hey guys i'm just looking at this engine "RC SK .50 Airplane 2 Cycle Glow Engine" and i've never heard of that name. wondering if anyone is familiar with it and what you think.

I checked out the reviews on this site; it got really positive reviews, but only 7 people have submitted. I did a search for the engine on google, and didn't come up with a lot of vendors, which tells me it might be harder to find parts.

I think it's important to note that the top end rpm has a much lower rating than the other engines in this size/price range; sounds like you would need to use a larger prop to achieve the same air speed as the competition, but the .50 should be able to do that ok.

I value buying an engine from a hobby shop that I know will stand behind their product, especially if it's a company you're not familiar with.

But what do I know[8D]

thanx for the advice kat

I have a 90 and one of the guys at our club has the 50. We had a little bit of a fit with a tight carb barrell on the fifty but the co gave us some easy advice on fixxin it and it runs fine now. they have a rep for being slow to break in (most ABCs do). The rep at the co. says they like a slightly longer prop as they are not a high RPM motor. Others I have talked to like 'em my 90 is still in the break in period and is slowly gettin' gooder and gooderererer. I think they are pretty good for the $ but I recomend a good long break in period following the recomended procedure. 1/2 a gallon is a good start. Don't get in a big rush on setting the low end. I think they will last a LONG time if broken in right. Like all ABCs NEVER run em lean and just a LITTLE rich all the time.
One of my Very experienced and trusted flying buds says their 50s are about as powerfull as a good 45 but the price is nicer.

well i'm the type of guy who will spend the extra buck when it comes to having a good engine so i'll probably look for a super tiger or os cause thats what i get good service with around hear. i just seen a new one on ebay for $60 and figured it was a good deal but i had never heard of that engine before

Well I was given the advice as a new flyer to get the best engine I could afford. And I am still an OS fan. But I like a good deal too.

yeah i'm new at this flying and for some reason i always open my eyes wider when i see an os. i guess all the reading i do i get the impression that they run right on top.

Good advice for a "sport" engine. In addition you can be assured of always coming in 4th place in every 4 plane heat in a pylon race. Of course your method may have degrees of lean and rich. A long break-in with an ABC in the rich mode is needed when you only want to wear off the top of the piston so the engine does not do what a true ABC is designed to do, which takes a fair amount of heat at high RPM. That is the tapered chromed brass liner expands to accomodate the aluminum piston's expansion.
OTOH so many advertised ABC engines are really not, but ABN at best.

The SK .50 engine is imported and distributed in North America by www.kangkeusa.com. They're not widely distributed, but many good brands of engine are not. Engines and parts are available directly from the distributor; there are also resellers like:

http://www.bj-model-engines.com/home.html

...who sell SK engines, service SK engines, and provide parts for SK engines.

Similar to other brands of engines like Magnum, Super Tigre, or Evolution it seems that most owners are quite happy with their SK engines while a few users may get finicky engines that they constantly struggle to re-tune.

I own one of KangkeUSA's JBA .56 engines, and it's been terrific so far.

If you or your flight instructor is comfortable with tuning engines, you can save yourself a chunk of change by trying the SK .50 2-stroke. It's a solid value and KangkeUSA and it's resellers will provide service and support.

If you aren't comfortable with tuning a 2-stroke engine, spending extra money on a Thunder Tiger Pro .46 might be a good investment.

Good luck and good shopping!

I'd say its DEFINITELY at least worth the extra $$ and buying this thing from a real hobby shop, not ebay, in case something's not right.

I'm in a bargain shopping position for an engine too. Super Tigre's are pretty inexpensive from Tower, and both Tower and Super Tigre have great customer service. Although they're out of stock on the smaller engines, both companies said they are scheduled for an April 1st delivery (supposedly a large order), and Tower does have tons of parts in stock. I think there's a free shipping for orders over $50 from Tower floating around somewhere, so you can order now and get a power-packed little engine for under $70 (muffler and glow plug included).

If I had the $$ I'd get a Thunder Tiger.

I have a flying buddy that always has to go cheap. I finally talked him into a Thunder Tiger and he couldn't be more satisified. He has had several of the cheap engines and we found the SK50 to be a really good engine as long as you use the big props. He has talked to the importers rep several times (a real person answers the phone) and has bought several of their carbs to get his other cheap engines running. Time will tell but he has a couple of gallons thru one and it is a good runner.
Fred