Engine recommendation

Anything that works reliably is worth using.

Apart from a few classics, most old engines don't fetch much secondhand.

Mt limited forays into IC engines recently reveal that no one has ever accused an OS engine of being unreliable or of poor quality. Probably e engine of choice if you don't want to get involved in detail

Electrics are getting quite attractive in that size of model. Performance has pretty much hit parity with sport motors, and there's a lot of folk out there who know the ins and outs.

A motor, controller and battery will set you back quite a ways, but if you fly often you'll save it back on fuel. The only thing that you'll really miss out on is the noise and having to clean the guk off of your airframe at the end of the day.

Ah, but that is half the fun! It's like using charcoal versus gas to BBQ. I'd never use gas to BBQ, and I'll probably never fly an electric plane :)

I agree ... I finally broke down and bought a gas grill, but I kept my charcoal grill too. Now my wife and I both agree that food cooked over charcoal tastes so much better. Use the gas grill for emergencies only (or when I'm too lazy).

With that said, I have an AP 15 Yellow Jacket. It is a great little R/C engine, easy to run and very reliable, low cost too. see

It's funny how some people just don't understand why miniature IC engines are so much fun. As far as I'm concerned, saying that an electric airplane flies as well as a glow powered one is like comparing dry crackers to a gourmet meal.

Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these great (and sometimes not so great) words of knowledge:

The "old reliable", OS. Some newcomers that are good (in no particular order ) - Thunder Tiger Pro series, Evolution, and with somewhat mixed reviews (most reviews/letters/comments are quite good ) Magnum.

In a 4 stroke engine you will not go wrong with a Saito (I have 3 Saito and 1 OS 4 stroke - all reliable runners ). In a 4 stroke, a 52 is ABOUT equivalent to a 25 - 30 2 stroke, however they swing a larger prop with ease.

How about K&B engines? I don't hear much about those, but they have been around a long time. I've always used Cox for little engines, but Cox doesn't make any bigger ones. I'm not sure what they make these days.

Well, have fun then -- I fly both electric and glow, and enjoy both.

Ted Campanelli wrote in news:qDdqh.674$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr11.news.prodigy.net:

I've had mixed experiences with Magnum over the years, but I've very happy with my Magnum .15XLs. I think they're now XLA or XLS or some such, but I believe it's still the same engine.

OTOH - if you want to buy a used Enya .15, I could make you a deal ;)

There are some nice K&B engines in the lineup, although they are a bit quirky compared to the more popular makes. If you're accustomed to running Cox engines, you wouldn't have any trouble with the quirkier, old fashioned engines such as Fox, K&B and their ilk.

There's that equivalence comparison again....

Saying that a 4 stroke 52 is ABOUT equivalent to a 25 or 30 2 stroke is true only if you are talking about a situation that favors a 2 stroke.

If you have a sleek plane and you want it to go fast a 2 stroke will give you better performance, and you will get the impression that a 4 stroke has to be bigger to get the job done.

If you have a biplane or other slow flying machine, a 4 stroke will do a better job of accelerating and climbing than a 2 stroke of similar displacement, in which case the 2 stroke would have to be bigger.

I love biplanes and old timers, and I always power them with 4 strokes. Lightweight planes designed to go fast always get the lightest 2 stroke that will do the job.

If you liked the Fox .19, stick with it. Nothing 'modern' in a sport engine beats it in the key performance measure for any aircraft engine, power to weight ratio. The Magnum BB .15 comes closest if you can't find a Fox in good condition. Not many engines made these days in that size range that really perform, unless you get into $$$ exotics as used in FAI competitions. Downside to the Fox is noise level. If that is a big issue where you fly, You might want to try another muffler. I've used MVVS mufflers on Fox engines with good results, but haven't tried them for fit on anything smaller than the .40 - .50 range. A tuned pipe is another option that is both quieter and produces more power. Mac's Products *may* still have TP headers for the Fox.

Abel

I actually liked my Fox engines very much, but haven't had a lot of experience with other engines. The .19 screamed, and the .15 was pretty peppy. Noise? That is half the fun :). I'm looking at Fox engines on eBay right now, looks like there are tons of them available on a regular basis. Anyone know how well old Fox engines hold up?

A fellow is getting back to building this kit 30 years later.

Lost the plans.

Anybody got a spare plan set?

Marty

As long as nobody has run them lean, and they always ran them with some castor oil in the fuel, they last a very long time.

I still have a Fox BB ABC .40 that I have been running for the past 18 years, and I would not even want to guess how much fuel I have run through it.

exactly that's why we like the gourmet and you like the crackers ;-)

I hear stuff like this so often that I broke down and bought a pair of new (old stock; eBay) Fox .40 BBs and a .36 BB. I still haven't got them out of the boxes and onto the test stand....

Good flying, desmobob

Use the fuel that Fox recommends or you will not be a happy camper.

Ed Cregger

"Ed Cregger" wrote

I get whatever I can find local, that is 15% nitro, hopefully a synthetic and castor oil mix. I then add real model fuel castor oil, about 3 to 4 ounces per gallon. No rust, even after occasional long periods of storage.

Be sure to find the articles about modifying the high speed needles, for the two needle carbs. That is the key to getting a good, no stumble transition and midrange. I bought mine cheap, from a club member who could not get them to keep running. He never did the modifications. He was amazed that I figured out how to make them run consistently.

You would think that they could get the needles right, straight out of the factory, but they take some fiddling to get them perfect.

Just so you know what I am referencing, it is the shaping of the tip and shoulder of the high speed needle valve. I chucked it in a drill, and used some fine sandpaper. Go really easy, with only a small amount taken off, then a try in the engine. If you take too much off, it will require a trip to the Internet to order a new needle. DAMHIKT!