[AKA]StraferX

Looking for some expert input as to engine selection. I started out with a Hangar 9 P-51 PTS and love it, removed all the training stuff and its a fast, fun flying plane. It has the evo .45 training system motor. This motor has been troublesome and is getting ready to be shipped back. When this motor runs good its fantastic but we just can't seem to keep it running properly so they are replacing it.

I purchased a Nexstar ARF for some leisurly flying and looking for a nice motor for it. I wanted to use something bigger than the .46 so I could later put it in another sports type plane. I was looking at the Magnum .52 but read that they needs some expert tweakage to run properly. I didn't want to spend a ton on this, the os 55 is double the competition. What would you folks recomend. I appreciate in advance your suggestions.

Jburry

I'd stick to a 46 class engine, the plane will fly better if not weighed down too much.

I've also had some issues with the EVO PTS 46, on a fellow club member's mustang. Found that the idle needle is VERY sensitive, and that it turns too easily. Only took about 5 degrees to go from too rich to too lean in the idle. Very difficult to find the sweet spot for clean transition. High speed needle was pretty normal, iirc. Limiters had been removed. When we did get the mixtures correct, and in this engine the idle mixture is absolutely key, it did run pretty well, putting out mid to high 11k rpm's on 11x6. Whatever you do, don't use the 3blade prop that comes with it, not enough grunt for lively accelleration and climb rates.

I run an AX46 (OS), and it's an awesome engine. Very easy to tune, very reliable. Mine hasn't deadsticked in it's 50+ flight life, even though it's lost the muffler 2x (broken thru-bolt due to my over tightening.... ) Now that it's well broken in, it's turning 11x6 MAS at 13,300 rpm riched for flight. It's on a 5.1 pound Dynaflyte Fun Scale Mustang 40, and gives it unlimited vertical and the most impressive high-low pass speed. Should hear it winding out in a dive. Beautiful.

I broke in a SuperTiger G45 (which is a .46, go figger) for a friend this fall. Hasn't flown yet, but my initial impressions were favorable. It started easily (2 turns out, not 3 or 4 like in the manual, too rich to fire), and had no trouble exceeding 13K running rich on it's first start with the same 11x6. This engine was VERY tight new (literally squeaked thru TDC until run in), so it's gonna gain RPM with breakin, and I fully expect that it'll end up stronger than the OS. It's going on a CG Eagle II trainer. Some people find Supertigres to be a handful to tune, but I've not experienced any difficulty with the 2 I've worked with.

Well, that's where I'd start. The ST goes for somewhere around 65 bucks and the OS in the low 100 range. The OS is friendlier to tune.

Good luck,

J

opjose

One of the problems with the Evolution ( not EVO ) engine used in the PTS is that the needles WILL "walk" causing it do do exactly as "[AKA]StraferX" said.

This is not obvious and tends to occur as the engine heats up in flight.

I've seen it drive grown men to drink...

There is nothing otherwise wrong with the engine per-se.

You need to first REMOVE those #($&%^ limiters.

Then pull the clips out and unscrew the HS needle completely.

Carefully, preferably with a micro-brush, add a bit of lock-tite just to the threads of the HS needle.

Re-install, then bend the clip to make sure that it puts as much pressure as possible on the detents.

Likewise do the same with the LS needle.

Done correctly the engine will run as as good as, well an O.S. engine !

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

the OS 46AX and 55AX will fit in the supplied engine mount provided in the ARF kit, the iso smooth mount works well,I use one in a sport plane I have.
the OS 46 works fine with the NEXTAR airframe, if you go with a larger engine you going to have to shift the battery and reciever rearward to get the CG to balance since the plane was designed around using the OS 46.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

You might want to check out Ed Moorman's thread in the glow engines forum about the JBA .56 available from www.kangkeusa.com for $79.99. With a stock exhaust setup, it's liking buying a .55 AX for almost half off:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6762745/tm.htm

I own the Magnum XLS .52A, and I haven't found it any more challenging to tune than my O.S. 2-strokes. There are a lot of good choices out there for powerful, inexpensive 2-strokes.

