Has Enya Stop Selling Engines?

I doubt they are "going under"

I got my first Enya .35 5224 as a gift in 1971 (math sez I was 16 years old)

I suspect those men making the engines in Japan are 10 to 20 years my senior and I am 60 so I imagine they are nearing or over 80 years old

In the few years I have come back to model airplanes I visit all the web sites. Heroes, mentors, Guys I read about, or Gents that had some impact on model aviation hobby; are passing to the "big airfield" rather rapidly

I have the original and two spare 5442 .35s. In fact I used the new(1971) one so seldom I doubt it is even broken in yet, but I digress;

Lots of speculation on the other sites that electric, RTF, BNF, no real model builders, and several other forces are going to kill off Internal Combustion model airplanes and Enya may be going under....

For the last few years---Considering HOW FAST any new engine from them has been sold out in days if not hours suggests to me it is not a lack of customer base for their C/L engines

Of course there are always supply and demand forces and no doubt the current flight enthusiast have many very easy and fast ways to experience a smallish part of this hobby/vocation.

So I assume like all other things from my youth that are no longer produced, like Fox and Enya .35s (et all). We will have to adapt or pay exceptionally high prices to source one from the estates or e-bayers

And the cycle will continue if we get enough Any younger folks to learn and be jazzed by BUILDING, Starting the first engine, and flying something with effort, blood, glue smeared jeans....That thrill, in 1965, brought me back after 45 years of real life

Cottage industry is alive and I think we will have viable alternatives for some time yet....BUT it is up to us old codgers to at least expose a child or grand child....much good about LIFE comes from this hobby

I just received this reply in Facebook:

Ken Enya wrote:Sorry your inconvenience. We will reproduce our products soon and we have to maintenance our websites. Please let me know your request to our email address sales@enya-engine.com I reply to you the condition of the stocks. Thank you !!

It appears to me that they may be basically operating in a cottage industry status. If someone wants a particular engine, to E-mail them their need. If they get enough requests will dictate priority and they build a batch. Also, they may just go ahead and 'special order' build you an engine.

It is good to know that they will respond. I think this may have caused the new .61 to be made. Also, and I only speculate, during their hay day, they may have been subcontracting out engine parts work, which would have allowed them to produce greater quantities. Back during WW2, Japan's manufacturing was basically operating overall as multiple family operated cottage industries, which made it difficult to bomb manufacturing without bombing population (or so I gathered).

That might explain why we only see 3 older gentlemen, which seems the extent of the factory. That may be true now, but just 3 men couldn't have turned out the quantities for world sales that occurred during the 1950's through 1980's.

So they are working on there Web site ? To be able to see what they have in stk. or will have a special engine built and will that cost more or what ? I would bee interested in possible a purchase but want to know what I am getting by pictures and literature on that engine .

getback wrote:So they are working on their Web site ? To be able to see what they have in stk. or will have a special engine built and will that cost more or what ? I would bee interested in possible a purchase but want to know what I am getting by pictures and literature on that engine .

Can't say and this is more by conjecture than fact. We now live in the information age. Before when all advertising was done by printed material such as catalogs and sales flyers, a store had time to put stuff together then put it out. I used to remember the AHC flyers and ads in magazines. I'd send them $0.50 or $1 and several weeks later get their sales newspaper. Then order something and receive it 3 to 4 weeks later. (I lived in Hawaii at the time and 1st Class mailing + Parcel Post order took a month.)

It was amazing how we got stuff done but that is the way we did it and we got used to it.

Nowadays, info is visible to all instantly.

GallopingGhostler wrote:
It appears to me that they may be basically operating in a cottage industry status. If someone wants a particular engine, to E-mail them their need. If they get enough requests will dictate priority and they build a batch. Also, they may just go ahead and 'special order' build you an engine.

A couple of years ago Enya reproduced a batch of the old square intake .35s due to popular demand. Apparently a great stunt engine. They were reasonably priced & sold out really quick. I got a new venturi insert and NVA to convert mine to C/L, which I havent done yet because I have nothing to attach it to. Engine runs pretty well on the bench with the R/C carb, but Enya carbs were always a liitle crude.

Rod.

They put better carbs on their high performance engines, like the CX series. It would be a real shame if they too will have to close down...

I think I have enough engines to last my lifetime, but it would still be a pity to see them go like many of the other engine manufacturers.

Thanks George , Kris are you running any enya's at this time ? I have a 29,09 and I think a 15 for CL planes .

Surfer_kris, as we all have observed, the IC engines are slowly being outmoded by the modern electrics and battery systems. It is only a matter of time. Meanwhile, Enya exists for us to enjoy.

You're welcome, getback. I don't have as many Enyas as Surfer_kris, but I have enough to keep me content: 4 - 09-III (2 TV's, 2 CL's), 3 - 15-III TV's, 2 - 19's (19-V CL, 19-VI TV), 2 - 35's (35-III TV, 35-V TV). Got an 09-III TV with Tatone Peacepipe muffler on a Sureflite Foam ARF Cessna 180 and a 15-III TV on a Sig Wonder.

Been a little behind on my builds due to my involvement as the President of our local Christian Motorcyclists Association Chapter, worship leader for the Salvation Army Clovis chapel and tenor sax player for the Clovis Community Band. Those include: 2 - Enya 09-III's for my Sterling P-38 CL build, finishing my 09-III TV powered OK Models Pilot Cessna 177 CL build, and 35-III TV for my Goldberg Falcon III RC build.

I know there's not been much progress for the past year, but on top of house and car repairs plus activities, just have been having a lot going on.

I have used the Enya 09 the most I think, great engine that's hard to wear out. Lately I've been hoarding their chromed versions though, they are even nicer. The CX .11 in diesel and glow versions are great engines. The diesel one is more timid in the timing and a very smooth runner. Another good model that many overlook is the SS .15 which is actually an ABC engine too.

