Anyone on the fence as to what engine to buy this should be a no brainer.I sent my DA50 in for the updates and was treated like I was the only customer...NO HASSLE.. NO PROBLEM.. NO CHARGE..I live in Canada so I thought dealing with a company so far away would mean providing them with all sorts of answers.Not a question Jeff at DA just said "SEND IT IN" so I sent it and within a week of them receiving it I get a phone call from Jeff to say "YOUR MOTOR IS FIXED AND ON ITS WAY BACK TO YOU" He didnt have to call me but he did which meant alot to me to know when my motor was coming back....THATS CUSTOMER SERVICE....Thanks Jeff and all the Team players at DESERT AIRCRAFT Rick King City Ontario Canada

Should it need to go for service????

If its got wings, wheels, an engine or breasts it's bound to give you trouble ..... can't send the latter in for repair though...

DP

Desertpig.....I've seen the latter go in for repairs. It's called a "BOOB JOB"...

Smokey

This is the second thread I have read to today where someone is pleased with DA's service and someone else feels the need to knock the fact the engines MIGHT need to go back in the first place.

It seems there are two kinds of modelers out there these days, those who fly DA engines and those who take every opportunity to bash DA for whatever reason they can find.

I just don't understand the need to spew negative statements about any brand product unless the company clearly has a track record of poor customer service, DA clearly doesn't.

Ok, here's my reason, i was not going to go into detail , but you need to understand, then you will probably realise my reasonning.

i follow the threads for quite awhile all saying basicly the DA 50's the best thing since sliced bread.. ,i am thinking yahoo a light engine, with awesome power. Fit it to my plane and all is ok for awhile, i start seeing posts concerning con-rods and cranks letting go!!

I go to the field last weekend, start her up, let the engine warm up, the guy that started the engine moves clear (just as well, we follow safety proceadures)

After about 30 secs, i was'nt sure but thought i could hear a slight rattle, stupidly putting it down to vibration and make a mental note to double check everything once the engine is shut down, i blip the throttle to about half, when all of a sudden the engine stops/Seizes for a second , shearing all the prop bolts and allowing the prop to fly off across the field.( and hey dont come back with the prop bolts were not tight)

Damn lucky no one was injured!!![>:]

To me this is not satisfactory, the engine only had about 1.5 gals through her, i removed the carb and reed valves to check to see what had happened, and yup there is massive amount of play in the con-rod- crank.... looks like the piston may have struck the cylinder head as well, what i cant understand is how quick she let go.

The engine is off to Germany fo repair, and yes DA's service is good, but hopefully you guys can now understand why i am not happy with this... it does not install confidence.
by the way , was running a menz 22x10, Belray Hr1 fully synthetic at 40-1. slightly rich on the low, and hi needles, spinning at around 6500, before disaster.

So this is not one of those jump on the band wagon and slag some company for the sake of it, just very disappointed.
Should there not have been some form of recall on these???

Feel free to flame away..... but i reckon i have a good enough reason to make my comments.

Desert Aircraft customer service is un-matched by any other company bar none, nuff said.....

Car..I totally understand how you feel..When I got mine.it came with a bad ignition right off the bat..that was my first try with a gasser so it took me awhile to figure out the problem..they sent me a new on and it was overnighted to me..then I had the crank/pin go bad after about 5 gallons..sent it to them and again they 2day aired it back to me! Now after 20+ gallons I couldnt be happier..in fact I just ordered a second one for my Yak..They have since fixed these issues and you really dont hear the complaints like you did 6 months ago so Im thinking the bugs are worked out..just give em chance to make things right..you wont be sorry..

Yeah , i hear what your saying m8, i was not downing DA for the sake of it, but as you say they are sorting it out which is fair enough.

I was just annoyed after all the build up, and then this.

Engine in for repair, enough said

I am looking at a very slightly used DA 50. What updates need to be done? He said it did in fact need the updates. Thats why its cheap. He said no damage yet, just needs updates. SO its crank/pin and rod bearings? That it?

Phone DA, give them your serial no. and they will let you know.

Great thanks.

If you can get that engine cheap because it needs the updates don't waste ANY time in getting it. DA will do the updates for free regardless of who the original owner was. All it will cost you is the shipping to get it back to them, about $15. When mine went in the first time they basically replaced everything but the crankcase so my engine was essentially brand new when I got it back. Unfortunately DA went through a couple of suppliers that didn't supply them withparts that met specs and when mine went back the first time it gort replacements that were still not adequate to the task. After I sent it in the second time for the same play in the con rod they made it good but that was after the problem had been sorted out completely. My engine now runs with the best of them and got 7 gallons put through it this summer.

If the guy that is selling it was smart he would send it in and then sell it for the most he can get out of it which is about the old price of $549 these days.

Thats about right...

Crank, connecting rod, bearings have been problems. Some due to using a light weight connecting rod, which was fixed by putting in a steel one, like in the DA100. Some faultly bearings also came to play. But with all these problems, they have stood by their customers, with most of the time free repair. I returned a used DA50 I had bought here, in RCU. It had a early serial number, so I knew it had most likely, had not been updated. I got the engine back, with free updates, and after 4 gallons thru it, no problems. There are lots of 50cc engines out there, but I believe the DA50 is the lightest, most compact, engine out there. It most likely out sells any of the other brands as well. Maybe because there are so many of them out there, you will hear from time to time, problem engines. But be asured that DA will stand behind. Just my 2 cents. And by the way, I have 3w, and ZDZ as well as my DA.

Rick

I'm sure the engine will be great when it comes back. Enjoy it!
Bob

Well guys I feel that I need to reply on this subject. I've been in the engine industrie for 30 years and have yet to see the kind of horsepower that the DA 150 puts out on the first flip. I run a ZDZ 160, a 3W 120, an RCS 215, and they all cant' hold a candle next to the DA. I'm not knocking the other engines by no means. The power this engine has is so impressive. The boys at DA did there homework. I just bought a DA 50 to go into a Aeromaster, So I feel that the engine will live up to it's name. Just a little food for thought, I've been in the R/C business for over 40 years and Customer service is what we expect, but not always given. If a company like Desert Aircraft is willing to make things right at there expense and at no cost to you, That is a tall sign of a company that is concerned about there reptation verse's there profits. Happy Flying!!!