I was thinking that my first trainer was going to be the Hobbico Super Star select with the OS .40 LA engine.
It seemed that through some of the other posts that this would be a good choice.
However, I have seen other posts from people saying that whatever you do, do not get an OS .40 LA engine for your trainer.
Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of this engine, as well as why there would be any negative input. Thanks

Pros cheap, cons power, if you can go with the LA .46

I wouldn't say cheap is one of the pros...There are other engines that cost the same, maybe less, that are much better engines. The Thunder Tiger GP .42 is an example.

The O.S. .40 LA is generally a very reliable engine after break-in. There seems to be more trouble with them compared to other O.S. engines, but they are still good engines. They are quiet and reliable. That's as far as the pro's go...

The cons are that it's unusually weak for it's displacement. The Avistar and Superstar are good matches for it, but it's still underpowered in my opinion.

It's got plastic parts which are easy to break with more screws to come loose and more places for leaks to start. The ones I have messed with seem to run very hot in the summer and if you run them rich enough to cool them off, you can barely get off the ground. They just can't do the job on a .40 size airplane as far as I am concerned.

The Avistar and Superstar Select is an otherwise good setup to start with...You might want to take a look at the RTF Tower Hobbies trainer which comes with a GMS .47. The Hangar 9 Alpha is another decent setup with a decent engine.

I've always recommended a good ball bearing .46 for a .40 size trainer. My favorite is the Thunder Tiger Pro .46...

Thanks for responding so fast. I should have asked this before. Right now I am flying a HobbyZone Firebird, which I actually love to fly, even though there is not much to it, can't do any tricks, and tops out at around 15 mph. It is my very first plane, and I had to start somewhere. Power and speed is not something that I am looking for at this point. After proper instruction, I just want something that will just move along in the air, with me controlling it with relative ease. Will the OS .40 LA that comes with the superstar select get the job done?
I just want something that is reliable and I can have fun with. Keep in mind that I am in complete awe while flying the Firebird, so the superstar select will probably blow my mind. I've only been flying since the middle of June, and I just can't get enough.

I also should have said that it is usually fine for training...You should be happy with it. My only concern is that when you move on to something or get into more advanced flying, you might end up wishing you went with a more powerful engine. It's up to you.

The LA .40 does do OK on the Avistar and Superstar.

I am considering the superstar select because of what I've researched, it is pretty much ready to fly. I know that I could get just the superstar and install another engine. Being new to the hobby, I would be hesitant to actually get a plane that I have to put the engine in myself as I would be afraid that I would screw it up. Is it difficult to install an engine, with no experience or guidance.
I also have another question too, how hard is it to buy a kit, and actually build the whole thing yourself, including the engine and all of the electronics. Are the directions and instructions easy to follow. Thanks again.

There is a place on Tower Hobbies when you can custom create your trainer combo.

Pick the Superstar, the OS .46FX and radio. IT will cost you alittle more but a more powerful engine you will have

I would highly recomend the Avistar and the .40la enigine I have them both and I can even get my Avistar to hover, I have never had a bit of trouble out of my engine. The good thing about the Avistar is that it is a more aerobatic trainer ad you can do alot more tricks with it better than a basic trainer. I had a guy take mine up and showed me that it would do snap rolls and knife edges.

Building an ARF is incredibly easy. Building kits is just as easy, there is nothing that is actually hard. It's just time consuming, but in a good way! Mounting the engine takes 5 minutes tops...I highly recommend you build a kit, with the ARF next. I don't like recommending the RTF's, but they are ok. There are a lot of them now from Hangar 9 and Thunder Tiger as well.

briankenney91, you sure it's got the .40? I've flown 5-10 of them and there is no chance of them hovering. They weigh over 5 lbs and it would be a workout for a BB .46 to hover it. There is no chance of that LA taking it vertical... The Avistar will do a decent spin and it will also KE. Knife edge has some bad coupling, but you would expect that from a trainer. The Avistar is one of my favorite airplanes...

It will hover and fly back also, with the appropriated wind, no a vertical hover hanging from the propeller though.

Yeah I am sure it is the .40la engine, and I can get it to hover although it is all the engine wants to do and it won't sit there as long as you want it too but you can get it to hover for a little while. I should try like a .46fx see if I could get some better performance out of it.

My trainer plane is a SuperStar Select 40. I learned on it last year using a 40LA engine. This engine proved "adequate" for the type of flying I needed to do to learn the basics. It was easy to start, and because it wasn't very powerful, it forced me to learn how to make long takeoff runs and plan my landing approaches more carefully. If you want a little more power you could also go with the 46LA. Good Luck!

Len

Dump the LA series of engines and get a Tower 46BB engine.