xtraflyr

My Feedback: (11)

Little on the expensive side, but I bet it performs !! I haven't heard of anyone using it yet though .. It's about time they get on the gas bandwagon !

I also hope DA get their act together, I hate seeing the Chinese taking over with this like they do with all the other US products.

I was working in the Industrial Laser field and the owners of the plant knew that the Chinese, (that was buying much of our product) was taking ours and working on copying to make one of their own,like they do with most of their products !! They like to copy and make it cheaper and flood the market with the product. You really need to keep the best engineers on staff to make improvements and keep the Chinese on their feet ... I've been laid off there not because of that just the economy .. But I was also told that their starting to pick up a little,and guess who's the customer -China ! It's their only customer right now but it's good to hear they may bring us back in March !!

Cya,Frank

AirWizard

My Feedback: (3)

I was wondering if you would have any issues with turblance with the carb up front on this engine.

xtraflyr

My Feedback: (11)

If I'm not mistaking aren't some of the EVO motors like that,with the carb up front ? I haven't heard of any problems with them,then again I haven't really looked at any forums about them. I think their a little over priced also..IMHO ...

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

Almost all glow engines have the carb up front. They don't seem to suffer from that location.
I'm pretty sure this engine hasn't been sold yet. They show February as an expected date. If TH follows history they will drop the price when they put it on the market. But....OS is considered a premium brand, so maybe it'll stay up there. No HP ratings yet either. Anyways, I'll bet this is a good engine...but I still would go with the DA if they get the power back up there. My DLE 55 produces 2lbs more thrust than my DA 50. I need the extra power at my elevation. The BME 58 does even more than the DLE. So....DA needs to step it up.
Thanks
barry

AirWizard

My Feedback: (3)

I don't think you can compare a pumped gas engine to a glow.

xtraflyr

My Feedback: (11)

I should have made myself a bit clearer.. The Evolution 26gx and the 40gx gas engines. They both have their carbs on the front of the motor and I haven't heard but also never looked into the forums about any problems with them. And yes they are a pump type carb and it shouldn't affect them with the carb up front...

Well yeah if DA made a 55 or a 58 I'm sure it would put out the same performance numbers (or better) as the BME or the DLE..

AirWizard

My Feedback: (3)

Good to hear it shouldn't hurt them having the carb up front

sailorman33

Barry, DLE 55 having 2 lbs more thrust than a DA 50 is substantial. I am trying to decide which one to put into my 88" Yak (soon to arrive I hope). Will you please tell me more about the tests you have run between the two engines? I am in Salt Lake City so I have the same elevation problem that you do. I would really rather have the DA-50, but I am concerned that I cannot afford to give up the extra power. What do you think?

EXTREME FLIGHT

sailorman, you may want to consider the DA-50 with the ES Composites carbon pipe (www.escomposites.com). The pipe only weighs 4.4 oz and adds a lot of power to the DA-50. This set-up will really increase performance at your altitude.

DA are constantly working to improve and update their product. I'd be willing to bet that they are working on something new in the 50-60cc range.

lokiyawl

My Feedback: (10)

I like the DA engines to, it seems everyone does. I am building a new 88" Yak and am hoping for something around 40 lbs. of thrust running a 12S setup on a Plettenberg Terminator turning a 25-26" diameter prop. The motor can burst to 6000 watts so close to 8 HP. So as far as thrust goes, this is probably about as good as it gets but the flight times are only about 7 minutes with the electric setup..so there is a price and then the electric setup is more expensive initially so there is that price too. Best of luck with your engine selection, there are a lot of very helpful and knowledgeable people that frequent this forum. James

cjcyclesrc

My Feedback: (10)

I hope DA builds a ~60cc version of the 85. I've always been very pleased with my DA's and the service I got from them.

xtraflyr

My Feedback: (11)

You can't deny that DA has the best Customer service out there,and they totally back their product .. Sure you can buy 2 DLE for the price of 1 DA,but I send my DA out for service they usually fix it for next to nothing or free and I pay the shipping.. I sent my motor to them once,they totally updated it for FREE !! New Piston,con rod,bearings,gaskets.for FREE! I got a whole new engine that had to be re broken in again !! And to top it they give you a 3 year warranty now on their product !! But lets not take this to the Ford Vs. Chevy type battle.. Time to get back on track !!

I LOVE MY EF 88" YAK!!and my DA 50 with the KS 1060 tuned pipe !

lokiyawl

My Feedback: (10)

Xtraflyr,

I sort of get the feeling that you like your Yak. (Yak grin) I wrote DA and asked them about the life expectancy of their engines, how often they needed to be overhauled etc. and they couldn't really give me an answer. They just indicated that there wasn't a TBO number so I am assuming that it must vary a lot depending on the care and feeding. So I was just wondering about what kind of service the owners of these engines are getting in flights or accumulated time? It amazes me though that in reading the threads that in general people seem to like most of the gas engines out there so I assuming that many of them must be quite good or have been improved over the years.