[AKA]StraferX

Thanks for the assist info on the Elovltion.45. I have done all the things as prescribed. I have found a cracked needle valve. replaced and that worked good for 20 flights and the motor was excellent, then it started all over again. As a new pilot I need something that works well and isn't going to be a constant problem. Ever get that feeling like a cop is on your tail and you know that you have done something wrong. Thats the feeling i get when I put the evolution engine up in the air "OH crap is it going to deadstick on me again" I want to enjoy this not feel frustrated. I have had my instructor as well as many other fellows from the club look the motor over and all recomended to ship it back.

I was wondering if a SuperTigre G-51 Dual BB or the SuperTigre G-61 Dual BB ABC would mount up with out alteration and if these were a good selection for this plane. These engines are more in my price range right now. I would chose the OS engine but they are pricey.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

The Super Tigre G-61 would be very heavy for a Nexstar, but the G-45 ABC or G-51 ringed are both very good choices. The power output of the two is reported to be very similar, so you might save yourself $15 and go with the G-45 ABC if you choose Super Tigre. The Magnum XLS .46A is also a really solid value in the size range you're considerating.

seemefly_1

O.S. is a great company compared to evaluation. My la 40 is leaking trough a crack in the crankcase and still is fine! But I will be getting the 46ax to make things better.

[AKA]StraferX

How about the JBA engines. They look pretty good and are priced well.

Wild Foamy

its best to stick within the suggested engine sizes with this aircraft, it is just a trainer afterall, i bolted an OS 46LA to my Yamamoto, maxed the throws and what a blast! breathed a whole new lease of life into the old bird...

LA's are fairly basic as engines go, but they have a good amount of punch for their size and aslong as you look after it, in return it will give you many happy flights

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

You're not going to get a lot of additional feedback on JBA from anybody. KangkeUSA just started importing them last year, and that thread I referred you to started because an RC journalist (Ed Moorman writes engine reviews for RC Report) was curious about them but nobody had reviewed one yet.

That thread detailing Ed Moorman's break-in and testing is the most comprehensive source of information on the JBA .56 that is currently available. The engines seem powerful and reliable, and KangkeUSA is a good company to work with regarding warranty and/or customer service. If you buy a JBA engine, however, you'll likely be the only person at your field with one.

Hopefully, once word gets out on how good of a value these engines are, they won't be such an unknown product. If venturing into slightly unknown territory makes you nervous, buy an O.S. .46 AX and don't give it a second thought.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

You have quite a choice of engines to choose from. The original Nexstar Select has the OS 46 FXi engine installed and this is quite adequate. The OS 55 AX is a lot more power than the 46 is but is not a bad choice. I removed an OS 40 LA from a Hobbico Super Star trainer and put an OS 46 on board with a Macs exhaust. It does very well as a trainer because it has the necessary power to get it off the ground and plenty of reserve in case you get into trouble. All depends on you and your wallet. All are very good choices.


CGr.

[AKA]StraferX

Bigedmustafa, thanks and I was wondering if that JBA .46 or .56 would bolt up to the nexstar frame? I have found a few of these for sale and am not afraid to give them a try.

Thank to everyone who has responded. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Jarrah

Dad had same plane. that evo is best used a paper weight, had numerous probs with it, kept geting sent back. in the end we just junked it and threw a saito 82 on the front. never lookeed back

if you want to use it later for sport i would recommend a 4 stroke, imo u cant beat them unless u want to go fast. price maybe an issue on the saito 82 but it is a great motor with a wide array of appliactions

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

here is a Nextar with a OS 61fx,I used that engine because it was a spare I had,and I wanted some extra power for float flying otherwise I would have left the 46 in there,that plane had a through overhaul,rebuild, and recover job done on it.
the ARF plane is set up and drilled for the iso-smooth engine mount so if you want another engine with a different foot print your going to have to get a new engine mount as well as redrilling the mount holes in the plane if it doesn't line up correctly.
the mount provided is metal and is set up to use rubber engine mounting bushings so there is not actual bolt holes in the engine mount either,it also doesn't have any room for play,it took a little work to fit the larger engine in the space provided, I also had to cut the fuse to make room for the larger engine as well,I didn't really care because it was stripped of covering but somthing to consider when chosing to mod or deviate from the recomended parts the plane was designed for

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

The engine mount on the Nexstar is quite flexible and will accept virtually any .40 ~ .56 2-stroke including the JBA. Instead of requiring a specific bolt pattern, the engine mount clamps down around the engine's mounting lugs.

