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From the Editor - October 2022
October 2022 is a big month for me, because I turn 75 years old! A full three-quarters of a century has passed since I was born in Adelaide, South Australia, while well over 60 years have gone by since I first put flicking finger to prop! It was a bit of a shock for me to realise that I was only 5 years old when the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth the Second came to the British throne! She had quite a run! Looking at what’s been happening around the world, it can’t be denied that we live in difficult and very worrying times. Still, I suppose that all we can do is carry on as best we’re able, which is what I’m doing. It really does help to know that there’s still a continued interest in model engines among my valued readers - that’s what keeps me going! My statistics reporting system has now settled back to reporting far more rational (but still very encouraging) visitation figures than it was doing for a while.
Confirmation comes from the fact that the mail box has remained very active. Despite the many distractions now before us, I still heard from quite a few of you during September, including (in no particular order) Peter Valicek, Jesus Ortega Delgado, Roger Cooper, Tony Eifflaender, Peter Wallis, Robert Parry, Don Imrie, Chris Ottewell, Chris Murphy, Gordon Beeby, Dennis Merwood, David Burke, Michael Noakes, Luis Petersen, Maris Dislers, Bob Christ, Randy Linsalato, Dean Clarke, David Giles, Hugh Blowers, Lyndon Bedford, Brian Hampton, Ingemar Larsson, Alex Phin, Alberto Parra, Larry Davidson, David Watkins, Peter Rathke, Dave Hipperson, John Goodall, Kevin Richards and Neill McRae. Apologies to anyone whom I may have inadvertently missed in the crowd, and apologies also to anyone whose message(s) went unanswered - things do slip through the cracks, especially when I’m distracted! The blog site has continued to justify its existence by contributing a small but steady flow of relevant traffic - thanks for that.
On a happier note, Alex Phin advises that he has received a small shipment of engines from Alexandr Matusha in Ukraine. These are a small batch of the Matusha/Sosonov (MS) 2.5 cc F2D combat glow-plug This doesn’t appear to be much of a challenge! Alex has been making up a package to accompany each engine, including an extra high compression head, a muffler, seal, gasket, shims (4) and props (4). At £250.00 these packages aren’t cheap, but you get a lot for the money! Four of the nine engines were sold immediately (oddly enough, not to combat fliers!), while two more are spoken for in addition. That only leaves three on the table at my time of writing, so if you’re interested, better get in touch with Alex pronto!
This engine is significant in being the first 2.5 cc diesel of which I’m aware to use the “inside-out” axial-intake drum valve later widely used in leading edge team race diesels. Notice the second set of slightly narrower "exhaust ports" which are actually sub-piston induction ports. Jesus poses three questions. Firstly, does anyone know what the boxes for these engines looked like? And secondly, does anyone know anything about the Burka engines in general? Finally, can anyone provide an image of the original FRV model? If any kind reader can help, please get in touch!
And now, a cautionary tale from which we can all learn. My valued English mate Alan Strutt wrote in to share an unhappy experience surrounding a recent eBay transaction in which he was unfortunately involved. He was the successful bidder on a Rivers Silver Arrow which was being offered by a seller with several thousand positive feedback ratings and no negatives (I’d had several satisfactory transactions with the individual myself). The engine was both pictured and described as being in very good condition, with smooth bearings and very strong compression. It was accompanied by its original box and paperwork. A tasty-looking item indeed! Unfortunately, the description turned out to be far from accurate. The cylinder and piston had clearly done a lot of work - all compression drained away almost immediately as the engine was slowly turned over TDC. So much for the “very strong compression”! While the bearings were indeed smooth, the Anyone having the slightest knowledge of model diesel engines would have become aware of these shortcomings immediately upon handling the engine for real. The seller certainly should have done so. Needless to say, Alan made the seller aware of the gulf between the description and reality, stating that unless a total refund was forthcoming, he would complain to eBay and leave negative feedback, thus ruining the seller’s mysteriously unblemished feedback rating. He also expressed his distaste for engine dealers who either knowingly or through neglect deceive their buyers through false characterisation of their offerings. This resulted in Alan receiving a refund, but not a single word of apology. Alan was nonetheless content to leave matters there, but the seller wasn’t! Alan was later shocked to discover that he had been blanked from participation in any of the seller’s future auctions - clearly, the seller was not prepared to accept legitimate criticism for his lack of transparency. Needless to say, the seller has been removed from my own list of persons with whom I will deal in future - if my friends aren’t welcome, then neither am I. Alan’s tale is a cautionary one. In an eBay offering, there’s obviously no opportunity to examine the engine in advance of bidding. This being the case, it’s always wise to confirm the actual condition of the engine by asking any questions that seem to be relevant - I always do. Any would-be buyer should question statements like “strong compression”. Specifically, does the engine retain its compression for any length of time when held at TDC with only a light oiling? Is there detectable play in the reciprocating power train? A statement that the engine turns over smoothly says nothing about the possibility that the conrod bearings may have slop in them. The seller may legitimately be asked to confirm these points. When mounting holes aren’t mentioned, it's OK to ask whether they have been enlarged. When things look suspiciously bright and shiny, enquire if there is evidence of buffing or after-manufacture machining. Backplates are an easy target for the “improver” to tart up, either by filing or emery papering. Are they clearly shown in the photographs? Are the original turning marks still visible, and do they feature original tightening slots of standard size? Is the needle valve original? Statements like "the engine doesn’t turn over" are highly ambiguous - why doesn’t it turn over?!? Castor gum (very common), or something else? Since the statement relieves the seller of having to say anything about the internals, engines described as being in this condition need to be viewed with extra caution. If you absolutely must have the item, be prepared either to be disappointed or to face a challenging restoration; if at all possible, buy a different example. For my part, I always free up any engine that I’m planning to sell or trade - only by doing this can I assess the engine’s compression and the state of its internals. My advice - buy from sellers who do the same.
