nmtr13

My Feedback: (6)

I bought an avistar a month ago and i also bought an O.S.40la. I hear that its a really bad engine. Im curious to know if it will fly with the 40la. If not what engine should i get? I want to get an engine that i could use in other planes after the avistar.

miamifly

My Feedback: (2)

The .40LA isn't a terrible engine, it should be as powerful as any other 40 sized engine. It's just a little cheaper then all other 40 sized engines becasue OS uses cheaper parts on it. You'll notice that the backplate is plastic, so if you were to crash, there is a good chance it would break and you would get into ordering replacement parts. There are serval cutbacks similar to this on the engine, but fly perfect every time, and you'll never have a problem.

glowplug

My Feedback: (1)

The LA 40 won't produce as much power than say an FX .40 or Thunder Tiger Pro .40 because these engines use ball bearings, the LA is a bushing engine. The LA .40 will fly the Avistar because the plane is relatively light and has a lot of lift.....you just probably won't want to use that engine on other more advanced planes.

Mike

latch66

There are many good motors to buy in the 40 to 46 size range.

There have been many, many, many, many, many debates on the virtues and vises of all of them on these forums.

The two motors which seem to stand out the most are:

The OS46FX
The Thunder Tiger 46

Both of these motors have a large following on RCU who swear by them.

Do a search on them and decide for yourself.

TRP

My Feedback: (1)

I fly an Avistar with the 40La... and it runs great.

Agreed that it does not have the power that other motors can produce, but for the price - it's hard to beat.

I know two other people who have this same plane but they powered it with a 46fx. They went on to put the motor in a World Models T-34.

TRP

nmtr13

My Feedback: (6)

could i take the baffle out to give it more power?

glowplug

My Feedback: (1)

you should be able to take it out....I took it out of my OS FP 40, which was around before the LA series

canesugarrules

I learned to fly on the Superstar(same plane with a flat bottom wing, I think). The 40LA had all the power I needed. I never needed more power, even on those hot and humid days we get down here. I hope you enjoy your plane.

Ed

TerrellFlyer

Just put the LA 40 in and go fly,it will fly the plane just fine,it's a very user friendly engine and with a little care your grandkids will use it,I agree it's not as powerfull as a FX but it's not supposed to be,kind of like saying a FX46 isn't as powerfull as a 3W150.duhh.Have fun with your plane and engine,nice choice.
Have a goodun,John.

Robotech

My Feedback: (9)

I don't know where the bad rep comes on this engine, especially on an Avistar or any trainer. We have had MANY newbies come out to learn to fly with Avistar/40LA combos and they're a great match. Very easy to start and very reliable.

I would consider a 46FX only if you see moving the engine to another plane later on. What I see at our field is people who love their trainers and bring them out from time to time just to putt around or to teach friends and kids.

oceandiv

My Feedback: (1)

You have an excellent beginners combination.

Nuker

I've had 2 Avistars in the family and we have over 10 at our field (grass field). The Avistar is a bit heavier than a lot of other trainers. Does the LA fly the plane? Certainly but there will be some limits in the plane's capabilites under different situations. At max throttle, you can pull the plane around ok, basic takeoffs, loops, rolls, etc but if there are winds involved or thick grass, the plane may have more difficulty pulling.

What we found with the Avistars and the .46fx was that you flew around at about 1/2 throttle 90% of the time but if you had to pull out of a "situation", the extra power you would need is there.

I wouldn't compare this to insanely overpowering the plane (e.g.a 1.80) but it does give slightly more power than you would use "most" of the time.

So, as others have said, for the price the .40LA engine will do the basic job. It's certainly the minimum power range I would recommend for the plane.

Don't throw it away, if you've got it, fly it

Bob aka Nuker

sthill

I started out with an Avistar with an OS46FX. The engine was a little difficult for a newbe to tune and I did have a couple of dead sticks because of it. Once you get over the tuning of 46FX it has TONS of power and I flew the Avistar around at no more than 3/4 throttle (with the last 1/4 in case I got into really big trouble).

I wanted to upgrade from trainer so I picked up an ultra stick 40 I moved the 46FX to the stick and stuck a 40LA in my Avistar. The Avistar with 40LA is fun to tool around with but has little "safty power" and you have to worry more about power/speed management.

The best part about the 40LA is the reliablitiy. It always starts and doesn't quit unless the tank is empty! Yeah the engine is cheaply made and isn't a power house, but it should be just fine for a trainer. Just keep it 2 or 3 mistakes high!

maniacpete

You could fly it with an la40, but i think that an la46 is a little more powerful.

Nuker

Hey ManiacPete,

why the grumpy face???

as long as we're flying ........

nmtr13

My Feedback: (6)

ya im just gonna use the 40la on the avistar and then when i get my second plane i wil get a 46fx or whatever the plane needs.
Also
what would be a good plane to get after the avistar. I wanna stay within the .40 to .60 range.
I really want a biplane but there all either a kit(which i dont want) or they need a big engine.
are there any .40-.60 arf biplanes??

Nuker

building is fun,

but if you insist, what about a Tiger Bipe? uses a .46fx from what I understand.

Bob aka Nuker

RCFan-RCU

I started out with the Avistar and the OS 40LA a few months ago and have been very happy with itls performance. I've found it to be very reliable. Sure I don't have unlimited vertical, but I think it'll have enough power to get you through training and some basic aerobatics.

nmtr13

My Feedback: (6)

I know building is fun. I have no problems with bulding, I just dont know how to cover it and i dont know to all the designs on the plane... If I knew how i would buy a kit..

Nuker

Hey nmtr13, no slam intended, twas just a statement. Covering isn't as bad as it seems but if pre-built is the way for you, no worries, we're all in this together (though sometimes you have to wonder eh? )

I have a Sportster Bipe (not made anymore ) which is similar to the new Tiger Bipe. I put a Saito .56 in mine but a .46 fx will run just fine. Small bipes are a bit more squirrelly on the ground than the bigger ones but; heck they fly great!

Bob aka Nuker

latch66

There is no Slam and no Flame meant here either.

But, there is only one way to learn to build/cover. Your going to have to do it!
(You can always work out some of the basics of covering when you patch up your ARF. Or, even better yet, add some creative flair to your ARF so it doesn't look just like everybody else's.)

Good Luck.

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

Hey nmtr13,
Play with that Avistar for a while. Thats what I learned on, and the OS40LA is what it came with new. They fly great, especially in the wind. My OS40LA probably has over 100 flights on it and it still runs like new. When your ready to buy a biplane, remember , the shorter they are , the harder they are to control on the ground. I've had my Kyosho Super Stearman 40 with a Saito 72 , for about 2 months now, and we argue every time we play together. But I love her just the same. Dennis (Red Bluff,ca)

Real airplanes have 2 wings and round motors..............

Homebrewer

My Feedback: (8)

The .40 LA is not a very strong engine and for the money you are much better off buying a Thunder Tiger GP .42 bushing engine.

For only a small amount of more money, you can buy a Thunder Tiger Pro .46 ball bearing engine which will give a beginner plenty of extra power to pull themselves out of a sticky situation, such as a poorly executed glidepath on final.

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

I think he already has the 40LA

lslewis

My Feedback: (2)

I am flying an Avistar with the OS 40 LA and it is fine. I just soloed so still very much a newbe but I can slow the plane down, still fly and give myself a bit more time to think!