine in China, and using the once fine Super Tigre reputation to sell poor-quality engines. The last GS45 I worked on this summer was junk.

I agree, as I have been waiting since June to get a muffler for my Super Tiger 40. The web site said mid August, and now the order is "pending". About time for a tuned pipe I think...

Oh no, you've got to be kidding! My ST's are about 8 years old so I didn't know that. I've been out of the hobby for awhile, when did this happen? Super Tigre was my favorite engine, bar none. Guess I gotta go looking for a new brand when these die.
Thanks for the info.

Tom :-(