Show and Tell

1/2A Nut wrote:Nice Cyclon AC-29!!!

Oh, I thought you said Cylon.

That Cyclon AC-29 ( first one ) Does have a nice pipe !!

Webra Speed .40 R/C NIB but missing paperwork











Here's two used but not abused (i think) engines.

Nelson .40 Quickie 500











Nelson .40 F1

The engine came with mini-pipe, a new engine mount and a damaged crankcase for display only. Has had internal issues.

The Webra engines are awesome. I have a few myself. Very good quality, they start very easily as well. I have a older .40, several .32's which are sweet runners and the Speed .12.

I purchased this engine back in February 2018 for US$149.99 (the seller had 20 of them for sale on eBay) which, for a good-looking Italian made 10cc engine, seemed a very good price to me, especially after reading the write-up Clarence Lee gave it on Sceptre Flight Model engine tests. Clarence, along with others, strongly suspected that this engine and the .40 were made by Picco but apart from being made in Italy, nobody was admitting it at the time. He also stated that other engines in the Skyward range including a 25, 28 and 46 were being made in Taiwan and by other unspecified engine manufacturers.
Clarence gave the 60 a very good report and the engine also has got good feedback on sites such as RC Groups and RC Universe.
It was later confirmed that the 40 and the 60 engines were indeed made by Picco for the Skyward Research and Development Laboratory in Montreal Canada.

The Skyward .60 FSR pipe version.

There’s been some heavy snowfalls (down to sea level) heavy rain, tornados etc down here of late. Storm hit Auckland yesterday and last night, boats upturned, cars etc yada yada.
Upshot of all that is can’t do much outside except get blown away. Speaking of that, there was a guy on the news yesterday. The roof got blown off his house so he grabbed his TV as it looked like it was going to fall. Outside, his wife was blown into the garage wall and broke her collar bone. I’m thinking, mate, you’re going to pay for that choice.
Anyway, to fill the days I went through some more engines.
I have listed the dates for the engines as when I think they were first introduced as I don’t know how long each engine was produced nor any way of dating the engines. I’m no expert on model engines (or anything for that matter) so where I’ve made a mistake let me know. Information is of no use if it’s incorrect.

K&B 8380 1977
.21 3.5cc with header and tuned muffler.
7 rib front case appears to have been introduced in 1977
No box or paperwork.
Appears to have had a fair bit of use but overall seems in good condition.
The 8380 was later superseded by model 8900.












K&B 8500 1975
.29 4.9cc eng B0000511
No idea when C F Lee modified this engine but 7 rib case appears to have been introduced 1977
C F Lee stamped but missing his instruction sheet.
Since leaving CF Lee manufacturing, I don’t think this engine has ever been out of the plastic bag until I took it out for these photos.




















K & B 8600 1977
.35 5.8cc eng C0000376
7 rib front case
Some paperwork missing
Careful examination of each centre rib, on the sides of the crankcase at the front, indicates what I think is crash damage.
The scuffing on the prop driver looks like it as well. The clincher is that the bearings are very very rough when turning the crank shaft gently back and forth.
I can’t remember now if the seller advertised it with those faults or not. Maybe I got tucked on this one.
But anyway, I’ll pull it apart and see what the damage is and if it’s only a bearing issue, I’ll be happy.  
















K & B 8010 1973
Torpedo .40F 6.5cc  Series 71

Going by the scuff marks on the mounting beams it looks like it may have been mounted by some sort of clamp, possibly wooden blocks, but doesn’t appear to have ever been run.














K & B 8065 1973
.40S 6.5cc Pylon eng 002795
Never run but no box or paperwork










K & B 9001 1975
SRII .40 6.5cc eng 00270
12 rib front case.
Appears to have never been run or mounted.
Has the pipe but missing some paperwork.
Somewhere there is someone who has no model engines but an amazing collection of model engine instruction sheets and related papers and decals.














K & B 9120 1979
C F Lee custom F1 6.5cc eng I 0922 001
According to Tim Dannels book, “American Model Engine Encyclopedia” these engines and this style of crankcase (12 ribs on front case) first came out in August 1975. I put this one as 1979 because that’s when it became a C F Lee Custom engine and was delivered to the customer.
I have listed it as a F1 engine because that’s how a Clarence has written it on the invoice.
This engine not only has all the paperwork (very rare to find them like that) but also has the original customer invoice plus correspondence between Clarence and myself concerning this engine.
New condition, never run or mounted.
















