Master Blaster

clearly my friend, the answer is.........O.S!

GaryHarris

I win!

The best is ones thats free, and happens to be a FA100.

Yes, free! [&:]

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Nope, I get free Saitos when I do a review. I still prefer OS

Don't get me wrong, Saito makes a fine engine. I just think OS gives more bang for the buck.

As far as looks go, Some people thing Saitos are prettier, but then, some people prefer Art Deco to modern. Personally, I prefer the squared-off look of an OS over the rounded look of a Saito.

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

saito has more power than OS
YS has more power than saito.

braddock VC

If you really want the best, try a laser 4 stroke, with the $ much stronger than the £ they are so much cheaper, the exhaust is in a really neat position, they are lighter and the equal of saitos on 10% fuel though they can (and do) run extremely well on straight fuel.
Check out www.laserengines.co.uk all the info given on the website refers to the performance on straight fuel with 15% synthetic lubricant.
You'll never look back and all your flying buddies will want one.
One of the nicest features they have is, when throttled back after a high speed run they have an exhaust "crackle" that's reminiscent of a highly tuned supercharged rolls royce merlin......or even an allison

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I'd really like someone to bring me a Saito that is more powerful than and equal OS. I've used many of both and never seen a Saito that could match an OS

braddock VC

Forgot to say, they like large props. I have two alaser 70 which powers an 96" ws vintage job of 10 lbs weight that it pulls up at about 70 degrees angle with a 14x6 prop, the designer reckons they have the power of a cross flow 61. The other is a laser 80 which pulled a world models midget mustang about 8 lbs weight through two vertical rolls with a 14x8.
I always used 10% nitro. I have several saitos including 62s, 82s and 125 and the 70 is much more powerful than the 62, the laser 80 is a couple of hundred revs up on a saito 82 same fuel and prop (14x6 and 14x8) and is quite economical.
The 80 has successfully powered a H9 mustang 60 sized "miss America" on straight fuel. The 150 is a 120 4 stroke replacement and the laser 120 is intended for 90 4s ships.
HTH.

braddock VC

I just read an earlier post that suggested that the laser leaks like a sieve, this is mentioned in the instructions and is the result of it overheating because it has been run too lean.
Mine are no cleaner or dirtier than any one of the 6 saitos or 5 OS that I have.
On the other hand the RCVs are really scale like in that they leak oil left, right and centre; no need to "dirty" up that scale masterpiece, the sp does it for you.

Rudolph Hart

They sound like good engines(rcv).I run saito's because i like the way they look and sound and i always pick an engine size everybody says is way too big for the model,no problems yet with balance or performance.

AeroFinn

a bit off topic;

I happen to have a NIB Laser 240 waiting to be started for the first time..

Unfortunately the Laser 100 and 120 are not as light as the Saitos of equal size..more like OS engines

ChuckW

Again, these misconceptions come from the same sorts of origins as area-51 and the Loch Ness monster. Plus blanket statements like that are never accurate. You can't say every product from one manufacturer is superior to every product from another. Especially if you have not used all of the products from the supposedly inferior manufacturer.

I think people who really like Saitos (or any product for that matter) have an emotional gut reaction if anyone even suggests that another engine is as good or possibly even better. They react as if there is a threat to their well-being or something. There is no reason to take it that way. The Saito is a great engine, nobody is denying that but so is an OS. In fact, many people prefer the OS for various reasons. Both brands have factual advantages and disadvantages. Nobody is bad or wrong for preferring one or the other. Run what you like and have fun. Just realize that the other guys may be on to something too.

pkevinb

Just today I bought a Saito 115, and an OS FS-120. Different engines for different applications. Now I have 3 of each, I like them both.

jimmyjames213

My Feedback: (2)

you are way overproping your engines (what rpm's are you getting?), a 14x6 or 14x8 are more of a 91 and above 4 stroke prop, their is no way a 82 will turn them at a decent rpm unless your useing a ton of nitro (which your not)

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Chuck, perhaps I live too close to Area 51 because I have some of these very odd people knocking on the door quite often. Trust me, not everything is a myth!!
About the RCV engines. To date I have yet to see one run!! Fact is I have never seen anyone at the field with one in a plane?? The last nice Warbird I built for a customer was a Sky Shark Hell Cat, great kit, little 60 size plane, by little I mean really small but heavy for it's size. I talked the owner into using the RCV .91, that honey comb looking critter. Great fit but the break in instructions were sort of a put off, a gallon or two of fuel while running on a bench before it goes into the air frame, I guess they vibrate quite a lot before they break in? The owner gave it to a local engine guru and he ran two tanks of fuel and gave it back stating it was giving him a smooth idle??? I would have at least ran one gallon through it but I didn't do the run in. So, I have still never seen one run. I gave the plane to the owner, it got very scale and really came out great. Then it sat in the hanger never to be fired up or flown, four years later it's still sitting in the hanger!! I really want to see one of these engines flying a plane!!! They are a perfect fit in a narrow warbirds cowl, they toss a huge prop with there gearing. Only thing you can see hanging out of the cowl is a bit of muffler. Be very easy to make up a functional exhaust system for the engine/plane. I never say anything about them because of that little problem of never seeing one run. I really want to though!!!
This post means nothing, just venting and having fun!!!

