Engine with a brain

Model Airplane News, Dec 2000 by Chianelli, Chris

If high-tech, high-performance models are your thing, O.S. has your engine: the 1.40 RX-EFI. You guessed it: that "EFI" tacked on to the name stands for "electronic fuel injection." And that means precise fuel metering--something you just can't get with a carburetor. The heart of the system is the EC-1 electronic control unit; it measures the engine conditions via two sensors and calculates the fuel required to yield optimum performance at any rpm. The result is an engine that is smooth and powerful, regardless of throttle position or rpm. You might think that the fuel-injection hardware would make this engine heavy. Not so; the 140 RX-EFI weighs just 28.5 ounces. Peak power is 3.5hp at 9,000rpm, but the real advantage of EFI is the midrange and part-throttle power.

Great Planes Model Distributors Co., PO. Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826; (800) 682-8948; fax (217) 398-0008; www.greatplanes.com.