K & B 6535 1975
.61 (10cc) R/C with Pumper and Muffler: Series 75
A new in the box engine with all the paperwork, everything, well almost everything. The plastic bag that had the mounting screws in it has come apart and one of the four screws is missing.
I wonder if there is a warranty on that.















Phew, that's all folks,

for the moment.

Delete

I have a new in the box K&B.21. The recommended fuel after initial break in  was 70% nitro.  My K&B .61 is currently flying my Giant Ringmaster. My K&B 6.5 has a custom AAC cylinder which I haven't run yet. I'm looking forward to the results. The .61 is a real fine engine. They're actually inexpensive and very easy to use. All parts are currently available for it and it's still produced by Mecoa.

That's good to know Ken, though to be honest I doubt I'll do anything with mine other than look at it.
I've never used K&B engines, back in the late seventies I used OS, but, aside from Cox I have more K&B engines (10) than any other, closely followed by MVVS. I have heard good and bad things about MVVS engines but can't comment myself as I have no experience with them either.
Will post them soon.

I stripped that K&B 35 engine, the one I mentioned with the crunchy bearings and I can't see any reason for it. The engine is like new inside. Anyway I'll track down some new bearings and reassemble it.

Some time later

Applied a little heat and got the bearings out. With close inspection (jewelers eyeglass) quite bad corrosion and pitting could be seen on the inner bearing races, particularly the front bearing. I guess sitting all those years moisture could have got in there. Anyway other than the bearings, the engine looks in excellent order.

Some of the old K&B engines used a plastic(Phenolic?) cage in their bearings.  They would lock up or be rough even when just sitting for a month.  A squirt of fuel would free them up in nearly all cases. A squirt of fuel often frees up regular bearings too, and flushes out the dirt and dried up castor.  Many guys uneccesarily use the crock pot antifreeze when they are just a bit rough.  I have rarely needed to replace bearings.  Some were just very loose, and one had the cage fall off.  Maybe 4 out of hundreds. Rust is bad for sure though if it really is that and not castor chunks.

thats Cool Daven , i didn't know K&B made F1 engines , they appear to be well made and lookie Good ! The info on Clarence Lee is informative with his custom tuning . Thanks for taking the time to show us ur engine collection , i hope your weather clears up for your country

I have the rear exhaust pylon .40 MVVS, the other is the Front intake side exhaust quickie.40. The pylon engine has been run but the side exhaust is NIB. I also have the MVVS 3.5 which impressed me the second I started it. It's a neat engine. The other MVVS I have is the side exhaust 2.5. Where I found them to be problematic is when you don't have the proper instructions to know what nitro to use. The .40's are setup for no nitro. The color of the heads generally dictate what versions were made and one can look it up online as to what fuel to run.

More good info thanks Ken. I'll be posting the MVVS engines soon so you will be able to tell me a lot more about them. I have two .15's, six .40's and a .45 so it's takes me a while to get through them.

I have never seen a newer front intake K&B .29.  Here is my RR, right from Bill. Couple MVVSs, a 2.5 and 3.5.  The 2.5 is way slower than even the LA .15.  The 3.5 (.21) is a strong runner.

Smore pics, Picco too. Its is not really slow, but average compared to stuff like even AX .46s



.

Been recovering from a poison hand for the last week. Finally gone down enough to be able to type with both hands.

Here's the MVVS engines.
A brief history of MVVS

The Modelling Research and Development Company (MVVS) was established on 15th October 1953 on the basis of a Government ruling and achieved International success almost immediately in 1954 and went on to win many World Championships in the following years.
In 1971 the state began to run short of money and MVVS was incorporated into the state concern Modela in Prague and its name changed to the Modelling Production and Development Centre.
   The firm was privatised in 1991, becoming a limited liability company. At first it achieved some success on the German market and in the USA with new export opportunities. Around half of its production was taken by domestic customers.
The company's product range expanded in the nineteen nineties to include 4.2 (combat), 4.6, 7.5, 8.0, 12.7 and 15 cc engines, developed by modifications to existing models, and completely new 20 and 25 cc engines, which were, however, produced for only a short time.
A 23.6 cc twin cylinder and the company's first petrol engines (26 and 35 cc) proved more successful.
Negligible investment in technology in the nineties was reflected in a decline in quality and commercial stagnation, and the company was sold in 2001.

