What are the opinions of the DA35? Getting ready to order one first of the year.

That is exactly my point. A practicing and competitive IMAC pilot will put 300-500 flights on an airframe a year. My DA150 went 7 years before I sent it back for anything. It went back because the plane crashed and it ripped the head off the case. For minimal cost I was back in the air.

My DA200 had about 500 gallons through it before I had the crank issue. Which they fixed free of charge after several years of use, because the had a new version of the crank.

I can can not stress enough, that if you wonder why jobs aren't here in the US, it is because of this discussion. You have an incredible line of engines, well supported, all made here... Why is there a question? If you look at the total cost... There it is not more expensive to buy a DA... Also look at the resale value, stays higher than the others.

Those are my views... You do as you like.

I have owned both. I think it comes down to how long you plan on owning it, how much money you have to spend and if you like to work on it yourself. If I were building a 35% I would not hesitate to put in a EME 120 if I were on a budget. I have a DA 120 and the advantage is every 3 or 4 years I can send it back to DA for a overhaul if it needs it or not. I also think the type of flying you do, the amount you fly and your skill level should be taken into account. I do think DA quality is better and you get it back in the resale but EME and DLE have proven themselves to be powerful and reliable.

Ok ill start getting a little more specific. The plane I'm powering is a 1/5 scale 89'' p-51 mustang. it calls for a 60cc so I'm looking at 3 engines. DA, DLE, and EME all in the 60 size. I haven't ever used a engine in this size before. please help steer me in the right direction.

I never owned one in that size so I don't want to give any advice. Good luck

I have a DA 60 in a Great Plains P-40. I just finished the airframe and the weather turned to crap so I haven't flown it. I don't except any issues. My son has been flying a Carden Extra 300 with an EME 60. The engine runs great and turns the same prop I intend to turn on the DA. I would have no issue buying an EME. Now we have had no issues with the EME so I can't discuss service or parts.

Parts are easy to come by,the service from MileHigh is first class.
I have a EME60 for over three years now and it s been a real smooth dependable engine.

read into it what you wish.....an old quote from the back of a business card "the bitter taste of the poor quality lingers on long after the sweet taste of the low price has been forgotten" or another one "only the rich can afford to buy twice".

So many of these threads degenerate into a P*****g contest because someone throws in an emotional or political bomb... NOT my intention! But this boils down to a choice between many fine engines from other countries, OR, spending American dollars on a fine American engine. IF it were a compromise to buy American (like, for example, purchasing a Fox engine), then this argument would not be so easy to make. But the FACT is: Desert Aircraft engines are THE finest in fit, finish, performance, weight, and support. I have stated that from a sheer quality standpoint, I would probably give the edge to 3W, but 3Ws are generally heavier than comparable DA. A very close German friend of mine says that in his modeling circles, DA is preferred to 3W. It is personal opinion, but I find DAs to be more attractive as well. Yes, you can send your dollars to China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Maylasia, etc... and very likely receive a good performing gasser. Frugal use of your modeling dollars is always a smart thing. But when all things are taken in to consideration, the best decision from an American perspective is to purchase DA. No compromises! You will receive the most bang for your bucks; support a great American company; and never have to second-guess your decision. There is simply is NO legitimate argument to the contrary.

Richard, I agree that we are sending way to much money to bolster other governments defense budgets. I hope that one day we all realize that when the Chinese military is out testing a new missile that the American public would realize that they partially funded that missile and the US goverment had to pull funding from a more useful place in order to counter that missile.

With that said most of what we said in this thread will fall on deaf ears. People don't like to be told they made a poor choice of purchase and of those a good percentage can't see the difference anyways. I call it the " don't know what they don't know " syndrome. Most guys are happy if their engine starts relatively easily and will transition from idle to full throttle. The finesse of a well built, tuned and balanced engine completly escapes them. I have for years read comments like " a mid range burble is normal and there is nothing you can do about it" or " these carbs stop making more power anything above half stick " . This is what guys are just willing to accept. We are pretty much become a society of plug and play and laziness. Guys buy ARFs because they don't want to build, they loose the ability to correctly trim the airplane because they don't know how to build. They expect that after assembly it's supposed to fly correctly from the get go. Getting back to engines. Recently I read a thread where the OP had bought a Chinese 120cc engine and could not get it started. Guys gave all kinds of suggestions including reworking the Reed block, verifying the timing, testing the ignition. In the end the OP decided he had to spend several hundred dollars for a starter large enough to spin a 120. Cost savings buying a Chinese engine right out the door. IMO that's the current mindset, buy cheap.......it's good enough for us.

