The 2011 Tower Hobbies catalog does not list Tower engines. Are they history?

It would seem so. Even now online Tower doesn't have many spare parts left in stock either for any of their engines. But the site does say "Temporarily Unavailable". They said the same thing for Lanier and Goldberg ARFs. Is it a great loss losing Tower engines???
So many superior choices out there still available.

GMS is also gone but Super Tiger is there. Doesn't add up as they are all made in the same factory?

Super Tiger is a brand that belongs to Tower do you suppose they are going to get Thunder Tiger to make them?

Do you have a news release that shows Tower now has ownership of Super Tiger?

If true it makes sense that the Tower brand of engine would be dropped. Why compete against oneself? I think GM (General Motors) has shown that business model doesn't work today.

All the best,

Konrad

Tower bought the Super Tiger brand back around 2000. They had GMS make the engines for them.

Something has happened as the only Super Tiger lines not in stock are the 34 through 45 and they only say "ON ORDER"

Whereas all the Tower engine and GMS lines are Temporarily unavailable

How interesting.  I understand the Chinese factory is the place where Tower Hobbies, GMS and Super Tigre were made.  But my understanding is tha the Italian company moved there equipment to China and still own the brand name.  But what difference does it make who owns the brand. 

The word was even though the manufacture of the Super Tigre went to China, it was still the same.

I will miss the Tower Hobbies mufflers.  Right now I need a couple of headers for the mufflers - orignals broken in crashes.  Been waiting for months for replacement parts availability.

Cheers,

Chip

I have a few GMS mufflers I would keep as an upgrade in performance for my OS engines. I like the larger chamber and omit the baffle with the swap. I've noticed a gain on the tach doing this. GMS mufflers were the poor man's Ultra Thrust. I never liked the tuning issues with GMS or Tower products. It was quite hit and miss in quality.
The carb is completely different on the Super Tigre engines. Consistently, I've seen more power from a Super Tigre engine than any other in it's category and price range. I run the 45 ABC Tigre's with 10X8 props and tach as well as the OS AX 46 that has a 10X7 prop. You can't beat the price of a Super Tigre. Many like the Thunder Tigers, but I again found bearing issues with those, while my Super Tigre engines go for years without requiring any repairs. At least this has been my experience in recent years, exclusively flying glow powered planes regularly.

..... "But what difference does it make who owns the brand." ......
The owner is the one who maintains the quality. Or to more exact is the one that pays for it.

All the best,

Konrad

I see in the new Tower Hobbies catalog that the Tower Hobbies muffler is still listed.  So there may yet be some hope for us muffler users.

Cheers,

Chip

There are a few Tower Engines on the auction site.

The flood of ASP engines from (insert retailer here) may have something to do with it.

It's a shame, there are/where a bunch that really liked the Tower .75 engines.

I was thinking the same thing. Probably a contract dispute between the Chinese factory and the distributor. The company I work for uses a product called "Super Absorbant Polymer". One particular brand we "were" using is made in Singapore and we cannot get it anymore because another company is buying it all up under a contract agreement.

Today I was in a chat with JBA manager(ex).He says:"no more, why? because nitro engine is very cheaper, and now the exchang of RMB to USD is more lower, so Chinese make nitro engine cannot make profit"(his exact words).He thinks glow engines dies in favor of gas engines.I think he is reflecting Chinese glow manufacturers mind.Also maybe the reason why we cant find some brand glow engines any more.

Even US factories are making product "on allocation". Meaning that their most important customers get what they need, but all others get the leftovers - if any. So much for that idiot "just in time" business philosophy.


Ed Cregger

Ed.

Lets not forget some of the newer MBA buzz words like "Lean Manufacturing", "Synchronous Flow", "Continuous Improvement" or "The Toyota Manufacturing Process". These are all great on paper then it is back to sweat and elbow grease!

All the best,

So true, Konrad. So true.


Ed Cregger

Here's something interesting: I was just on Towers website looking at my account, and some time ago I added a GMS 47 to my wish list and when I looked at my wish list under "stock status" it said "on order"
Might be hope after all.

GMS has done this before. No engines for a couple years. Don't know what their problem is?

I guess the saying "You snooze you lose." applies for me on this one. I was just on Tower's web site planning to order pistons and sleeves for my .46's. Needless to say I came here to get the scoop and it didn't take long to find it. I have resisted the temptation to keep some extra piston/sleeve sets on hand just for this reason. It frustrates me to think my pleasure with these engines is history all because I was too cheap to sandbag a $22.00 part or two.

Take care, Cliff

I traded you three 46's. How did they serve you? Are they the ones you are talking about?

Yes they are the same ones. I think I got two of them from you. If I remember correctly you bought a pair on a "buy two for" special.

I have run them mercilessly. One has been on an old kit by Jim Roberts called a Laser Cat... actually two of them since I literally tore the wings off the first. The other is on an old Q-500 design called a Four Bits.

One has always idled better and shut down more reliably. Both have been screamers. I have used mostly 10X6 , 9X8 and 9X7 props on them and let 'em go. Sadly one is too worn to enjoy using and the other isn't what it used to be. They are probably the longest lasting ABC engines I have owned.

I have looked for parts on E-Bay etc. They may be retired.

I had two new ones that I bought together like you say and one with about a 100 flights on it. I thought you got all three? Doesn't matter. I'm glad you got good service from the two. I still have all the engines I got from you.

Hey Jim, what do you think? Tower has the piston/liner assemblies for the Aquacraft .46 in stock. They have all of the same specs. and dimensions except the O.D. of the Aquacraft sleeve is .004" or 1 mm smaller.

Let me know, Cliff

I thought the AquaCraft 46 and the Tower 46 were the same engine except for the name?

The only other variation would be for the GMS 47 ? I think the GMS 47 has a larger bore than the Tower 46?

I agree. I find it hard to believe that GMS would go to the trouble to machine two liners exactly the same in every way exept .004" on the O.D. I wish the difference were the other way around so it would be tight rather than loose. I would like to believe that someone measured them both a little carelessly when they set up the specs for the Tower site.

Do you think if they are truly .004 smaller in the O.D. I could use shim stock or ? to shim them or am I dreaming?

They are the same

AquaCraft http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXMMR3&P=7 $30.20 for two of them

<pre>SPECS: Cylinder Piston Length: 33mm (1.3") 20mm (.785") Inner Diameter: 22mm (.867") n/a Outer Diameter: 25.4mm (1") 22mm (.867")</pre>



Tower 46 http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...LXJB07&amp;P=7 $21.99 each

<pre>SPECS: Inner Diameter of Piston Sleeve: 22mm (.864") Outer Diameter of Piston Sleeve: 25.5mm (1.004") Height of Liner: 33mm (1.3") </pre>