I am in the market for a 32 - 36 engine for my Sig Clipped wing Cub (1/6). The engines that I am looking at are the GMS 32 and the Thunder Tiger 36 pro. Do any of you have experience with either of these (2) engines? Is one "better" (more powerful and reliable) then the other? Is there any other engine that I should be considering?

Thanks,

My GMS32 was a good engine but Iwould lean toward the Thunder Tiger .

I had a very pleasant experience with the Thunder Tiger (all of them, honestly speaking). I own but I never tested a GMS 32; in general I think that displacement is a nice thing to have , especially if it comes in a small crankcase. I was also impressed by the Evolution 36; ever thought about it?
Ciao
Beppe

There`s also the ASP/Magnum XLS .36. I own one and it is a very powerful and reliable little engine.

Jen has a very handsome black and blue in that size too, it is supposed to be a great one too.

Here`s the Jen, just the looks of it makes me want one http://www.justengines.unseen.org/acatalog/Jen.html

Just Engines are easy to deal with and have fast delivery and good follow up service.

Review of the JEN (Just Engines) is that the porting matches the OS .32 SX. I have one at the house that belongs to a freind and it is an atractive engine with a strikingly similar casting to that of an OS.

Of what you listed, I would go with the Thunder Tiger. If you wanted to put an OS 35 AX in that cub, you could swing a big scale looking prop, up to 12 inches after break in.

I would consider a four stroke. Perhaps an OS .40?

Wasn't even thinking of that. But, you can't beat a 4 stroke on a Cub.

4 stroke, definitely 4 stroke!

Thanks everyone for ALL your suggestions!!!! I am on somewhat of a budget, that is why I was considering a 2 stroke over a 4 stroke. As I mentioned in my original post, this engine will be going in a Sig Clipped wing Cub (1/6 scale). I flew one of these back in the early 80's with a K&B 40, WAY too much power!!!!! So this time, I would like to have a smaller displacement up front. Also, a 4 stroke would be a lot heavier, I am concerned about it being nose heavy. If I remember my original version, it was nose heavy (a little) with a K&B 40 up front.

Is the Evolution (.36) a good engine? I have not heard too much about them.

 Cubs are made for poddering around mid throttle and I dont really think the ball bearing 32 and 36's are "right" for a cub.  If budget wont go to a 4 stroke, why not look at a plain bearing 40 like an OS 40 la or a TT 42gp. Easy to set up air bleed carbs, tamer state of tune and similar light weight to a bb 36. Probably a lot happier swinging a 10 x 5 or 10 x 6 prop at mid throttle speeds too.

G'day

I am with Mad Trev and the blokes that suggested a four stroke. I would put a four stroke in a Cub. I have three Cubs all with four strokes and they would not be anywhere as nice with modern ABC two strokes.

You need an engine that is happy at mid revs and as Trev suggested, an OS LA 40 or 46 would be a better bet than any of the ball bearing engines you have suggested. I used to use an LA 46 in a trainer. It plodded around on half throttle all day without complaint. (I rarely got to fly it. It was so good, the club president used to borrow it to teach beginners.) The LA series are very easy to set up and tune. The Thunder Tiger GP 42 is also a great engine of this sort if it is still available.

There are some reasonably priced four strokes around. I had both ASP 56 and 61 four stroke engines in one of my Cubs and they both flew the model really well. Magnum is the same as ASP (same manufacturer). www.hobbycity.com in Hong Kong have these engines for very reasonable prices.

You should think about the sporadic carburetor problems that plague the GMS .32. I would skip it entirely having encountered one of those. The LA suggestions are very sensible. Larger displacement and milder behaviour is more Cub-like.

MJD

i have a gms .32 that runs great, it turns a 9x6 just fine and is very reliable
but you could get the magnum .52 fs for 80 bucks at hobbypeople.net if you want a four stroke

But jj.. your one positive experience doesn't change anything about the fact that a bunch of people got stuck with .32's that starve for fuel due to messed up fuel inlets on the carb. A lot of people have GMS .32's that run great - so what? A bunch of others have troubles. There's no excuse for that and unless someone has the patience and wherewithall to fix it themselves, IMHO there are far better engine gambles out there. Caveat emptor.

MJD

Tom, I have an OS 40 4S that I will sell, if you are interested. Check your private messages.

The Thunder Tiger GP42 is the best kept secret in model avaiation. I have had 3 and love them. Still have 2, one on a pipe that screams the other is almost new and barely run. Probably sell one or the other.

im stating my expierence like he asked for, if you have a different expierence then post it (like you did) and the op can make his decision.
i think a lot of the problems with the .32 were trying to use them on the c-130 (a 4 engine plane), at least thats where i heard many many complaints about the engine

I have a TT .36 and it is a great engine. I have mine set up for speed, but of all of your choices, if you do not go with a 4-stroke (my preference), then I would definately get the TT. You get a great carb and a lot of power that may be useful some other day for a different aircraft.

I used an ASP .32 and had excellent service from it. Recommend! I would put 2 on my twin star if I could find them new.

Hey how about something simple like an OS LA 40? not very powerful but reliable!

 I thought someone already suggested that. I still think a 4 stroke would be better but an LA would be a good 2nd bet.

I do agree with the 4 stroke being the BEST type for this application, maybe I'll just have to save some extra money. How about Saito?

Saito are very good as are OS and others, but if moneys tight, there is nothing wrong with ASP, SC or magnum 4 strokes. Some of the finer points may not be as good as dearer brands but they still perform OK  and seem to have their legion of followers. Enya 4 strokes are real good too and Ken Enya himself will bend over backwards to assist with parts and supply direct from Japan although their price will depend more on the exchange rate.
 One of my most flown engines is a saito 56, and after near 10 years its been through 3 or 4 planes and countless gallons of fuel. It has had 2 gasket sets and 1 ring and is still going strong.</p>

A K&B .40 weighs 15 Oz. with muffler. A Magnum .52 weights 15.7, an OS .56 weighs 14.8, and an OS .40 weighs 13.3 Oz. Sounds like the OS .40 is a good match. But I agree the $200+ price tag is a bit much for such a small engine. Perhaps when they do rebates, or a used engine.