Very well said. Yeah, after 40+ years of fiddling and tuning engines from .010 cu. in. to 157cc, single, twin, 5, 7 and 9 cylinders, 2 and 4 stroke, glow, diesel, and gas, I guess my expectations may be a bit different than a plug-n-play pilot. Even IF a guy isn't a gearhead, he should consider where his/her money is going and who it ultimately benefits. And as I say, the excuse of "buying American" being a compromise OR being far more expensive, is a myth. You can't do better than DA for most applications - and with their service, that holds true for the LIFE of the engine and extends to multiple owners.

I've been at this for a very long time so please don't preach to me or even think for a bit that I fit into the plug and play category. Further, I won't even consider your political discussions as there is way more to those stories than we will ever disclose here and dating back decades through several presidential terms. Now go pat yourselves on the backs and have a drink together.

I've supported DA in the past and still own one of their engines. I will buy DA in the future but yes, I own some Chinese and Taiwanese engines. Also Japanese, Canadian, Italian and other American engines plus a few others. All engines I've owned have had their positive and negative traits, features, construction methods, etc. .... DA included. No engine has ever been an ultimate engine regardless of how good it was. I repeat what I said earlier ... DA engines aren't as good as some people make them out to be and the better Chinese and Taiwanese engines aren't as bad as some people make them out to be. As with most things in life, real facts are usually somewhere between the extremes of statements made. As before, the purchase choice is up to the individual making it.

hahahahaha! We all knew it was just a matter of time before someone stepped up the podium to be "offended".... TR, you miss the point entirely. It's not about bad-mouthing one brand or talking up another.. it's about making a purchasing choice based upon several factors, some of which are MORE important than price alone. If you value America's manufacturing base and small business - the very foundations of our economy - AND you have any reservations at all about enriching other countries, some of whom are hostile to our interests, it may be short-sighted (foolish) to save a few hundred dollars buying something other than American, ESPECIALLY when the American product is of such high quality.
The success of DLE and WalMart are proof that considering these criteria places me firmly in the minority, so my clarion call is simply to make people aware. I've no doubt my opinion wont put a dent in Chinese sales...

IF you and others wish to buy products from other countries, there is no shortage of choices - and I agree that many are quality items.
Just understand the ramifications.

So....answering the original question "Are DA's worth the extra cost" it seems to me the answer is a resounding YES to some of us, an even louder MAYHAPS to more of us and NO to some others. Heck guys, isn't that par for the course for such a question??

That's the way I see it....

Matt, absolutely correct. I think you, Richard and I are cut from the same cloth. From what I gather we are all competitiors that need that extra level of performance out of our engines. Performance IMO includes all aspects of the engine and not just how fast it spins the prop. This is why I say guys don't know what they don't know. I can't say nor would I ever kid myself into thinking what the engine requirements are on a NASCAR because I don't have the experience to do so although I have been driving Chevy small blocks for 35 years. It would be unrealistic for anyone who does not fly pattern or IMAC to know what qualities are needed to be at the top of ones game. Take that midrange burble for example. You and I know how much more difficult a score of 8.5-9 is going to be performing a rolling circle when the engine will not hold a constant RPM. That burble is going to create a rich/richer condition from upright to inverted so elevator and rudder authority will constantly be changing as well. If one has not faced this himself then he simply can't understand 100% how important it is to have as linear throttle response as possible. A quote from Dave Johnson, " we can't win a contest for anyone but we sure can loose one ".


The difference in opinion is just a difference in expectations. Those who have high expectations are usually the ones dubbed " DA Fanboys " personally I have no issue with that. My issue is when a non competitor demands that his budget engine is just as good as my 14 year old DA

speedracer, at this point I really don't know how to respond or if I should just keep my mouth (typing fingers) silent. You don't know me at all or what my history is. I was a very active competitor both in pylon and pattern (both AMA and IMAC) many years ago and I believe I know what my expectations are when it comes to an engine. I still have bags and boxes full of old trophies in storage for proof. I was even the IMAC newsletter editor for a short stint in the early days back when IMAC was about to go away when Jerry Nelson abandoned the organization. When the organization started to come around, several California people took over and I was glad to get away from something that was really quite foreign to me .... and that was putting out a national newsletter. But I like to think my efforts had a small part in keeping the organization together in a tough time. But that is ancient history to most today.

Frankly sir, it smacks of arrogance on your part to suggest that other people don't possess the skills and knowledge to know a good engine from a bad one. Especially sad when I read such words from someone like yourself who's knowledge and advice I have come to respect on these forums.

