Cost of DOUBLE STAR .40BB Engine???

[Paul Taylor]

Why are they so expensive? For that kind of money I would buy a RO Jet or PA.

Are they really worth that kind of mad money?

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Howdy Paul,

Short answer...YES.  I would buy one.  They have a different run than the RO-Jett or PA.  They are very light and are very well made.

Zuriel

[Alan Buck]

Hi Paul they run like a Brodak or a modern day fox 35. flew one in a nobler it worked very well in it

[Dalton Hammett]

Hi Paul

    I got a good buy on one at Brodaks a couple of years ago and used it to replace a Fox .35 in a Magician 35.   BIG improvement !!    I would buy another if I ran into another great deal.

Dalton H.

[dennis lipsett]

I actually think that the Brodak 40 runs as well if not a little better then the double star. For one thing the stars were origionally over choked and that cut the power, the Brodak 40 does not have that problem. It also has one big advantage. Right now it is available and cost less then a double star.
No I don't work for nor am I compensated by Brodaks.
Dennis

[Bill Barber]

   Paul I have a  Double Star 40 the one with the plain bushing that runs well
but not a strong as my Brodak 40's . But you wrote about the Dbl Star 40 BB which is
different animal. I have read that the ball bearing motor is a  much stronger motor.
Hopefully someone who has run the  BB version will pipe in .
    Bill

[Bill Hummel]

We ran the DS 40 BB in the kit review in Flying Models of the Dixon Cardinal...outstanding "classic" run type engine. Clearly
in the ballpark of a ST 46 power-wise, incredibly well made, absolutely repeatable runs day after day!  Most average stunt
guys will never wear one of these out, so the initial costs are justified, IMHO.  Do not confuse the BB style Double Stars with
the older plain bearing version, as someone already said, different animal! We used the DS 54 also, even better, basically in
the same crankcase.  Light, powerful, friendly, awesome engines...if you are looking for the classic 4/2 style run.

[dennis lipsett]

So does anyone know why the supply has dried up. I should have reaf the origional thread a little more closely and seen that he was referring to the BB version.
Dennis

[Louis Rankin]

Paul, I will bring one out to the fun-fly on the 9th for you to look over.  Yes the 40BB and the 54BB are well worth the asking price.

[Steve Fitton]

So does anyone know why the supply has dried up. I should have reaf the origional thread a little more closely and seen that he was referring to the BB version.
Dennis

The same outfit manufactures the Double Star motors and the Brodak 40s.  Most of their production efforts go into making Brodak motors, so production volumes for the DS motors are very low.  I think production numbers for the 40bb and 54bb are around 25 motors per year.  That, plus the numbers of different DS motors (six or seven different motors) means sometimes Tom is sold out for a few months.

[Robertc]

To answer your question as to why so expensive, as Steve pointed out, they are a short manufacturing run engine.
With the lack of big quantity, the price goes up.  Both 54 and 40 are excellent running engines.  They both fit the same
engine mounts.  They come with several different sized venturis and head shims to taylor the power/run to your
liking.

[Randy Cuberly]

Why are they so expensive? For that kind of money I would buy a RO Jet or PA.

Are they really worth that kind of mad money?

There were several of these engines used by top competitors in "Classic" at VSC including, Keith Trostle (2nd place), Bob Whitely, Lou Wolgast and a couple of others.  Believe me when I say that these engines are very powerful, and very light.  They can be a little cantankerous to set up but once right there doesn't seem to be anything else that delivers such a pleasing power band.
These guys mentioned wouldn't be using them if they didn't consider them the best!

[Airacobra]

Randy, someplace in another thread I had asked the question asking those who used the engine at VSC to comment on their setups. From what I could tell there was little response. You say they can be a little cantankerous to set up. For $299.00 and some more change I guess I hesitate when a competent competitor such as your self says they can be be cantankerous. Let me qualify all of this by saying I haven't seriously competed in a  few years, but if I were, I am confident that at my level, my old ST .60 could still get the job done. If I were to be serious about competing, I think the electric route may be a viable option and in the long run a more efficient way to spend my harder to come by money.

[jim welch]

Ck classifieds....Jimmy ...thanks

[Bill Little]

As someone mentioned the plain bearing .40, I will pass on what Tom told me a while back.  Seems the guy that makes them set the compression for FAI (no nitro) fuel.  Tom said to add two to three head shims for 5%-10% nitro usage. 

Also, a venturi in about the .300 range will really make a power jump (Tom didn't add that part).  The original venturi, IIRC, gave about the same choke area as the Fox .35 Stunt.  Way too small for a .40.  Set up with extra head shims and a bigger venturi, they will turn a larger prop with more authority, yet still give a great 4-2.  In other words they start to act like a ".40", not a ".35".  On a level similar to the Brodak .40, power wise.

I have no clue as to whether any changes have been made to later runs of the plain bearing DS .40.

Big Bear