The Enya 09 did a great job in the "Topstick" (before I upgraded to an MVVS diesel);

Well, I certainly hope they stay afloat. They make wonderful engines. I have 2 CL .45's and a .29

They will probably last my lifetime.

The first ever engine that I owned was an .09-III. (Apart from thew Mills .75 diesel I inherited when my brother left home). The engine was bought new by a guy from school and unrun becuse he couldn't get it to start. I found that the insulating washer was missing from under the top thimble of the Enya glow plug- dead short. Removed the tnimble & it fire right up. I knew nothing about oil ratios or breaking in or running rich 2-4 stroke. I bolted it to a plane, filled it with the only glow fuel available (0% nitro, no idea of oil), fired it up, cranked it up 'til it would go no harder and flew the wings off it. Built another plane & treated it the same. That engine is still one of the sweetest running easiest starting engines I own. So much for being technical about fuel choice, lean runs and break-in.
I have 3 more .09s, a .15-III I bought new and hardly flew, a .19 I got for $4 on ebay from Japan, (runs nice), an old .35 and a NIB .60-III I found among my late brother's stuff. I love them all.
Rod.

These mid 1960's Enya 09-III's are powerful little buggers, really perform well on T/F 7x6 wood props. Peter Chinn mentioned that there is no advantage to running these on smaller props, as it takes the engine outside its power curve once in the air. I found also the lower inertia wood prop made needling the engine easier and less critical for starting.

While that is true, in principle, I also believe that Peter Chinn also tested the 09 III with less restriction on the intake and higher nitro levels. The power curve then peaked at around 18000rpm and it took a 7x3 prop to get there.

Surfer_kris wrote:While that is true, in principle, I also believe that Peter Chinn also tested the 09 III with less restriction on the intake and higher nitro levels. The power curve then peaked at around 18000rpm and it took a 7x3 prop to get there.

Hi Kris. In reference to your comments, please bear with me on my logic. I was referring to November 1966 Model Airplane News article with regard to Peter's comments on the TV version:

http://www.sceptreflight.net/Model%20Engine%20Tests/Enya%2009-III%20CL%20&%2009-III%20RC.html

Peter Chinn wrote:Throttle control was, in fact, much better than one normally encounters with motors of this size. Using a mild (5 percent nitromethane) R/C blend of fuel, we obtained the following maximum/minimum rpm on various props: 8100/2600 on a 10x3-1/2 Top-Flite wood, 8400/2700 on a 9x4 Top-Flite nylon, 10,250/2900 on an 8x5 Poer-Prop, 10,400/300 on an 8x4 Tornado nylon, 12,000/3300 on an 8x4 Power-Prop and 12,600/3600 on a 7x4 Tornado nylon. We also tested the engine on smaller props but there is little point in using these on the 09-III TV since this engine will then be running beyond the peak of its power curve in the air.

I found his statement to be true and on a Top Flite wood 7x6 prop and 10 - 15% nitro, performs well.

The article you are referring to is June 1966 Aeromodeller article on the CL version with wider venturi setting and on a special blend of racing fuel:

http://www.sceptreflight.net/Model%20Engine%20Tests/Enya%2009-III%20CL%20%281%29.html

Peter Chinn wrote:We substituted a "racing" type mixture containing 30 per cent nitromethane (pure nitromethane, not the 70/30 nitro/methanol blend that is the only commercial grade now available). This added 700 r.p.m. to the engine's revs on an 7x4 Tornado nylon, 1,000 r.p.m. on a 7x3 PAW, dropping back to 800 on a 7x3 Top-Flite. We then removed the venturi restrictor and ran a further series of tests on 30 per cent nitro fuel. This added another substantial gain, particularly at speeds above 15-16,000 and resulted in the curves shown, including a peak output of just over .24 b.h.p at 18,000 r.p.m.

This power figure is, in our experience, second only in the "09" category to the Cox Tee-Dee 09 on similar fuel. The maximum torque, registered by the Enya, of 17 oz. in. is the best recorded by any engine in this capacity group. A side-by-side comparison of performance figures recorded under similar conditions for the two engines suggests that the Eny is, in fact, the better of the two up to 14,000 r.p.m., after which the Cox pulls away gradually by virtue of its higher peaking speed of nearly 20,000 r.p.m.

Reading Peter's comments in context, the Enya is strongest when one does not exceed 14,000 rpm. If you look at the torque curve, the torque drops off considerably toward the higher rpm's. Also interestingly enough, not all props are equal and he got slightly better performance on a Tornado 7x4 than a Top Flite 7x3.

Peter also commented that he burned out a plug on the higher nitro content. I'm not sure why one would even attempt to push this engine although they are more than welcomed to.

It's forte is sport flying on sport mixtures with adequate oil and lower nitro content. What one does with the engine is their choice. I used a 7x3 prop on my TV with 15% nitro fuel and it flew very .049 like. A 7x6 prop made it fly with authority.

If one wants to push this sport engine on racing fuel with 7x3 prop at the risk of burning out plugs, then more power to them. It also goes to show that the Tee Dee .09 engine is definitely a superior engine. And regarding pushing stuff, I'm still figuring a way to push my Gilbert Thunderhead side ports.

The literature which came with the old Enya engines recommends 0% nitro. This is all I ever used back in my flying days and don't recall having any issues with starting, consistent running or plug life. I bolted on whatever prop I had which seemed to work ok and don't believe I ever actually knew what size they were. Proves just how forgiving & versitile these engines are/were.

ENYA is listening 10 different engines as instock.
Including 23 of that big honking180X GS.
(I have a couple of diesels on eBay)
Ken