As far as competitors being some sort of expert, I'd say, "well maybe"! Certainly some are but some are not. I've known top racers and other competitors that couldn't tune an engine at all but their caller could and together they made a team and won many contests. Likewise, I've known sport fliers that were indeed engine experts so they should not be left out of the knowledge mix.

Oh well

Truckracer, I certainly mean no disrespect to you or to anyone for that matter. I'm simply stating what I see. I have never ment to imply that you do not know what you are doing. However if you look around for the most part the hobby has changed. There are fewer and fewer guys these days that do know their way around an engine and even fewer that truly know how to trim their airplane. We see everyday on this forum and others. The engines forums are full of guys asking questions and guys having issues with brand new engines, most of them budget engines. You are correct that some top pilots can't work on their own stuff but they know enough to have someone around who does, they know when things aren't right and how it's going to affect their scores. Being that you have participated in IMAC I would think that you would agree that we need an engine that performs flawlessly, especially with today's more demanding sequences. Not everyone needs that level of performance and again that's where the difference of opinions come from. Nothing wrong with that, everyone is entitled to his opinion and I respect yours.

Offended, not at all! In fact, if you knew me you'd know I hardly know the meaning of the word. That is a word from the political correctness crowd. For me, I would prefer to use the word "frustrated". For the most part, I try to answer questions and compare products based on their individual merit and not in a political context. Mostly I guess because when people ask questions, I don't remember where they ever asked anything about how their buying decision would affect our economy or safety.

So, here we go again with that old "Don't spend your money on Chinese products because it helps support their cause against us". Or perhaps "You" shouldn't buy this or that product because it comes from China but most of the consumer goods "I" buy come from there but its OK. Smacks of a bit of hypocrisy, doesn't it? But that's exactly what happens whenever anyone makes that kind of argument. Frankly, most of the decisions regarding product source are political ones made by people other than ourselves and though not the case with RC engines, many products we all use are now single sourced from China. The seeds of some of those source decisions were sown and made for us decades ago by various administrations and their trade policies. But the problem goes deeper! We simply don't have a specialized trained workforce to handle some of the manufacturing jobs, even if the various companies made a conscious effort to return to this country. I don't know about you but traveling about the country and unlike ever before, I see companies of all kinds and in every sector erecting billboards or otherwise placing signs in front of their establishments seeking qualified workers. Traveling through several of the middle states this summer, I saw banners on factories seeking engineers, CAD / CNC programmers and other high paying, high skill positions along with production workers. Sadly, our colleges and vocational schools have turned to churning out educated idiots, trained in fields that have few or no jobs or for jobs that only exist in government and not the private sector. My own granddaugher recently graduated college with a degree in some social field only to discover .... no jobs available. After a rude awakening, she's headed back to school much wiser and wishing she'd taken her old grandfathers advice to get a degree in a field that has employment opportunities. Sad too, young people more and more choose degrees in fields that produce no physical product as it seems they don't want to get their hands dirty. Then they wonder why they can't start in top positions in companies if they can get a job at all.

I started in modeling when, except for balsa, most of our supplies were American made. In fact, we were suppliers to the world as we were in many other areas. In the 70's I was lucky enough to be sponsored by K&B and Kraft Systems and we all know what happened to them ... now long gone along with FOX and many other engine companies, all the RC radio companies and most of the kit mfgrs. Most of these companies went away before the Chinese got in the market so for once, China can't be blamed for the demise of many of these companies though Chinese products certainly put the knife in the heart of the few who hung on until the end.

I wish there were more DA like companies in existence and there once were. But many factors in our society, including consumer choices as just one factor, aided the demise of those now long gone. This is a very complicated issue and not one that can be dealt with or rectified by anyone in a few words in a forum like this.

I guess I just get tired of people saying to buy that DA engine because it is American made product when most every other part of their airplane fleet is made somewhere else and usually for the most part from China.Do you feel the same way when people recommend 3W, MVVS, ZDZ or some other non-USA made product? Yup, the words are Frustration and Hypocrisy!

Yes DA engines are great engines but once again, I'm thankful for choices.

Just for clarification, I have not competed in IMAC for quite a few years. I don't want to leave the impression I have been a recent competitor if that existed. When I last flew IMAC we were mostly flying a mix of large glo powered planes and gassers. Lots of Lasers back then! Life and other hobbies got in the way for a few years and today, I'm not aware of any contests close by.

Guys let me inject a little perspective in this discussion. It's true that I am a dyed in the wool competitive pilot just like Shawn (speed). It is also true that I love tinkering and design my own for the most part. I think that you both will agree that neither of these endeavors in this hobby are the norm. The vast majority of us are sport fliers. My guess is at least 90% of the folks fly for sport.

