stunthanger.com
Engine basics => Engine set up tips => Topic started by: Dennis Moritz on September 07, 2014, 09:06:07 PM
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I'm planning a step up from 40s. I'm familiar with LA46s. I have used them. How do Suptertigre 46s compare? What is your preference? Why?
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LA .46. It's simple and cheap, user friendly, runs great on 2% nitro home brew fuel( at lower altitudes) and easy to get. If I had 7 s/t .46's I might change my mind.
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I'm planning a step up from 40s. I'm familiar with LA46s. I have used them. How do Suptertigre 46s compare? What is your preference? Why?
I have run many Supertigres throughout the time I found my first one way back in years, when they were first imported here, around 1960 or so.
In all the changes I liked the older ones the best. I ran .23 .35 .40 and .46 in CL. In RC I have used .23, .40, .46, 51, 60, 75, .90. I have one of the big 1.25 for years but still in box. The.23, the .46, the .51, the very old .60s, and the .75 have always been great. I have not been very much in love with the rest. The .90s -- I have several -- always seem to have problems. Lots of others have fussed about the .90 in RC.
In CL. the .46 has always been a real jewel. In RC my .51s were top dog when they were in suitable models. The .75s have always been great and I fail to understand why the .60 could sometimes be a booger while the .75 was so easy to maintain and run in anything. Btw that little ST. 23 always thought it was a .35. It could move a .35-40 size model with strength. VD~
BTW, the ST 40 and 46, that I used in CL stunt were retro-fitted with an OS or Enya needle valve and the spray bar turned for the hole to be facing straight back. In that set-up, dynamic pressure is at its most while static pressure is at its lowest. Makes for good flying.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. y1
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The LA46 is cheap, easy to set up and runs very well indeed for a cheap end engine. If you figure on heavy usage then it will wear so be prepared to change it out. OK it isn't top end performance, but for most people it is a great engine for stunt.
I have only recently tried the ST 46 and then I have not got much handle time on it. I have run into ring problems with my particular example. However a quick hone of the cylinder and new rings have made it a really nice engine. I suspect that ring troubles will be its weakness.
The LA46 needs to be in a wet two stroke and the ST 46 seems to like a 4-2-4, but I have not had time to experiment.
I am not sure if Brian Gardiner does an ABC set up for the ST 46, but if he does, I would go that way, rings have always caused me troubles when you least expect them.
Andrew.
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There is a strong following for the LA, due I'm sure in part to price and availability. However the Tiger is superior in power and will pull a larger airplane through the wind much better. Parts is the great issue. The Tiger .51 or Enya .45 series 6001 are even better choices right now. The LA we've found to be something more like a good .40.
Dave
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I have just "discovered" the Enya 45s and they are great engines too. The 6002 is not the best out of the box, but if the crank bore is sleeved down, it appears to be good also (N.B. I have not yet tried this mod yet). The old plain bearing non ringed engine is also something worth looking at. I have had awful experiences with the ST 51 stunt engine. Nothing I have tried seems to work. I gave up on it as a bad job, but others seem to be able to get it working and say it is better than the ST46. Maybe it is, but it lead me a merry dance. I must have tried for many hours to crack the problem and tried just all published "remiedies" Still this is off topic so I should keep quiet.
Andrew.
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At home here Phil Spillman is running a ST-46 in a brodak P-40, and I would say it massively outclasses the LA-46. If you have a good ST-46 to hand, I say fly it. You have access to a first rate fix it guy if anything breaks in the ST.
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Like Dave T. said above a good well set up ST46 is quite a bit stronger. However it takes a really good ring and careful setup by someone who really understands the engine!
On the other hand LA 46's are excellent in terms of reliability and quality control. I've never seen a bad one come out of the box, and I've seen a lot of them. They are very flexible and can be set up to work well in a small classic airplane or a 650 sq in PAMPA Airplane if it's kept reasonably light.
I have 8 ST46's and at least 4 of them are stock and the other 4 are not. The ones with really good rings are significantly more powerful than a LA46. The others are not! I have at least $250 invested in each of the "good ones". A good LA46 is less than a hundred including a light muffler and ST needle valve!
Basically they are both good engines...choose your own poison.
Randy Cuberly
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Thanks everybody. Great information. Yeah, Steve. Got it.
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Between the ST .46 and the OS .46LA, the ST is the strongest. Stock ones can have ring problems, however. The .46LA is great for larger size Classic size models, cost less, and take no real special knowledge to get a good, usable run.
For contest work that I cared about, I would use the ST. I will qualify this by stating that I have 3 ST .46 set up by Randy Smith and 3 set up by the late Tom Lay. These are all more consistent than stock ones, in my usage. I have two of Brian G.'s ABC set ups for the ST .46, but have not set them up yet. I think this is great as it takes the ring out of the equation, which has always been the sore spot of running the ST .46 for long periods.
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM