Has anyone had any experience with any of the engines in the OS LA line?

they are a good value for the price.....

Looking for a little more info than that. I have other OS engines from the FX series, and I love them. Can I expect the same from the LA series? And if not, what problems might I encounter that I wouldn't with my FX engines?

they have less power than the fx. it's a bushing engine, so it will likely have a shorter life span than the ball bearing equipped fx......gregg

If you want the same performance as your other OS engines at a lower price ,pick up a Thunder Tiger.
The LA is OK for the money but there are better values to be had.

You should try GMS 47, its stronger than OS 45 FX by 200rpm and $70.00 shipped. Go to www.spadtothebone.com for free plans of cheap planes(>$5.00) made out of coropplast, also go to the forum for thousands of helpful friends. Ask about GMS engines and their opinions.
Check it out www.gmsengines.com

Star-Rider

I've got 2 LA's, a .65 and a .25

First the bad news.....

I got the .65LA about a year ago and put it in a Superstar 60 trainer.

That thing did not want to go, it ran like a pig. When the engine was running it caused a lot of vibration which foamed the fuel which of course made the vibration worse.

The problem was probably not helped by the fuel tank installation on the Superstar. The tank is just slotted through a plywood bulkhead, so all the engine vibration is transmitted straight to the fuel tank. I was also using Cool Power which is a fully synthetic fuel.

I've now cut out the former, padded the tank with foam rubber and switched to SIG semi-synthetic fuel. The engine now runs a lot better, but I still think it needs more running in......

Now the good news......

I've also got a .25LA. That engine ran as sweet as a nut straight out of the box. I couldn't believe how smooth it was especially after my last experience. It also looks pretty cool with the matching blue muffler...Its a shame though that O.S. feel the need to charge an extra $25 for it.....


So there you go, 2 engines, 2 totally conflicting experiences. So what do I think? I might need a .15 soon, judging by the .25 I might still consider another LA. For a bigger engine though, as I've already got 2 LA's I'd look somewhere else...

OS L.A. are only good as paper weight!

Speaking of weight, you might try looking at the weights listed in the Tower Hobbies catalog, www.towerhobbies.com .
The LA series are quite light compared to other engines. If you are thinking of getting a .40, for example, I'd definitely consider getting a .46 so you can spare the nose-weight and have some extra horse-power.


-Chung

I have two OS LA .15 and they both run excellent. Power is just a bit short of the FX series but it is reflected in the pricing. Both engines have had at least two gals of fuel through them and are still strong. I have noticed that a 15% nitro mix minimum is needed for good throttle response. The physical downfall is the plastic backplate for the needle valve. I went with remote needles and replaced the backplate with another plastic one from an OS car engine and eliminated the needle bracket.

I have a .40 and a .46 LA. They both run very well. I had the .46 LA in a Hobbico Air Vista. It has the fuel tank just pushed through a hole in two formers.(no padding) It ran very well.

I also have a Tower Hobbies .46 BB ABC. It has alot of power for the price. I think it might be a little hotter than my friend's OS .46 FX. I really like it and probably will buy another at that price.

A lot of people will tell you that the LA series isn't any good, but they are light weight and reliable engines. It is really unfair to copmpare them to a premium, ball bearing engine.

They don't have as much power as the FX engines. Well, of course. Just as car companies have low-pried and premium priced versions, so do engine manufacturers. They are plenty adequate for trainers and some fun fly planes.

They are light weight. Check the weights. Maybe you don't care about a few ounces, but a .46LA hardly weighs more than some high priced .32-.36 engines. That makes them good for powering a small fun fly plane like a PBF.

They are reliable. They have plain bearings so there is nothing to rust, forget the after engine run oil. Many that I see are abused by new fliers in their first plane and they still keep on running.

They are easy to run. The carbs are of the air-bleed type that is easy for new fliers to adjust. There are some guys that just can't seem to set an engine correctly, but they do OK on the OS LAs.

I have a .65 in a scale Douglas Skyraider that only gets flown 4 or 5 times a year. It cranks every time and pulls the Skyraider through lots of maneuvers.

That being said, in the .40 size, I prefer the Thunder Tigre .42GP. They, too, are a plain bearing, air-bleed type engine. I feel they have a little more power than the OS.

THe LAs are basically the FP series with a new name, and of course new parts. They are good beginner engines. There is nothign wrong with them persay. Light, run rather well, easy to start, BUT.
They are low on power, ( which isn't a bad thing if you are aware of this up front) and my biggest pet peeve about them is parts.... I lost the teflon washer for the con rod from my .40 FP.... $25 Yikes !! That was quite a few years ago, and I'm not even sure I can get FP parts anymore. Same thing will probably happen to the LA when the marketing genious at great pains decides taht we need a new and improved version.
True they are bushed engines, and OS is a quality engine, so I'm sure other things will wear out before the bushigns do. My K&B .65 (bushings) is well over 10 years old, and I used to keep a log for 4 or 5 years, and in that time frame the Kadet had over 600 20-60 minute flights. That plain bushing engine is still going strong today. Personally I don't consider plain bushings a liablilty.

Bottom line... for the price I would probably consider something else, but if you are OS faithful you will be happy with this engine knowning it's down on power.