From the Editor - April 2023

Greetings from Canada once more, and happy April Fools’ Day!! Perhaps an appropriate day on which to reflect upon the intellectual qualities of so many of those who hold so much influence over our lives during these challenging times .............and let's not forget their supporters!

Here on Canada’s West Coast we’ve continued to experience far lower than normal levels of precipitation, with clear signs of approaching Spring appearing all around us from early March onwards. We could certainly have used some more precipitation over the winter to get our reservoirs topped up for the coming summer, but so far that hasn’t been happening. Apart from a two-day period during which a layer of snow did cover the ground, it’s been far drier than we would like at this time of year. Hopefully April Showers will set matters to rights ……………..and at least the asteroid missed!

I’ve previously informed everybody about my adventures arising from the need to change my entire system to bring it up to date following the end of support for the old Windows 8.1 system that I used for years. After a bit of a struggle, I finally managed to get on top of the new systems and was all set to carry on. But then a new problem reared its ugly head – something went pear-shaped with my website, the upshot being that I became blocked! A number of readers around the world became similarly afflicted. An early April Fools’ Day prank, or …….?!?

I gather that for most of my readers the site has now returned to full functionality. I too am back in control, but in order to get there I had to install a completely new interface between my computer and the cyber-world - new modem, new router, etc. This did the trick, and all is now well.  Unfortunately, I still have absolutely no idea what happened, and neither do my IT guys. This is not a comfortable situation - when things go wrong, I like to know why they went wrong so that a repeat can be avoided. Not so in this case - I simply have to be thankful that things are now working again!

So I'm back in business, but sadly the global situation has not similarly improved. 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 and making reliably informed decisions, which is what I’m doing. It really does help to know that there’s still an 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.

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 March, including (in no particular order) Peter Valicek, Don Imrie, Dave Zwolak, Rick Kacmarsky, Roger LaPrelle, Richard Magin, Luis Petersen, David Burke, Maris Dislers, Gordon Beeby, Chris Murphy, Sergio Montes, Pat Hardy, Hugh Blowers, Stewart Mclaren, Tahn Stowe, Dean Clarke, Tim Dannels, Ken Croft, Steve Webb, Jim Woodside, Bob Beaumont, George Kaplan, Bob Grossman, Bo Sandström, Laurence Cooper, John Brown, Ted Smith, Eric Willis, Larry Davidson, Miles Patience, Peter Scott and Ron Hiltz. 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.

Maris Dislers contacted me from Australia to advise of yet another departure from our midst. This time it’s Konstantin Malchevsky, designer and maker of the Zalp-K  F1C and F2D engines, who passed away on March 13^th, 2023.  The Zalp-K engines were marketed in Western countries by Hobby Club. They served their owners well, reflecting great credit upon Konstanin’s abilities. He will be missed.

My friend Luis Petersen of Denmark was kind enough to send me several images of the short-lived Mk. 2 version of the Mikro II diesel which was the subject of my feature article in the February 2023 edition of this website. These images provided a high level of clarity regarding the changes which went into that revised design. I've added the details to my existing article to be found elsewhere on this website.

Another valuable contact came from my ever-helpful Aussie mate Gordon Beeby. Gordon did some more research on the origins of the Dyne engines, learning that the company which has previously (and incorrectly in my view) been credited with the production of the Dyne range, namely C. P. Dyne Ltd. of Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, London, had its origins prior to the onset of WW2, being established from the outset as model dealers and never at any time referring to any involvement with model engine manufacture. I'm more convinced than ever that C. P. Dyne had nothing to do with the manufacture of the Dyne engines.

As if this wasn't enough, Gordon also did some digging with respect to the Streamline engines which have hitherto been seen as a legacy range based upon the residue of the Dyne series following its demise. Gordon has shown conclusively that far from being a successor marque, the Streamline engines went back to mid 1946, possibly even preceding the Dyne range. Revisionist stuff indeed! The new material has been added to the "Origins" and "Streamline" sections of the existing Dyne article. My sincere thanks to Gordon!

During the course of his scrutiny of model engine advertisements during the 1946-49 period, Gordon also happened to stumble across an important piece of evidence that had been overlooked previously - a December 1946 advertisement for the Milford Mite! This advertisement places the initial appearance of the Mite in late 1946, some 5 or 6 months earlier than I had previously thought. I've revised the Milford Mite article to relect this new understanding. 

David Burke of Australia sent along a fascinating piece of aeromodelling history in the form of a YouTube link to a well-preserved newsreel film of the 1936 US National Championships, in which the Brown Junior engine takes centre stage. A wonderful reminder of how it once was! Amazing to think that this film was shot eleven years before this ol’ ether-sniffin' balsa-buster was even born! Well worth a look – thanks, David!!

Turning now to this month’s lead articles, I have yet another triple-header for you - two all-original articles and one MEN transfer effort! The first of the new articles is a full review and test of the very rare Lionheart faux twin from North London, England. This was marketed by the same firm that promoted the M.E.C. 1.2 cc diesel which was the subject of an earlier article to be found on this website. Some information on the Lionheart was included in that article, but the new effort covers this very unusual engine in far more detail, including a full test.

Some of you may have read my more condensed article on the Lionheart which was featured in the final issue of Tim Dannels’ much-missed "Engine Collector's Journal" (ECJ). To provide something extra for those already conversant with the Lionheart story, I’ve included an article on one of the real enigmas of the British model engine manufacturing industry – the Dragon 16 sparkie. These engines were undoubtedly produced but have left almost no media or advertising trail. Moreover, although they were manufactured by someone who seems to have known what he was doing, most of those that survive today won’t run!  An enigma indeed …………read all about it in this month’s bonus article! 

The MEN transfer article deals with a British engine with which many readers will be familiar - the Allbon 2.8 cc diesel which gave Alan Allbon his start in late 1947. This engine was covered in my article on MEN on the subject of the early years at Allbon, but I felt that it deserved more focused coverage. Accordingly, I’ve split the Allbon 2.8 story away from the original article to stand on its own. Expanded coverage of the early Allbon FRV models will be presented in a separate MEN transfer article. I hope that this approach will improve readers’ access to information on these very significant model engine designs.

For next month, I plan to return to my adopted country of Canada to continue my efforts to fully document the limited number of model engine ranges originating in that country. I already wrote about the Queen Bee, Monarch 600, Banshee .604 and Hurricane engines. Time now to turn attention towards one of the less prolific but most notable Canadian ranges – the Strato series from Montreal. 

The Strato engines were individually constructed to very high standards by Montreal resident Randall Bainbridge, who completed some 80 units between 1940 and 1947. Most of these were spark ignition models, although a single diesel prototype was completed. The surviving engines are a testament to the model engineering skill of their very talented creator. Their story is well worth preserving.

The MEN transfer article will move me one further step towards the completion of my coverage on this website of the Reeves engines from Shifnal in Shropshire, England. I already dealt with the Reeves 6 cc spark ignition model with which Edward Reeves entered the model engine manufacturing field in 1946. Time now to take a good look at the successor to that design, the 1948 Reeves 3.4 cc diesel, with which Reeves entered the model diesel field. That unit will form the subject of next month’s MEN transfer article. Updated articles on the later Reeves offerings will follow in due course.

I think that about does it for this edition. All being well, I'll be back to you with another edition on or about May 1^st, 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 sources and trust your own informed opinions rather than the fantasies of others whose focus is entirely on themselves and their own agendas. 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 grand-kids .………. don’t let others having conflicting self-centred agendas decide it for you and for them!

Cheers,                                                           

Adrian Duncan 

British Columbia, Canada

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Adrian C. Duncan

British Columbia, Canada