Anybody know what the *smallest* gas engine out there might be? I'm looking to get into the hobby and like the idea of gas engines but "gas" and "giant scale" seem to always be mentioned in the same breath.

Does such a beast exist... something like a .40 or .60 but gas to put in a trainer?

Excuse my newbieness...

look @ chignitions.com, they say that a small engine can be converted to gas but the added weight is too much for the small airframes to handle. If I remember right they don't recomend converting anything smaller than a 120 size engine. You might want to look @ rcshowcase.com @ the rcs 140 & 180, nice engines that can be used in a 120 size plane.

Gil

We have a segment of our population that is happy flying slow, ponderous electric powered models. These people will be the ideal candidates for .40 to .60 size gas/oil/ignition engines in the near future.

If everyone thinks about it, small gas engines were the only thing available many years ago, yet modelers flew free flight models very successfully using them. Look at the changes that have occurred since those days. It is not unlikely at all that smaller gas engines will become available as batteries continue to shrink in size and weight while gaining in capacity.

The biggest problem we have today is our expectations. If one is willing to fly a model in a relatively normal flight mode, gas engines in much smaller sizes are practical right this minute. After all, didn't Maynard Hill and team just cross the Atlantic Ocean with a petrol fueled model sporting a 10cc engine?

Like everything else, the current 3D trend will pass. Once this has happened, for the majority of us, power demands will fall more into line and small gas engines will find a market place.