Awesome engine. One of the best .21 racing engines ever. I have yet to find an engine that will match the performance and runtime of the OS engines.
I have also not found any longevety issues. 8 gallons on my v-spec and running stronger than ever.
As for pipes, go with the losi RE11. It's an os 2050 copy for $65. JP-3 is also a great pipe for it IMO. Awesome power and excellent runtime, but I would still go with the losi pipe.