I’ve started this new thread to assist people needing parts for a specific engine to let others know. I’ll lead off – I could use a timer assembly for a Lucas & Smith Contestor D-60-R.
Cheers!!
I’ve started this new thread to assist people needing parts for a specific engine to let others know. I’ll lead off – I could use a timer assembly for a Lucas & Smith Contestor D-60-R.
Cheers!!
I no longer need a tank
Topm
Hi Adrian, looks like I can leave comments?
Happy October, Adrian. Since General Discussion is broken, I will leave my thoughts with you here.
First off, I think you greatly underestimate your value to the brothership of model engine collectors! I have lifted both facts and images off of your site (properly credited) when having online discussions elsewhere. Many others refer to information that you collected, too. Your site, along with MEN, is by far THE BEST model engine resource anywhere!
I do remember that you received an unsolicited donation not too long ago from a group on Facebook. I’m not on Facebook, but would be happy to donate toward keeping your site alive. Please don’t think it’s out of line to ask your readership for help in keeping your site running. How about setting up a way to donate via Paypal? My Aeromodeller subscription is something like $120 US per year, and I read your site more.
On another subject, I don’t see any way of contacting you to submit to “Readers Recollections”. Am I missing something by using a smartphone instead of a pc?
Regards,
Paul
Hello Adrian and every one. I have two McCoy 29 Redhead rear intake units in need of needles for the needle valves. If anyone would have one or two of them to spare please let me know.
Firstly, I hope you’ve returned to good health!
Engine-wise, did Fox ever produce mufflers for their .15X? There are drilled and tapped bosses (vertical, in the centre of the exhaust) but I’ve been unable to locate one. Can you point me towards one?
Yes, they definitely did make a muffler for that engine – I had one once. No longer have one now, but they’re probably around – just keep looking!
Cheers,
Adrian
Hi Adrian,
I haven’t found any other way to contact you, so I am trying this. I have two subjects.
Firstly, a small comment on your article re: breaking in ABC engines. I found it VERY helpful, but there was one small omission, in my opinion. There is another factor in the swelling of the upper part of the cylinder during running and that is the compression, both before and after firing. Many such engines, although very ‘tight’ if you turn them over slowly, will rotate quite freely if you give them a good fast flip – evidently the pressure is enough to expand the cylinder sufficiently to prevent the binding that is evident when just turning slowly (which allows much of the pressure to leak out).
On another matter. I have what I believe is an Ohlsson & Rice 23 sparkie. I plan to fly it in a Slicker 50 – a Bill Dean design from the 1940’s. This particular engine – serial # 109754 – so probably circa 1947, does not have cast-in mounting lugs – as I have seen in pictures of other O&R units of the era. It has the three bolts holding the front end and the backplate to the crankcase, but no lugs. Instead, it has a formed sheet steel piece that is held in place by the two upper bolts and creates two mounting ‘ears’ sticking out on either side – with two bolt holes per ‘ear’. I attach a picture. I am wondering if this is a variant, or whether it is a copy of some sort. Also, on this particular engine, the exhaust port seems to be slightly different in shape from some of the pictures I have seen. It is rather like a thick symmetrical airfoil in shape – narrower at the back than some of the more ‘oval’ ones I have seen, but not sharply pointed at the rear like some others. It appears to be between the extremes. Do you know if there were several different crankcase dies? It is always possible, I suppose, that the backplate, which bears the serial #, is from another engine and the crankcase is actually earlier than indicated.
I don’t think it’s an expanding bore due to gas pressure that makes these engines un-stick when flipped. Rather, it’s
the fact that the coefficient of dynamic friction between two surfaces (when they’re moving relative to one another) is far lower than the static coefficient of friction when they’re not moving or moving slowly. That’s why a lot of them stick when not moving but un-stick when flipped. I think that my article is correct.
Your O&R is a variant – I’ve seen a few others like it.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Adrian
Hello again Adrian. I have just noticed that I referred to a backplate in my previous email on the O&R 23. There isn’t a separate backplate, of course, it is a closed crankcase at the rear, but the three bolts go right through, with nuts on the back.
Hang tough and get well Adrian ! … Can anybody help with a Mills 1.3 mk2 con rod ? Just found a sweetie but it was painfully over compressed … Will …
Hello , Best wishes to you Adrian , your importance and good thorough work to our community cannot be overstated … I’m in need of a Mills 1.3 rod … can anyone help ? … A previous attempt at a post was up briefly then down … is there someting I must do as I’m’ new to all this blogging stuff !
Oh , I think understand now …
Adrian,
Firstly, may I wish you a good 2025 with improving health!
I’m wondering if you can help me regarding the ED Racer, Amongst other disc valve engine I have a reed valve engine (no markings and mag crankcase) and the piston has been shortened to the point where the bottom clears the exhaust ports, surely this can lead to dilution of incoming mix with exhaust whilst rather wrecking the low pressure in the crankcase during induction. I can imagine in some 2 strokes using a tuned exhaust then if a negative pressure was applied at this point it might improve crankcase filling, but not with a non-silenced exhaust surely? Perhaps I’m being dim! As an experiment I’m hoping to link two taplin twins, one driving the other as it were for a small RC boat. Best wishes, and thanks for your constant updates and great articles. Neale Shepherd: England
Actually, Neale, sub-piston induction is a really good idea with reed valve engines. Read my article on the Thuella Favoriet from the Netherlands to find out why!
Cheers,
Adrian
Hi Adrian,
Apologies for contacting you this way but I can find no other way on your website to do so.
I read with excitement of the UEDA engines, and the serial numbers you had mentioned. I have just been fortunate enough to acquire two .19s, hopefully they don’t arrive with a broken crankshaft issue. When they arrive, I will be happy to update you with the serial numbers. One of them I know is in the 200 range.
The other question I have for you is an early Enya 63 typhoon and an early .29 redhead typhoon. Do you have any advice to what they could be worth?
Many thanks, Jeremy – I’d be glad to have those numbers!
Cheers,
Adrian
Hi Adrian,
The Ueda .19’s arrived. One of them is # 157 and the other is # 973
Cheers,
Jeremy