James

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

I have had 4 DA50s. I like them very much. Excellent quality and they perform good. I am not knocking DA in any way. I also have their 100CC engine and love it. In fact it's in my brand new 110" EF Yak. I have it on MTW pipes and it's working nicely with over 46lbs thrust.

All of my DA50 produced between 22-23lbs thurst. This is with a NX 22x8 prop and canister exhaust. The one with 23lbs thrust was using a Pitts style muffler. So I conclude that the canister exhaust actually hurts power by about 1/2lbs or so. But a pipe will raise it to over 25lbs and dosn't seem to hurt the transition any and is about as quiet as the canisters. I'm getting about 6650 RPM. I purchased a BME 58 Extreme and loved the power of that engine. With the 23x8 I was getting over 7000 RPM and almost 30lbs thrust on a Pitts style muffler. It loved the 23" prop and pulled it well. Only problem is I bought 2 engines and both engines netted my 21 flights after being repaired twice each. My belief is that engine is on the edge and needs some work to make it reliable. Just what I found personally. To be fair, I gave one of them to Steve who has had very little problems with it. But to be fair again, another friend, Clark, bought one and he's had to send his in once with only a few flights on it. Anyways, I still have one and I'm trying to decide what to do with it.

I also purchase a DLE55 and have it running in an Edge with a NX 22x8 prop. It will spin 7020 RPM peaked and nets just barely over 25lbs thrust. Something like 25lbs 2ozs. That is with a MTW canister on it. So it's getting about 2.5lbs more thrust. That is very noticeable when you fly. Very noticeable. To be fair, I had problems with it right out of the box. It wouldn't turn over 5000 RPM. After a few questions herer on the WEB I took the carb apart and cleaned it. I didn't see a thing but when I put it back together it ran like a top and has performed perfectly ever since. I have about 30 flights on it. So...the price is very attractive and the engine works very well. I don't think the attention to detail is anywhere near as good as DA, but....right now DA doesn't offer anything to compete in my opinion. And at high elevation you need all the power you can get. Especially if you are gonna fly this EF Yak which is about 17.5lbs+ Over 18lbs is you go for a canister or pipe. Even though the pipes are light you must add about 9ozs for the header.

I can only tell you what I've experienced and what I'd do. Right now....my winter project is to build another EF Yak 50CC since I seem to be without a flyable one right now. I'm gonna pull the engine from my Edge and add a MTW RS2 pipe on it. I should be just over 18lbs and my thrust should be somewhere just over 27lbs. With the cost of the pipe and the engine I'll be about $650 or so. About the same as a DA....but will make about 5lbs more thrust. I had an AW Yak with a DA50 and a pipe....It would pull just over 25lbs thrust so I gained over 2-1/2lbs thrust with the pipe. On my DA 100CC I increased thrust by almost 6lbs so....it stands to reason the pipe adds about 2.5lbs to a 50cc engine. I'm just guessing but am pretty sure it'll add 2.5lbs to the DLE55 also. So....I'm getting 25lbs now....over 27 with a pipe. Anyways.....that's what I've experienced. And it's what I plan to do this winter.

One more thought....when (I know they will work on it) DA comes out with a 25-26lbs thrust 50CC class engine I'll be the first in line to buy it. I never let price be the deciding factor and I'd pay the higher price to own the DA, if it was available. I can't believe they didn't see this coming and don't have a 55CC to 60CC engine already.

Now......what do I do with the BME 58 Extreme...?!?!?!?!?!?

Thanks
Barry

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

Sorry, I should never quote numbers without refering to notes or actual data. The header pipes don't weigh 9ozs, that is for two. They weight about 4.5ozs each. The MTW RS2 pipes weigh about 9ozs each. With all the fittings and clamps etc. they weight about 15ozs each. The CF pipes are even lighter.

But they actually either help or certainly don't make transition any worse and net 2.5lbs thrust. That's a winner in my book. I'm totally satisfied with my 100CC Yak with the DA100 on pipes. Runs very VERY nice. Now...if I can just keep the wheels on it.

Thanks
BArry

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

Later this week I'm gonna start a build on an 88" Yak. I've got the servos lined up on my build table (7955) and I'm gonna pull the DLE55 from my Edge. I'm gonna use the pipe I had repaired from my 100CC incident (MTW RS2).
Gonna be fun. It's the original color scheme.

Thanks
Barry

lokiyawl

My Feedback: (10)

Barry,

Wow, thanks for sharing your experience with various engines and exhaust setups. That is especially helpful to see the static thrust comparisons along with the weights of the various setups. I am very curious about why you are now building the 88" since you now own the 110" if you don't mind me asking? Can you tell us what made you want the 88" again?

Also, can you share your experience with how many flights you averaged with a DA before they had to be rebuilt or gave trouble? My plan has been to build an electric Yak as you know but I have not yet made a final decision on the powerplant and there certainly are some advantages to going with gas instead. I am still waiting on word from EF that I even have an airframe coming..

Thanks,

James

xtraflyr

My Feedback: (11)

James,
I'm not sure exactly how many fights I had before getting work done to it. The first time it went back was my fault. I forgot to go over the prop bolts and tightened them up.I heard a different noise landed the bolts were loose I went to tightened one back up and it broke off in the prop hub ![:@] I messed it up trying to get it out finally sending it to DA. They fixed that and gave it back to me brand new with up grades new piston,con rod, bearings and of course a new prop hub. It cost me $30 for the part and shipping that's it !!