ChuckW

My Saito .82 was mediocre with a 14x6 on both 15% and 20% nitro. My OS .81-FSa swings that same prop much better on just 15%. It works very well with a 13x8 as well.

The Saito .82 was on a H-9 Pawnee though and it flew the plane well in what I would call a slightly better than scale manner.

The OS .81 is currently mounted on my GP 40 size Shoestring but I'm not liking the way the cowl fits with it in there. I'm going to put the .81 on my H-9 Denight Special instead (huge cowl) and do a 2-stroke on the Shoestring. Both should get out of their own way very nicely.

ChuckW

See what happens when you have too many free drinks at the casino?

Iflyglow

My Feedback: (79)

YS fourstokes are by far more powerfull than any OS or Saito of equal displacement. There is not even a comparison between the three. It is like apples and grapes when you compare the three.

alfredbmor

Since all new model engines are cnc made with very tight tolerances, they all seem to work fine and I only mean that they will perform fine with little to zero problems. From that point we all know that there are some more specialized engines which will have a greater performance at a certain cost, by example the ys engines which are very expensive and semm to work very well with 30% nitro which is also very expensive, but if you ask this question to a YS owner he o she will replay saying that it is the best engine of the world. Note that those engines are very often used on precision flying competences, so there is a clue right there.
When speaking about 3D planes which are below the mark of the gas engines you may note that the preference are Saito engines because of the weight-power.
Many scale builder will preffer the use of an OS engine because of the weight they need for warbirds among with the easy tuning that those kind of engines have.
OS knew that they were loosing customers on the 4 stroke arena then they decided to bring up the new line of FS-a four strokes engines which I have had the opportunity to test and I just have to say that they arre powerful and great performers.
Soon Saito will replace old models with new ones that will try to beat the new OS performance, by now Saito had replaced the .81 version which wasn't as old as the 120 which has been out of sale now for a big while and the newer 125 seems to work just fine, and is very well accepted into 3D users.

What ever choice you make, you will not be wrong, but take note that maybe a great performance engine will just not fit into a little VW, or maybe a nice 3D engine will not make the work into a huge warbird.

Just my opinion.

Best regards.

ChuckW

That is absolutely accurate in my experience. I was referring to the Saito vs. OS.

AnAlternateEgo

Well guys, thanks for all the information, opinions, and advice. Thought you all would want to know that i decided to go with the O.S. 91. It is expected to be in the hobby shop Tuesday and will be shipped to me immediately after! For my next plane i think i'm going to build a 40 size extra which i think i will equip with a smaller saito just so i can get some experience around the board.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Good choice

BTW, I wasn't going to let the cat out of the bag, but we may be able to resolve a lot of this debate this summer.

For several years I have wanted to do a prop comparison. My plan was to test several brands and sizes of props on different engines to see how they performed in a head-to-head battle.

As time went on, and I discussed the idea with others, it evolved into an engine comparison as well. We don't have all the details worked out just yet, but here's what we have so far:

First of all, when I say "We" I am referring to myself, Ken (RC Ken), Geoff (gabarber), and Robbie (insanemoondoggie).

Once the weather breaks, we plan to spend a weekend testing engines. We are going to build an engine test stand that is attached to a scale to measure the amount of pull each engine has with each prop. We will also record tachometer readings, fuel consumption and residual output (Exhaust slime).

And while the test was originally going to be done with whatever engines we have between the four of us, we have decided to invite anyone in the area who has a "good" engine - For example, I have a Saito 125GK, but it only has about 5 tanks of fuel through it. I would rather have a "Saito Guy" who has a 125 that is well broken in and "properly tuned" so that no one can say the results were biased.

The only limiting factor is: All engines will be run on 15% Cool Power fuel.

The final results will be posted in RCU Magazine.

Should be interesting, yes?

AnAlternateEgo

I will definitely be reading it!

ChuckW

Sounds kind of like a Mythbusters episode. I'd volunteer some of my OS's if I was in the area but I'm all the way out here on the left coast. Be sure to test some of the FSa 4-strokes. They really are outstanding.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Unfortunately none of us have any of the new Alphas. Hopefully someone will come up with a few

ChuckW

I might be talked into shipping one or two depending on when the test will actually take place and they get shipped back ASAP. If it happened to be on a weekend when I am unable to fly for some reason, it would work out great. I'm actually going to miss quite a few weekends during the months of May and June for various reasons.

Maybe Graybeard can take them up there in his flying saucer.