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From the Editor - March 2023
Last month I informed you that I’d finally run out of road on my old computer, which was well past its “replace by” date and was using Windows 8.1, which is no longer supported. This forced me to get a replacement system which operates on Windows 11. For a total cyber-klutz like me, this comprehensive changing of the guard presented a daunting challenge - a number of the trusty old programs which I’d been using to develop material for this website no longer worked, placing me on a major learning curve to become familiar with replacements. As technology advances, it seldom becomes simpler! Thankfully, the exercise of preparing this edition of my website afforded me ample opportunities to explore and practise the new routines, to the point that I think I’ve broken the back of the challenge, at least to the point at which I’m able to do what I need to do to keep things going. As a result, here I am with another edition for your reading pleasure! Sadly, the global situation has not improved - we find ourselves facing many of the same challenges that we had to confront during 2022. It would be easy to fall victim to despair in the face of the present levels of international political and societal dysfunction which threaten us. However, that wouldn’t solve anything. Looking at the situation pragmatically, I reckon that all we can do as individuals is carry on as best we’re able while exercising due caution, which is what I’m doing. It really does help to know that there’s still an Confirmation that a significant number of folks are seeking an escape from all that ails us by remaining very much engaged with our hobby comes from the fact that the mail box has remained quite active. Despite the many distractions now preying upon us, I still heard from quite a few of you during February, including (in no particular order) Peter Valicek, Don Imrie, Dave Zwolak, Rick Kacmarsky, Luis Petersen, David Burke, Maris Dislers, Allan Laycock, Jon Fletcher, John Peric, Tahn Stowe, Dean Clarke, Tim Dannels, Ken Croft, Bob Beaumont, Mike Noakes, Larry Davidson, Wes Pettinger, Ken Burdick, Miles Patience, Olli-Matti Karhunen, Mark Boesen and Paul Smigelski. 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.
However, my sense of loss pales into insignificance compared with that recently suffered by Tim personally. On February 18th, 2023, Tim’s loving wife and companion of 65 years, Betty Dannels, passed away after a lengthy illness. I met Betty back in 2015, finding her to be a gracious and warm-hearted person. I can barely imagine what Tim must be feeling after going through so much of his life with his never-failing helpmate by his side. He’s fortunate to have the support of their two loving daughters to help him through this period of loss. I’m sure that all members of our community join with me in extending our sympathy and our best wishes to Tim during this difficult period.
Anyone interested in trying his hand at home construction would do well to review these videos attentively – there’s much guidance there! The similar videos posted on YouTube by my good mate Peter Valicek are equally instructive. It’s always good to learn from the experts! Having completed the Nano project, Olli-Matti intends to take some time away from the machine shop to focus more on the winter free flight season in Finland. When he gets back to cutting metal, one of his planned projects will be an AHC diesel, for which a casting was supplied to him once again by Ken Croft. Peter Valicek also plans to tackle the AHC diesel using a casting which I provided for his use.
I’d advise anyone interested to contact Dean at the777eng@hotmail.com sooner rather than later to get your expression of interest registered. My own order is already in! Turning now to this month’s lead articles, the all-new offering sees us return for a visit to my adopted country of Canada to take an up-close look at another member of the relatively exclusive group of model engines produced commercially in the land of the Maple Leaf! I already presented a detailed review of The Banshee .604 racing engine forms the subject of this month’s lead article. It is yet another almost-forgotten product of the Canadian model engine manufacturing industry, such as it was. This disc rear rotary valve (RRV) unit was first made in 1945 in very small quantities by George Molson Barrett, trading as Barrett Engines of London, Ontario. It proved to have a very interesting story to tell - as you’ll learn, this was a very worthy effort by its constructor George Barrett!
Normally, that would be it for new articles this month, However, I reckoned without my valued Aussie mate Maris Dislers! Maris shares my view that it’s perhaps even more important to share information about the “common-or-garden” ranges than it is to document the rare and exotic examples of the engine maker’s This being the case, Maris has gone to a great deal of trouble to present an exhaustive analysis of all variants of the Ohlsson & Rice (O&R) 23, one of the most widely distributed vintage powerplants of them all and one which is still frequently encountered both in collections and in regular use today in old-timer applications. I’m sure that you’ll find it to be as enjoyable a read as I did – thanks, mate!
I think that about does it for this edition. All being well, I'll be back to you with another edition on or about April 1st, 2023. 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 first-hand sources and trust your own informed opinions rather than the fantasies of others whose focus is entirely on themselves and their own delusions. Ignore them and the misinformation that they spread, 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 self-centred 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 from Canada once more! Hope you’re all hanging in and continuing to enjoy our fascinating hobby! Here on Canada’s West Coast we’ve continued to experience far lower than normal levels of precipitation, although we have recently had a brief taste of winter in the form of a significant snowfall in late February. Whether we can catch up to normal snowpack levels to supply our water needs during the summer remains to be seen………..
ongoing interest in model engines among my valued readers - that’s what keeps me going! My statistics reporting system has continued to report very encouraging visitation figures. 
Turning to some far happier news, it’s always a pleasure to hear from Olli-Matti Karhunen of Finland, who is turning into one of the world’s most talented home constructors of model engines. Olli-Matti shared details of his latest efforts, a 2.5 cc 
After completing the Sugden Special, Olli-Matti planned on taking a little time off from intense machining projects. However, he quickly fell victim to the allure of the 
Still on the subject of engine building, readers may recall that in December 2022 I passed along the information from Dean Clarke of 
the 
The MEN transfer article for this month takes the form of a revised edition of my existing article on another of the iconic British ranges, the 
art. This is because far more people will have opportunities to experience the more common models, making information on them significantly more widely relevant, at least in practical terms.
The MEN transfer article will deal with a British engine with which many readers will be familiar - the Allbon 2.8 cc diesel which gave Alan Allbon his start. This engine was covered in my article on MEN on the subject of the | |