The above text was taken from the MVVS website
.
The following text is from my research

During this period, it would appear that factors of poor marketing after a change of US distributor, and a poor exchange rate to the US dollar making the MVVS range very expensive by comparison also contributed to the decline of sales.
Sometime in the early 2000’s, possibly at the time the company was sold, MVVS ceased production of the glow range of engines and a rumour circulated that the manufacturing rights, patterns and dies had been sold to another company.
Also, around the same time engines said to be MVVS clones appeared, made in Argentina and marketed as Snorer engines. I kid you not.
There is a clip on you-tube of a snorer engine being run.
Here’s a snorer



While MVVS is still functioning (at least until 2017 according to posts on their website) I haven’t been able find much more about Snorer engines or the company that made them.

MVVS engines are nowhere near as complicated by model designation as the OPS range.
A GRRT model is a Glow ignition, Rear intake, Rear exhaust, Timed for tuned pipe
GRR as above but not for pipe
GFS/R is Glow ignition, Front intake, Side or Rear exhaust.
If the designation starts with a D it’s a diesel.
In some models just two letters were used

like this MVVS 2.5cc GR
#3026
Stamped 751
First Manufactured: ?
This engine manufactured in 1979 and sold 6th February 1981
Sourced from Europe, can’t remember exactly where.
















MVVS 2.5cc GF
# ?
Stamped K under one side mount and 35 under the other and has a black plastic back plate
First Manufactured: ?
Sourced from UK.
The prop washer and nut show graunch marks but otherwise the engine appears in good condition. With those replaced, it will make a nice display engine.










MVVS   .40 (6.5cc) GFS/R R/C
#3066
Stamped Q under one side mount and 670 under the other
First Manufactured: ?
Sourced from USA.
Needs a good clean and detail












MVVS 6.5cc Quickie
#3068
Stamped G under one side mount and 121 under the other
First Manufactured: ?
Sourced from UK




















Pylon engines
Although model pylon racing had been around for some time, according to an article on a model website in Czechoslovakia, F3D pylon racing as an official competition didn’t start in Czechoslovakia until 1975. Here’s a short passage from that article dated 2010. Google translation is a bit broken English but you get the idea.

Something about the history of the Great Melnik Award
History of organizing races around  The pylons go back to the year.  1975. When about a dozen pilots competed in the national RC-P category (models with engines up to 2.5 cm3).  The new 6.5 cc MVVS engines that have just appeared on the market have been an impulse to try the FAI F3D international category even though the model audience was predominantly convinced that this category does not have a chance to succeed in our conditions.

And another short passage…

In 1977 MVVS staff modified the 6.5 GF engine to a pylon version of 6.5 GRRT.  

Ah, enter the 6.5 GRRT mk1
The titles of mk1, 2 or 3 are ones I put on these engines for reference purposes.  

MVVS 6.5 GRRT mk1 Pylon
#3065
New engine. Stamped K under one side mount and 103 under the other
First Manufactured: 1977 to ?
Sourced Czechoslovakia










MVVS 6.5 GRRT mk2 Pylon
#3065
New engine. Stamped N under one side mount and 45 under the other
First Manufactured: early to mid 80’s?
Superseded mk1 but kept the same catalogue number.
New, unused but still has lost its box, paperwork, prop nut and washer and sustained a dent in the rear intake.
At least it’s still got the needle valve, the rest won’t be hard to put right.










MVVS 6.5 GRRT mk3 Special Pylon
#3070
Sourced Germany
First Manufactured: Late 80’s?

I spent several years searching for one of these and I never even came across a wrecked one but, persistence paid off and I eventually located a used but very clean looking one for sale in Germany.
Not the right box but happy to have it all the same. Seller included a custom engine stand and a copy of the same Czech article on pylon racing.
This one is stamped 3v under one mount and 24 under the other.



I quickly purchased it and had it shipped to the UK where it would be forwarded on to New Zealand. Three weeks later while still google searching and harassing contacts in Europe I found another one, also in Germany but new in the box.
Dilemma! I’ve already got one but a new one, these things are rare.
After thinking long and hard for at least half a nano second I bought it. Quick phone call to contact in the UK (eldest daughter’s brother in law) to hold the first one, there’s more coming.
When I finally got it, I thought it wasn’t in the right box but has the paperwork. The more I searched the more MVVS engines I found for sale in that same white box especially racing type engines. Maybe it is the right box.