I fly this every Sunday with about 3 or 4 flights and have had the plane for 3 seasons now. I sent it in during this Spring time,the con rod was feeling sloppy(when you would twist the prop back and forth). Sent it back in they replaced the piston,cylinder,and con rod,and gaskets for a whopping $130.00..

I got this before they had the 3 year warranty,so it probably would have been covered by that if I bought it more resent .. Maybe if DA included a muffler with it people would feel better paying the little extra for it and not going the DLE route..

At the WRAM show last year,they had a great deal on all their motors they were flying off the shelves,I think they were just about sold out by Saturday.. When I was standing at their table I saw 3 DA 100 be sold in 10 minutes!

I'd like to see a smaller and a little bigger like Barry said a 60cc would be sweet and maybe a 30cc size also.

Barry Cazier

My Feedback: (17)

I am building an 88" again because I really REALLY like the 50CC class. It's easy to handle and flys nice and is a great size to have. I always intend on having several airplanes of different sizes etc. Also, I've been thinking and have some ideas to try on the 88" to get it to flat spin better. I hate to lose. I want to see if I can make the 88" fly better. I feel I can. Also, I love to build these planes and need a winter project of some kind. The 88" seems like a worthy project. Certainly no disappointment in the 110" Also, I'm taking the gear from another airplane, so the expense won't be too great on this one. And.....it'll look cool at the field to have the 110 and 88 together.

FYI, engine weight of my DLE55 and DA50 are EXACTLY the same when I weighed the standoffs, ignition and engine. I remember them being equal and thought that was really odd. I think they weighed about 3lbs 7ozs with everything. The BME weighed about 2.5ozs less than the DA or DLE. These weights ware without any exhaust.

My oldest DA50 has 165 12-13 minute flights. (I log every flight on every plane and record it, part of the hobby for me) It also has a couple of hours testing time besides the flying time. It has been very reliable, has not had a single issue and runs nicely. Reliablely makes about 22.5lbs thrust. It's an excellent engine. It currently is in my Reactor. The Reactor is 16lbs flat. It handles that plane very nicely. I have not done any maintenance on it of any kind. All the other DA50s I have I've given away to various people. I think I averaged about 50 flights on each and no problems with any of them either. My DA100 now has over 60 flights with no maintenance either. In fact....I think they are just breaking in good now. Them seem to start easier and run better and make a little more power than before. They are excellent engines.

Anyways, very happy with my DAs.
Thanks
Barry

cjcyclesrc

My Feedback: (10)

My first DA-50 was serial 11**. My friend has it and it's still running great. If treated right they will outlast many airframes. I know of a DA-150 locally that had several hundred gallons through it and it's still going strong. Usually what gets them are crashes, oil(lack of), prop strikes, loose or uneven mouting bolts, and mixture. Depending on which oil you run and your tune you might have to clean the carbon off the piston after several hundred flights. If you did need to put a ring in it after many years of use they are only ~10-15 bucks.

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

So are you guys using anything to protect your canopy from the cowling rim vibrating and wearing it down? I had Blenderm tape and it just made a sticky mess. Had to use goo gone to get it all off. I'm going with a couple layers of Ultra coat next. The other weird thing is that on only one of my wood cowling mounting tabs, the cowling 4/40 bolt pressure wore a bowl into the tab from the CF rubbing on the wood. Only one did this though (yes I used bonded washers on outside of cowling). I leveled the tab, put a skewer through the hole and filled the bowl with epoxy. I'll drill out the skewer and it'll be good to go. At least you can tell I've been flying this thing. I really got lots O' gallons through it Sept, Oct, and Nov. It's really held up nicely. Yessss !!

EXTREME FLIGHT

Joe, I've been putting a layer of blue 3M electrical tape on my canopy and it holds up a lot longer than blenderm and reduces vibration of the hatch considerably.

Barry, we've been seeing 28 lbs of thrust consistently with the DA-50, ES Composites pipe and Mejzlick 23x8 turning 7150-7200 rpms. Another option you may want to consider when assembling your new 88"

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A couple of pics of my Russian Thunder 50cc Yak.

ArcherIIDriver

NOYCE!!!

EXTREME FLIGHT

lokiyawl, which color scheme are you looking for? If you have talked to Curtis and gotten on our waiting list then we should be able to get you taken care of very soon.
Our issue is we have over 10 aircraft currently in production and quite a demand for each of these airframes. In order to come close to satisfying demand we have to fill each container with a mix of the various airframes. This only allows us to get about 20 of each 50cc and 100cc model on each container, and this is a mix of color schemes so there may only be 6-8 of each color available from a container. Luckily the factory has been getting a container out to us each month so most times the wait would be no longer than 3-4 weeks. We've also recently expanded distribution in Europe and Asia so we are keeping the factory busy 24-7. They are doing their best to ramp up production so I hope supply won't be an issue in the near future.