Will it fly a four star ok?..I already have the engine and kit..but I also have a Fox .45 that I bought at a swap meet, I sent it to Fox and they put in a new ring and muffler and said it ran fine..but I think its an older engine...and I know OS is a much more user friendly engine..what would you do?....Rog

I'd either learn to adjust the Fox and use it, or buy something like an OS .45FX.

Actually, the Fox will work well in a 4*, but they can be a little bit tempermental.

Dr.1

I was under the impression that the four star is a floater of a plane? I will set up and test the Fox but would rather use the OS since I have flown it before...Rog

It would work. It's not going to be overpowered for sure, but it will still fly fine. In fact, you'll probably get an education that most pilots these days just don't ever learn. And that's how to actually FLY the plane on the wing, instead of flying the engine.

Ken

The 4* is a smallish light weight plane with light wing loading. In other words the plane will fly fine on a 40 and can scream around the skys at high speed with a 46. And yes it will float on the slightist of breezes which can be fun at altitude but makes it a pain to get it to land. It just wants to keep flying!! [8D]

I've flown the Four Star .40 a lot with an FP .40 in the nose and it flies fine. I'd rather use an engine that is dependable even if it is a bit underpowered than I would use one that will be tempermental and quit on the wrong side of the trees. Yes, the 4-star is a bit of a floater but I fixed that on mine by reflexing both ailerons up about 1/16th of an inch. That solved the floating problem and I was able to get it down on the small flying field my club uses with no problem. Its a nice model for a reasonable amount of money. Have fun! [8D]

I Have A 46FX In Mine And I Fly Most Of The Time At 1/2 To 3/4 Throttle And Get Very Good Flight Time.
I Am A Believer In That It Is Better To Have It And Not Need It Then To Need It And Not Have It.
I Would Use The 45.I Have A Fox 29 That Was Very Used In 1974. I Still Fly It.If The Manufacture O.Ked It I Would Use It.Put It On A Test Stand To Check It Out.
It Is A Great Ship.My Favorite.
[8D]

The LA 40 is a great little engine. Give it a try. I think you'll be surprised. They are also very reliable. You can always use the bigger engine later. I have an LA40 in my 40 size scratch build Stinson Reliant and it has great power. Good luck.

I have a 46LA on my 4* and it flies reasonably well, not over power for sure. I agree with RCKen that it will teach you to fly off the wing and not off the engine, but I also think john is right about having and not needing than to need and not have. To answer your question, Yes, it will fly it.
tw

Hey Rog, I fly a .40 LA in a Great Planes Ultra Sport. Similar model as far as size and weight. It looks like I can run beside it while I am on my take off roll but it will get off the ground and fly reliably. If the grass is tall it does not get out of the truck though. C'ya on the 30th.

The only possible negative I can think of that might detract from the OS40LA would be that it's a light engine and you might need some nose weight to balance out the airplane. And you can work around that by moving the gear inside the airplane forward.

I think you'll discover that most trainers (and the 4* is considered to be a low wing trainer) make very enjoyable airplanes when they are not overpowered. They tend to track straighter on takeoffs and you wind up feeling more comfortable from the very start because of that. They fly very steady at their top speed and that makes for comfortable flying. And when it's time to set 'er down, you're not trying to slow the sucker way down, and you're nerves aren't already shot from trying to keep it within sight.

BTW, just a suggestion.............

There is at least one motor mount on the market that is two-way adjustable. I've got a couple of airplanes with one type on them. It can be adjusted for narrower or wider engines without removing it from the firewall or redrilling. Loosen the 4 mount-to-firewall bolts and fit the engine between the beams. Tighten it up to the firewall and plug the engine in.

It's interesting and informative to fly one airplane with different engines. You also learn how the different brands of engines compare. And you also wind up with a decent "mule", an airplane that'll serve to break in new engines that're destined for your "high value" airplanes that you'd like to maiden with the security of a tested and proven engine.

I've got a mule for breaking in engines, and you can't imagine how much calmer it is to maiden a brand new airplane when you don't have to worry about how the new engine is going to do.

I have the O.S. 40 la on my H9 solo sport. This plane and engine combo have been great and reliable. 3 years and 5 gallons of fuel with no problems. Loops, rolls, inverted it only lacks on large verticle pulls, but you can practice hammerheads this way.

I appreciate the input guys, I dont have a problem floating around or "flying" the plane, if I want to zoom and get squirrely I pull out my 1/2a racer,,my .25 trainer has an OS .25 FP on it and it would hover if I was talented enough to do it, so I figured the .40la would be ok on the 4 star...Rog

Roger,
I flew my 4* with a 46LA.
I fly my WM Mach II, a similar plane, with a 40LA.
The 46 in the 4* was lots of power.
The 40 in the Mach II takes a little more runway to get up, more scale like, but flies at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle with no problems.
Give the 40 a try, there's a lot to be said for reliability.
And, your plane doesn't need to jump off of the ground.

Good Luck,
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