Has any one had a MDS Engine?
How did it run? How is the power?
What did you like or dislike about it?
I am thinking about one for a Hawk sport.
MDS .38 SEEMS LIKE A GOOD PRICE.

I have never seen a MDS heli engine, but every beginner that tried to save money and put one in an airplane at my field ends up loosing money when they have to replace it with something that actually runs well. They are harder to start, very hard to tune, and just plain suck.

Rick

I agree 100% with Rick, the MDS is a piece of crap, to put it mildly. If you need more power for your 30 size ship, check out the new Thundertiger 39 pro, or the Irvine 39. Daz...

MDS=More Dead Sticks

Thanks for the input.

WOW WOW WOW GUYS i have run a few in my days and what i have noticed is usually when there is a problem with an mds its cause the operator has no idea how to tune engines i have had good luck with mds loads of power i am flying one now in a helicopter with out a problem... this is just my opinion

Hhhmmm, lots of guys including myself with over 20 years experience in RC at the field, and the MDS engines just won't run like OS and TT. I'm glad you are happy with yours, and don't know if you got lucky and got a good engine/carb, are better than the rest of us, or don't know what you are missing with the other engines, but I wouldn't recommend MDS to anyone myself after what I've seen ....

Rick

Anybody who does not like the MDS, send them my way.
those are just great running engines. I have 10 of them and they are fantastic. Great power for a good price.
The problem with the MDS is the Carb. Horizon is replacing all the Carbs on those engines.
any more questions or anybody with MDS and don't know what to do send them my way.

The only experience that I have had with MDS engines is with the beginners I train. Most of the cheap ARF trainers they use come with the MDS engine. The engines take a couple of gallons of fuel to break in and are a bear to tune and keep running in that time period. After break in they seem to run OK. Would I buy one? Never! A Thunder Tiger is a better engine if you want a cheap engine. The best vet is to buy the best you can afford. An OS engine will run better and last a life time with minimal care. My 2 cents. Pete

I've only had one experience with MDS engines ... never again.
Fool me once .. shame on you ... fool me twice shame on me.

People with bad experience with an MDS don't know how to run them.

Are we all on the same page????

I believe that we are asking how the MDS runs in a heli.

I find they may sometimes run well in an airplane installation (after a relatively lengthy break in) but in every Heli installation I have ever tried one of them in (38/48/68) they were terrible.

That is the same with most Heli versions of "bargain" engines I have tested (SC, ASP, Global, MDS, TT etc>) and that is because they try to use the same carb they do in their airplane engines on these heli versions.

So when I would use them with an OS carb, they would be a lot more user friendly but non ever lasted any worthwhile length of time. Maybe 100 to 150 flights. While I have OS32's that have over 600 flights on them!!!

So IMHO they are actually more expensive then an OS as any 4 of them would cost substantially more then one OS or YS.

MDS is so much not on the same level as YS, and OS that I thought RCU made it illegal to mention them on the same post as MDS . Daz...

Not to get off track but:
I have never used anything personally on a heli but a OS-
I have some with 700+ flights on them, which tells me there is a lot of QC (quality Control) put into every engine out off the assembly line.
But on my Fazer Fun Fly I had a very strong running MVVS, it would hover into the wind as advertised by a hobby store selling them. I as able to crank it by just a flip. But after a while it began loosing compression prematurely..
I use heli engines now on my FF's, a OS 46 with the newer carb body has not once let me down-Now pilot error in a hover, well there have been some issues there.

One experiance was enough. The carb was junk and galled when new. The replacement carb was finally tuned for high and low ends. Guess what, it loaded up at mid-range. I had run about a gallon thru at that time. Several other experianced flyers also attemped to tune this engine. Horizon sent a third carb which was rough. This engine was very tight when cold and had to be hand started until warmed up, it always quit in flight unless i kept moving the throttle up and down to keep it cleaned out. I finally (two months +) requested my money back from Horizon, Instead they sent another engine (not MDS) worth much more. They were well aware of my attempts to work thru this problem and I never tried to take it out on the techs I worked with, remember these guys don't make the products and have the sometimes thankless job of making the customer happy without giving away the farm.

i would not get another MDS . In my opinion they are not a good quality engine.

Those who say we can't tune engines, I think you just got the lucky batch of MDSs. It breaks my heart when I see a newbie at the club with an MDS in his Heli or plane. The club engine experts would spend HOURS trying to start the engine, and when they did start it, they'd spend more hours trying to tune it. They take off, fly for two mins, (if they're lucky!), and either glide down, or for helis, fall. The amount of money wasted with these engines would have bought you a YS before you know it. (I'm the proud owner of a 140L, WOW!!!!)
The new ones are said to have improved, but my advice, DON'T DO IT!
Rob.

a question for the people that have good running mds´s

does it need a lenghty break in?
during this period, is it hard to tune?

i´ve seen a couple on arf´s at the field, did not pay much attention, but they were hard to tune and the "expert" just told the guys to replace them.

on the other hand, isn´t selling a long break-in engine with an arf defeat the concept of an arf?
i think it is a crime to do so considering who buys an arf trainer, a guy, that wants to fly right away, and has little or no experience. and will become quickly dissilusioned with a tough engine...


diego

if you're lucky you will get a good one!
all the mds's in our club kill the conrod after 6 months if you can get them to run that long!

Don't you just love it when someone infers you're a moron because you can't get an MDS dialed in to run and they can??

Yeah, especially when the lub pros who have started 1940 tractor engines, can't get the f****** thing to run right. I have run in lots of engines, but still can't get the MDS to run properly, after about 30 flights of running in, plus a couple of tanks on the ground.