On June11th the Brant flyers are holding the new field open day. Come on out there will be flying and demonstrations all day.

Ed S

[sandstorm]

sounds good i`m pretty sure i dont work that weekend so if not i`ll be out and about droolin on everyones plane...unless i can find a bib somewhere

[lightning]

Sandstorm, FWIW I fly the provisional class of combat called SSC (for Slow Survivable Combat). It is not an official class yet and is not recognised in Canada at this point.
The whole objective is that it must be cheap and simple. So the rules require a STOCK .15 motor that retails for under US$60. There are a few engines that qualify, one of them being the OS LA15.
I have had a lot of problems with the LAs. The plastic backplate has a tendency to crack and leak and the remote needle valve (part of the backplate) breaks off in a heartbeat.
A lot of my fellow fliers convert the motor screws to hex head (for more torque) and RTV the backplate in place. At the same time they cut off the needle valve and use a separate remote unit. I have done the same.
But after all the problems I had, I bought some used OS FP15s, which were the LA15 predecessor.
They are much tougher and far more satisfactory!!

• They have a 7/32 crankshaft vs 5mm, so it is less likely to get bent in a crash
• They have a cast metal backplate instead of plastic
• The head has 6 bolts instead of four
• Some came as remote needle valve units, but the carb nipple is available from Tower Hobbies for US$1.89 to convert those that were not.

It does appear that OS cut costs with the LA15 over the FP (although it's price is the same). I hope the 46AX does not follow the same strategy! I have both a 40 and 46FX in my sport planes and they are fabulous motors. I would certainly not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

[sandstorm]

i found a new fx 46 for 159. might pick it up.

[Fox 22]

OS engines is the "Honda" of aircraft engines. They are reliable, durable, easy to use, and have good power. The amount of engineering that goes into their engines is much greater than any other engine manufacturer. Also the quality and tolerances built into OS engines far surpasses any other manufacturer. this is evident in everything from the quality of their castings, to the nickle cromate plated cylinder sleves. There are very few engines that you can take out of the box, and fly with little or no break-in period. As far as the AX is concerned (I havent actually seen one up close) I have no doubt that it is as good or quite possibly better than the FX. OS would not have discontinued their most popular line (FX) if they weren't confident in the AX. It generates more power, than the FX without using tuned exhaust, and has no "throttle hesitation", which implies that OS has learned from their experiences with the FX. Back to the engineering of the AX, OS would not have used plastic parts unless they were positive that they would fulfill their intended purpose.

I own four FXs, and I have never had any problems with any of them. I have been running one with a tuned pipe, and a machined head to increase compression (a veritable torture for any engine). It is now four years old with well over 400 flights on it, and the only appreciable wear on the engine has been the bearings. I relaced them with high temperature ceramic bearings, and it hasn't had a problem since. Even the cylinder sleve and piston are in good shape. My very first engine was a .46 LA. After smashing it up numerous times, and several "lean runs" it still ran as well as the day i took it out of the box. The LA series doesn't have the best power in it's class, but they are (like the FX) a solid easy to use engine, which is why they are by far the most popular engine when it comes to training. Just look around at all the RTF trainers out there, and chances are they'll have a .40 or .46 in the nose.

[xv-townboy]

go with the tt46,best bang for your buck imho