The needle is still sealed in its plastic bag.

















This one is stamped Y under one mount and 1 under the other. Now that is an interesting number.




MVVS 7.5cc GRR
#3075A
This one is stamped Y under one mount and 3 under the other. Another very low number
First Manufactured: 90’s
New in box plus new in box correct MVVS tuned silencer
Sourced USA

I didn’t even know this model existed until I picked it up on an eBay search. I often type in pylon engine or similar to see what comes back. It was for sale with silencer by a US dealer clearing old stock.













Here’s a picture of the .40 and the .45 side by side. .45 is on the right.



Apart from the gap between the head and the larger hole in the fuel nozzle they look identical.
I haven’t been able to find any reference to this motor on the net, it’s not even mentioned in the list of engines in the paperwork that came with it.  I did find a listing for a 3075N marine engine but no picture. Maybe the A stands for Aircraft?



And to finish a selection of tuned pipes. The Modela pipe looks very nicely made

The quality control/packing slip appears to be Romanian language.

Beautiful Dave, no wonder we are drawn to these little marvels.

Bob

I saw this thread and decided to post some pictures of my Stels.049 combat engine. The engine is new and I think made in Russia I also have the Stels.35 Combat engine new also.
                                                                                                                      Juan

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Hi Juan,

Mine looks identical to your Stels .049, but came with 3 heads. All 3 have 3 fins, and the plug stems are much shorter than yours. Sport heads possibly? Bought it from a former speed flyer, but it has never been run.

The cylinder bore looks like highly polished chrome, and the piston head looks polished as well. A beautiful engine indeed.

Box ends say made in St. Petersburg, Russia.


Also have 3 early MVVS diesels. Two 1.5cc, and one 2cc. I ran one of the 1.5cc engines, but did not record any data. It started easily, and ran well on my Old English diesel mix.

The boxes say made in Czech Republic.

My diesel engines sit idle now, though I may mix some fresh fuel when it warms up around here.

Bill

Juan, glad to see you've posted on here again. I have lots of experience with the Stels twinhorn. These engine won't run on suction unless you have the plastic insert. The plastic insert was iffy even when trying to use it. Earlier examples of this engine didn't come with a plug and the Cox 1702 hi-comp head is what was used. Later in production Stels made their own glow plug and clamp which is what you show in your picture. They were quality plugs which in my opinion were superior to the Glo-Bee.

            The needle valve doesn't really work well using bladder pressure which is the recommended operation. It will work and run but trying to obtain a good setting is a bit difficult due to the coarse threads. When adjusting the needle, it's incredibly difficult not to get burned by the exhaust coming out of the small horned exhaust stack.

              The 3 slotted screws holding the cylinder onto the case are the Achilles heal of this engine. You really should replace them if your serious in using the engine. The screws are soft and the heads can pop off blowing the cylinder off. I've obtained socket head screws from the Dubro to replace them. Doug Galbreath would also retrofit these engines as he was offering these engines in the 90's. Doug instructed 40% nitro for initial break in switching to even higher nitro after 15-20 minutes. The plugs like to cool off if lower nitro is used sometimes causing the engine to just shut off.

          My son and I fly 1/2A combat and several years back the keepers of the cheese decided it would be a good idea to allow the use of .061's. This rendered all of my true .049 equipment to the shelves. I have a few  variants of the Stels rear and side exhausts versions. These were made in .061, .15, .36 sized versions. These engines also don't like full size props like a full 5x3 Cox propeller, they prefer them to be cut down starting with 4 1/4" and clipping smaller to get them to really turn up. The Russian glass props work well on this engine provided you acquire the proper one to get the rpm's up.

Hello Smooth bill and Ken
Thanks for the information I saved in a folder for later use if I decide to run the engine. I have the screws needed to replace the ones on the engine and I can make a bathtub insert to reduce intake size. I bought it many years back to ad to my collection of small engines. I haven`t been around i was working on my Triumph motorcycles.
Juan

This is my 1/2 Stels collection. The right most is the 1cc, which seems rather uncommon. I also have a pair of 2.5 F2D combat engines, which are interesting for their time.