From the Editor – September 2025

Greetings once more to one and all! I’m glad to still be in a position to send out this greeting to all of my fellow model engine enthusiasts around the world. My recovery from the removal of my stomach tumor followed by my gall bladder is proceeding well, with no significant side effects so far. I feel extremely fortunate to have received such excellent medical care from so many fine, caring professionals.

My namesake surgeon Dr. Duncan is now back from maternity leave, and I have a discussion with her scheduled for mid September. Hopefully my last remaining challenge, the incisional hernia that developed following my stomach surgery, will be dealt with thereafter in a timely fashion. Can’t wait!!

The Tariff Terrorist down South just keeps on adding to his reputation. We were just treated to the sight of a convicted felon and an alleged war criminal facing outstanding warrants getting together to decide the fate of the world while leaving related documents lying around in an Alaska hotel printer. How warm and fuzzy does that make you feel about the hands which hold America’s fate and that of the world?!?

The application of his tariffs to small packages has pretty much dealt US collectors out of the international model engine market – no-one can sell to the USA any more. Apart from his schoolyard bullyboy tactics with the tariffs and his childishly vindictive pursuit of his opponents, the abandonment of any US response to the climate change issue at the whim of this intellectually-challenged 10-year-old child guarantees a bleak future for the US citizens whose interests he has falsely sworn to protect, many of whom are already experiencing the consequences, whether or not they admit it. His planned destruction of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) amounts to an act of international vandalism. Coupled with the cancellation of mRNA vaccine research, how many Americans will die because of his policies? His flagrant gerrymandering of the voting picture in Texas and elsewhere shows all too clearly how little he values the principles of democracy, as does his pardoning of the January 6^th insurrectionists.  

The Mega-Maggat’s personal take-over of his nation’s capital by seizing control of its police force and deploying the National Guard to enforce his will is deeply disturbing, as are his plans to extend National Guard deployment to other cities. Welcome to the Police State…………. As if this wasn’t enough, this convicted felon and alleged consort of sex traffickers now has the unmitigated gall to tell the homeless residents of Washington. D.C. to “move out”, threatening to use the National GOP Guard against their fellow US citizens who are guilty of nothing more than falling on hard times. Since when has that been a crime?!? Where are these people supposed to go, and how are they to get there? Can anyone detect the smallest shred of humanity, moral fibre, sense of responsibility, empathy and compassion implied by these actions? I can’t …………….

Internationally, his ongoing defense of the organized program of indiscriminate mass murder, targeted assassination, forced starvation and genocide now openly taking place in Gaza, as well as his endorsement of the plan to permanently annex the area makes the USA directly complicit in these crimes, to its shame. Some may argue that Israel has a right to defend itself. Absolutely true, but that does not give it the right to wage a war of extermination against Gaza residents in general, most of whom are innocent of any hostile action against Israel – they’re just people trying to survive like anyone else. Starving them to death is a war crime, pure and simple, as are the indiscriminate killings of journalists and medical workers. Many of the victims are mothers and children – some threat!! How many people remember that Israel was active in facilitating the establishment of HAMAS in the first place?

Americans “like a dictator”, eh?!? (DT, August 25^th, 2025). Coupled with his intention to seek a third term, it’s hard to see how the Maggat could have made his ultimate intentions any clearer. At this point, words fail me …………… 

Now thankfully on to far happier topics! My valued mate Maris Dislers read last month’s article on the E.D. Bee and noted that I had completely overlooked his evaluation of the E.D. Cadet which appeared in the February 2020 issue of “Aero Modeller” magazine. In his article, Maris confirmed that the Cadet was a far better engine than its sorry reputation would suggest. A simple modification brought its performance up to a level which was quite comparable to that of other contemporary 1 cc sports diesels. I’ve rolled Maris’s observations into the Cadet section of my E.D. Bee article and even tried them for myself with encouraging results! Have a look, and then dust off that old discarded Cadet, apply Maris’s simple tweak and put it back into the air where it belongs!!

OK, on to the new articles for this month! Despite the continuing levels of stress arising from the deeply troubled times in which we live, I’m still trying my best to make every edition count – who knows how long I’ll be in a position to do so? Once again, I’ve somehow managed to assemble what I hope will be another interesting selection of articles for your reading pleasure.

The first article sees a continuation of my coverage of the various E.D. models. This time, it’s one of the off-side E.D. offerings – the 5 cc Miles Special diesel. I say “off-side” because in reality this engine was not an E.D. product at all for the most part! Rather, it was constructed in relatively small numbers by its designer, the celebrated Basil Miles. E.D.’s involvement was limited to the manufacture of some of the components and the promotion and marketing of the finished engines under the E.D. trade-name. All of the engines were assembled and tested by Miles in his own workshop. It's an interesting story which I think you’ll enjoy!

Staying with the general subject of “Specials”, the second article sees a return to the USA in happier times to examine the highly individualistic 0.298 cuin. (4.88 cc) Torpedo Special which was manufactured in both spark ignition and glow-plug configurations between 1946 and 1950. Despite the Torpedo name, this engine had nothing to do with the K&B Manufacturing Co., being manufactured by an entirely distinct company called Miniature Motors of Culver City, California. The simultaneous use of the Torpedo name by both companies hints at an interesting tale, and readers will not be disappointed!

The MEN transfer article for the month deals with the BWM range of model engines which were manufactured during the 1950’s Cold War era in West Berlin. The 2.5 cc BWM 250D is quite well known, but the scope of the range extended well beyond that model. It’s a range whose history is well worth recording!

That’s about it for this month, fellow enthusiasts. All being well, and assuming that WW3 doesn’t engulf us and that my neighborhood remains free from the sound of tramping jackboots and gunfire, I hope to return in October with a few more reviews for your reading pleasure. In the meantime, I really appreciate all the expressions of support that I’ve continued to receive from so many of you! 

Adrian Duncan 

British Columbia, Canada (the NATION, not a state!)

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