What's a good 4 stroke sport engine?

I need to take a step back to my old days & put together an I.C. sport model.
I've only ever flown models with 2 stroke engines, but I think I'll go for a decent 4 stroke so I need a bit of advice.
Many years ago, when I was a lad, O.S. engines were not high performance, they were the poor man's sport engine. Now it looks as if things have changed & O.S. seem to have the best reputation there is..... Do I really need to go for O.S. in order to get a decent 4 stroke?
The model is likely to be a low wing aerobatic sport model, 56 inch wing span, weighing about 5 - 6 pounds.... but I do want it to have some guts.
I've done a bit of window shopping & I've got some idea of how many bills I'll have to leave to buy a suitable engine.
Now the O.S. prices are pretty much the same wherever you shop .... I'm not talking about saving the odd couple of quid, just the general ball park.
I like shopping at HobbyKing & I've had no complaints up to now, but HK only do ASP 4 strokes so I'd like to know if they're any good?
They are a lot cheaper than O.S.
Here's an example www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8985...oke_Glow_Engine.html
I'm not overly impressed with the performance figures ... the model I'm describing would probably fly on a 40 size 2 stroke.... this is a 61 four stroke, but is still recommending an 11 X 7 prop & at best 11,500 rpm .... with a similar model on electric, I can swing a 13 X 6 or 12 X 7 at 10,500rpm .... but I'll leave that to the experts ( That's you lot )
Is it worth the extra cash to go for an O.S. ... or are ASP a good brand?
Should I actually go for a bigger engine for a bit more grunt?
Can I please have a few general suggestions as to what to go for?
I will probably be flying this model each week in the evening, after flattening my lipo's flying with Garry during the day, but it could also very well turn out to be a modelchat club community model .... the sort you'll be allowed to fly if you happen to be passing our strip & don't have a model with you .... it could get a lot of wear & tear.
Please don't kick off the electric / IC debate ... just suggest a few engine alternatives & let me have your views on various engine manufacturers.

Cheers, .... Pol.

SC 52 4 stroke

The Beard wrote: SC 52 4 stroke

I heard SC were a good alternative .... but would I need more than a 52?

the chinese copies will never get to the standards of OS for metalurgy, and staying power, i would rather buy a good condition 2nd hand OS, than a new chinese copy, then there are laser, great british engines, solid as a rock, and last for years, run on cheap fuel, last for ever, minefield, innit? and as for OS being low power units in your early days, not the ones i had!!!! the FSR series will forever be enconsed in legend, the four strokes where indeed plodders, but then, thats what the four storkes where supposed to be, looking at things like YS supercharged indeed, whats the point? what is this model you fancy, 5-6 lbs would be a spitfire, or a vintage model, some four strokes will power one, but not the other

As we have some very knowlegable peeps on here Pol, I think they need to know the model you have in mind to make a proper decision

Garry

You might need to look at the prop clearance of the model, 4 bangers generally use bigger props so you might not be able to get too much grunt that you would like.

I'm going back about 40 years Alan... OS were lovely looking engines, but for any competition purposes, they were beaten.
Even in the likes of Club 20 pylon racers .... a 20 size OS might rev at 15,000 rpm ... the likes of a Fox 20, ... Veco, ... or Webra, would push nearer 20,000 rpm .... far better for that class.
I can only assume that OS kept the faith & their determination has paid off.

Pol.

Still need to know what sort of model you are planning Pol, for instance, if its an aerobatic type, scale, sleek, then fit an asp 12, and it will be a lemon, fit a YS 120, and it will be a rocket, same with fighters, cant comment any more until i know whats on your mind, and a veco and a FOX doing 20K? Hmmm i flew club 20 for 2 years, only my OPS could get me in the top 4, and that wasnt often, OS didnt have a speed machine until the 25FSR, but they where not legal for club 20, didnt stop me fitting one though!!! O.S. ENYA, MVVS, WEBRA, all have great build quality, and high grade metalurgy, the chinese motors are great 1 season wonders, but, if you are going to keep it, then go OS/SAITO/ENYA,/LASER YS need expensive fuel, so they are OUT, all these motors are good for anything you have planned, really, if anyone is comparing ASP, SC, or TT to the likes of the pedgree i have mentioned then they are not very fussy for quality, they are cheap, but cheap is not a laster, i am using, at them moment, an ancient original OS 120, the very first one they made its had years of running, its just been oiled, and flown, its 25 years old, the only change its had is bearings, on break down, about 6 years ago, it was inspected ( and being an engineer, that means with an eyeglass, part by part) result? good to go, new bearings, and it will last another 20+ years, chinese engines are full of un hardened parts, the crank, cam gear, high carbn steel, the rods, no bronze bearing, just silicone ally, they are made to a price, they work for a hard season, after that, move them on, ive straightened many cranks for chinese motors, i cannot believe how easy they bend back, try even filing an OS crank, or any of the others i have mentioned,
SO, all this waffle, what does it mean, simple,
by chinese get a couple of seasons out of it, by one of the others i have mentioned, buy an engine, buy it for LIFE

alan cantwell wrote: then go OS/SAITO/ENYA,/LASER YS need expensive fuel,

Laser engines use straight fuel though Neil Tidey stipulates synthetic lube should be used.

Well, I'm keenly interested in this thread, as the physical build of my Hobbyking Spitfire 60 is almost complete.
I am in the process of deciding what to power it with and haven't decided on the IC/Leccy debate yet (don't intend to start that in this thread - keep to Pol's IC queery)
This is my first such build and I've only got experience with IC heli engines (and not much at that!), so I am frankly amazed at the variety of engines.
I too need this advice on what to get if I go down the IC route.
HF

I have lots of SC engines and they are excellant never cause problems nad the SC 52 4 stroke pulls my Flair Cub and Radio Queen round with lots of power to spare love them,.For my Harmon Rocket ,Bullet and speed Air I have SC 52 2 stroke a superb engine.The last were both new and boxed from E bay for around £35.A massive saving compared to other makes.My Laser 50 I paid £110 and I love it for its individualism

Garry Pollard wrote: As we have some very knowlegable peeps on here Pol, I think they need to know the model you have in mind to make a proper decision

Garry

There are two possible models up to now.
One is an ARF from HobbyKing & the other is a part built one that I already have.
The HK one will save me a lot of work & is only £44.19 + p&p

www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__3406....html?strSearch=Soar

The one I already have is a Super Strider 56.
I've still got to make a set of wings for this one, plus I've already made a bit of a start on converting it to electric.
I haven't got a picture of it, but it's similar to the Soar in that it's a 56 inch span low wing sport model that I can have as trike or taildragger.
It may be a little heavier than the Soar because of the foam veneered wings & sheeted fuz, but it looks very strong & should take the wind well.
It has a very meaty heavy ply firewall which should happily take a gas guzzler.

Pol.

To be honest Pol, i would not waste an expensive fourstroke on such a cheap toss it in the boot model, its a chap model, go for a cheap engine, as for Mr beards observations, fair enough, but i still say they are not a long term 4 stroke, but a season hard use one, the metalurgy and build just will not let them get 2 seasons hard use, the engines i have listed have hardened cams, cranks, bushed big ends, silicone alloy pistons, T6 rods, the chinese know nothing about metlurgy, and this shows in everything made of metal that sadly hits our shores, for gawds sake, i stripped one of these things down, and could FILE the valve stems but for this simple model? go for it