Pilot Sofer

Hi there. You dont put an o.s. 55 on a 46 trainer. it's a waste of money. the 55 is more used for sport flying and some 3D aerobaitcs. The O.S. 46 is a great engine!

Johnmpa

I've placed a Saito 56 4 Stroke on my Nexstar. You have to use a 12in or less prop for ground clearance, but it works well. Takeoff run is a little longer, but she purrs along and sounds great. It has plenty of power and balances out very similar to the OS 46 engine even though the Saito 56 weighs more (?????). I even used the stock Nexstar engine mount, but you'll have to dremel out the mixture adjuster. Good luck.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

The .46 FXi that comes on the Nexstar Select RTF weighs in at just over 17 ounces, the weight of your Saito .56 is around 15.5 ounces with muffler. Most .70 4-strokes weight the same or less than most .46 2-strokes. The Magnum XL .70 RFS is the exception to this rule, it weighs in around 21.2 ounces or so. The O.S. FL-70, Thunder Tiger F-75s, Saito .62A, .72, and .82 all weigh about the same as a .46 ball-bearing 2-stroke.

bkdavy

My Feedback: (1)

My personal preference in the 46 class hasn't been mentioned yet, so I will. For anyone thinking about the OS 46 AX, don't discount the Thunder Tiger Pro 46. Its less expensive, but every bit as reliable as the OS, with equal performance. Put an 11x5 or 11x6 APC on the shaft and you'll be good to go.

Don't put the 46 LA on a Nexstar if you have another choice. Not knocking the LA. they're great engines. I have a Nexstar with a 46 LA because I had one sitting in the shop not busy and someone gave me the plane for free (I had to repair it). As far as trainers go, the Nexstar is one of the heavier trainers, and the 46 LA just doesn't have the oomph to fly it well.

Brad

[AKA]StraferX

I located a NIB - JBA .56 at the auction site and won it today for a very nice price. Looking forward to getting it on the bench. From what I read, it sounds like an 11 x 7 prop should do it well.

I chose a larger engine because i want to mod the nexstar in due time. Turn it to a tail dragger, military green skin and mount my camera to it. Went to the LHS today and purchased some supplies to begin the modifications. Also I believe my next project will be a P-40 warhawk that will love the .56. When I get the .56 in action I will report to that thread BigMustafa pointed to.

Thanks.

Flying freak

all you guys with the 11x5 props on the evolution trainer system engine maybe try a 10x6 mine turns a healthy 14k on the ground

Steven

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

doing the gear mod is pretty easy I moved the gear forward for the floats I installed.
I made a flat spot using 1/8 ply, reenforcing with some 1/4balsa stock at the contact areas in the fuse forward of former #3, and used hardwood blocks, threaded,and hardened with CA, for 1/4-20 nylon bolts,I used 3 of them to mount the aluminum 60-size great planes gear.
the gear is actually backwards to mount the floats and get the proper CG but for a ground based T-dragger I can shift the reciever and battery rearward and it should be fine it took a little surgery with the razor saw you just need to be carefull not to over cut and remove just enough to build the gear mount.
a couple of shots of what I did.
the side view is a bit blurry but if you look through the hole in the fuse you can see one of the nylon bolts sticking up, thats holding the gear in place and the recovering job just started,as well as the new mount I needed to use for the OS 61fx engine.

[AKA]StraferX

Well finally got around to bench testing my new JBA .56A engine this evening. I would like to give you some nice information about RPM's and such but my new tach-o-meter didn't operate properly. I was getting reading between 5 and 99 so I will post that info another time. I broke it in per the instructions and man I must say..this motor has some serious snap to it. I am really going to like this.

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Glad to hear you're happy with your selection so far! Let us know when you get your tachometer straightened out; we'd love to see the kinds of numbers you're pulling with your JBA .56 2-stroke.