I I don't care what company it is, be it American, Chinese, or whatever, they probably wouldn't stay around very long if they only sold their wares to competitors. They all must build a reliable product and o one with simple field manners and from a business point of view, control their costs. Some that did not well you know what happened to them.

Im with TR when he says it's great to have choices. Make no mistake, the sport fliers enable these choices...their pool is vast compared to the competitors pool

TR, Good points, and yes, many of our products come from China. It is unavoidable. I believe in 2015 if a person made a concerted effort to buy only products made in America, they would be MUCH wealthier, as their purchases would be very few and far between. On the question of whether I feel the same way about products from Germany (3W) or Czech Republic (RotorMotor, etc) or even Japan, NO I do NOT feel the same way. Those nations are what we commonly refer to as part of "the west." Yeah, I know where Japan is located, but it's actually more of a cultural and political similarity than geographical. I don't recall other 'western' nations tapping into our net and harvesting national security databases the way China IN FACT routinely does. Human rights? China is quite low on the list. They manipulate the value of their currency to bolster exports and limit imports. China sells weapons to our enemies. They are neither a "trading partner" nor an "ally."
My beef is more with other forms of government, than with the people, who are almost always very nice and far more LIKE US, than different. But the fact is, when we send our money to China (or one of its satellites), it does the American economy little good and very likely bolsters regimes who do NOT have our best interests in mind. When given a quality alternative, I buy American as often as possible. Desert Aircraft is a prime example.

And like you, I find it very hypocritical and frustrating to be at the RC field watching a fellow American struggle with his Chinese gasser - the one he got from Tower with a fat discount, no tax, and no shipping - and then he's in the pits cheerleading American greatness... Believe me, I've seen this scenario way too many times and wondered if the guy was so worried about spending a few extra dollars, WHY he didn't buy a used DA, already broken in, and 100% ready to rock an roll? Instead, I see dead sticks and unreliable operation in the air - overheating, vaporlock, poor fuel delivery, unreliable ignition - and often damaged aircraft as a result of being what I consider to be pennywise and pound foolish.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have owned and flown two DA50's, DA60, DA70, DA100, DA120, and DA150; two 3W157CS, and one DLE 35. ALL of these engines ran well. The 3W competition series is simply without equal. The DLE exhibits low compression and was more finicky during break in than ANY of the aforementioned engines, but now it runs well and starts easily.

MTK, in the years I was competitive, except for the mainline engines and radios we used, most of our equipment came from small garage shops and similar companies. Later as rules changed we saw more imported engines and radios taking over to a point the American products were mostly squeezed out of the market. All of this before China had got into the RC products market I might add and Japanese products were taking over from American ones. Then, the local hobby shops, which were numerous in those days complained about these small operators and the imports but the mainline suppliers had few products to compete with the small guys. If it wasn't for the sport flyers, more of the hobby shops would have gone away earlier than most of them finally did. I might add that WWII vets were in their 40's and 50's in those years and many had anything good to say about the Japanese taking over the US markets. Many refused to buy anything from Japan but changed their minds when there was no longer a choice. But the point being that competitors even then did little to support the RC market as a whole. If not for the sport flyer supporting the RC markets, product availability and development would have been very scarce.

Yes, the competitive guys are not the money makers for the industry. From '82 to '95 I worked in a couple large shops in the SF Bay Area. Beginners and sport pilots were the bulk of the sales and I do remember many more cottage industry manufacturers. Difficult to describe but in some ways we had more specialty items but we had fewer choices if that makes sense. With some things the competitive pilot did in fact drive development of products. DA started their engine line with the 150. Not many sport pilots fly 150cc. We would not have the precision servos that we have today if it were not for competition pilots. All of the lightweight acrobats and in fact the trend in gasoline engines came from guys wanting to fly airplanes simular to the TOC and TAS so in fact some things do come directly from competition. There are some things that will always be a hotbed topic, engine brands are certainly one of them. We all have different expectations, demands, goals ect. so I would tend to think it will always be this way.

speedracer, you are so correct regarding high end servos! Competition and helis pushed their development and I am very thankful for that. I would bet these are far more profitable for the servo and radio companies than the so called sport servos. Especially with the extremely low cost sport servos that flood the market these days. Likewise for the high end engines. They probably sell far fewer of these high end products but they are more profitable per unit. Just guessing though.

As a point of interest, it seems the mainline radio companies are reducing their servo lines these days. Probably because of all the other companies producing only servos. I haven't bought a high end Futaba or JR servo in many years! Too many other quality choices to pay the Futaba or JR premium price.