Now on to happier things! This month’s lead articles both continue the process of filling in standout omissions from my coverage to date. Reviewing my various articles on classic 10 cc racing engines, a name that keeps cropping up in those articles is that of the Orr Tornado 65 from Michigan, USA. It’s always my preference when mentioning a given engine to include a link to detailed information on that unit. However, no such information on the Orr has hitherto been available on line. Time to remedy that! Accordingly, this month’s all-new article features full coverage of the Orr Tornado 65 racing engine. I think that you’ll enjoy it!
I think that about does it for this edition. All being well, I'll be back to you with another edition on or about November 1st, 2022. Meanwhile, please accept my best wishes for continuing the process of learning to live with the various challenges which now beset us so as to get the best of what life still has to offer under present circumstances. Take care and stay well - keep yourself informed from credible sources and trust your own informed opinions rather than those of others whose focus is entirely on themselves, not on you. Ignore them, make up your own mind based on authoritative current information and act accordingly! It’s your future and that of your kids and grandkids .……….don’t let others having conflicting agendas decide it for you and for them! Cheers, Adrian Duncan British Columbia, Canada ___________________________________ Note regarding material to be found on this site - unless specifically otherwise noted, all images and text which appear on this site are my own work, and I hereby assert my right to be recognized as the originator of this material. For the record, this material is made freely available to all upon two firm conditions:
Adrian C. Duncan British Columbia, Canada |
Greetings once again! Hope you’re all doing OK in the crazy world in which we now seem condemned to live! Here in British Columbia on Canada’s soon-to-be Wet Coast we’re beginning the long-awaited shift from scorching dry summer heat with associated wildfires, poor air quality, etc., to the cooler but wetter Fall (or Autumn if you prefer) season. As a person who is usually too hot, I for one actually welcome this change! For one thing, it means that I can get back to some serious engine testing! 
It appears that despite the now-endemic Covid-19 situation, the ongoing Ukrainian disaster, the various crackpot politicians and political activists who increasingly insult our intelligence, the unchecked trend towards climate catastrophe and the growing levels of accompanying societal dysfunction, a significant number of folks are clearly seeking an escape by remaining very much engaged with our hobby. I’m with you guys!! 
Given the fact that the worldwide model engine enthusiast community is steady getting older (as witness my own 75
An interesting inquiry came from my good friend Jesus Ortega Delgado. He’s hoping to make up a few replica boxes for the very obscure Burka 2.5 cc diesel from Madrid in Spain. These were made by the aeronautical engineer José Burkaib, who was working in Switzerland when he made the original front rotary valve model of this engine around the mid 1950’s. He later returned to Spain, where he developed the illustrated rear drum valve version of the engine beginning in 1956. 
I was delighted to hear from Tony Eifflaender of P.A.W. fame. Tony wrote in to express his appreciation for last month’s 
reciprocating train had a lot of detectable wear in it. Nothing had been said about that in the offering. Externally, the engine wasn't too bad, except that the name "Rivers” had been virtually polished out and the back cover was a mess of modifications. Thanks to clever photography from carefully selected angles, these latter issues were not visible in the auction pictures.
This month’s MEN transfer article stays with the 10 cc racing engine theme. We head back to England for an in-depth look at the 
Looking ahead to next month, I think it’s about time that I blew the horn of my own adopted country of Canada once more! I already covered the 
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