Gilbert - a little different form of trash

davidll1984 wrote:Ho it's an interesting model Is the bottom photo the result of the restoration? Very nice model what year this model He must be very old

Thanks David. Bottom picture is from the internet, I haven't got it yet. I think these were offered in the 1960's by Gilbert corporation same people that made the famous Erector sets.

Kim ran two of these engines on his old Lazy Bee. I found it when looking for information. There are a lot of Kim's videos there.


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=gilbert+model+airplane&&view=detail&mid=3F3C98A9800E428E788F3F3C98A9800E428E788F&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dgilbert%2520model%2520airplane%26%26FORM%3DVDVVXX

Never owned one, but of all the exhausts on small engines I think the twin straight pipe version is the coolest looking

Bob,

I always though a pair of .07 Gilberts would be great in an upright install on the BHM Mosquito. That upswept intake would put the spraybar ABOVE the wing, which is the easiest place to park a pair of tanks...especially the inboard one (since the controls are under the wing).
Hmmmm

Pretty neat engines. Went through some of my old pictures.

Well isn't that a neat looking little airplane that I never knew existed.

What is that bowl behind the prop drive plate for?

A.C. Gilbert had the right idea - they made "educational toys" once were the largest toy company in the world, with the goal and idea of bringing science and engineering to the masses. He build toys that would inspire and train the next generation of engineers and builders.

some of the toys were not the highest quality, but it was to keep them affordable.
Erector sets, Chemistry sets, trains, planes, cars, the Atomic Energy Set was my fave, and super super expensive on eBay now. - https://www.acghs.org/?p=4848

I had one Gilbert motor, it was not super high quality, but it flew just fine, ... till I augured it in.

I highly recommend the AC Gilbert Historical Society webpage - https://www.acghs.org/
lots of info, and an exchange/sale forum....

getback wrote:Says its the rewind starter , I got one of those CS i think was wondering what it when to , These engines were made by the Johnson Co. didnt know that ..  https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/1-2-1-8-airplanes-70/1907553-gilbert-11-engines.html  

Yes, rewind starter.  More clunky than the Wen Max starter.  But it works.  Smacked my finger really good when I was just testing it.  

Available on both the 7 and the 11.  I do like that they set the needle back away from the propellor.  Makes mounting more difficult though and just two mounting holes are curious.  Got more of these than I thought.




And, why stop at just one.  Found another, made an offer that was accepted.  Comes with a mint Testors P-39/63 King/Airacobra.

Great score yet again! Cannot wait till they arrive and get a second chance at life with their cleanings. Definately are on their way to a great home.

fredvon4 wrote:Never owned one, but of all the exhausts on small engines I think the twin straight pipe version is the coolest looking

I'm with Phred..... and I found an interesting photo in my Gilbert folder. It was posted here a while back by Rod Boreham (oldenginerod).

Coolness personified..



... So.. How much more propeller should a Gilbert .11 compression-ignition engine be able to swing?

It wouldn't be able to run long enough before it broke.

A particular engine cant compare to what we find today without a valve with wit Intake induction directly by the cylinder A little different but surely effective As said, the converted diesel model must not turn a larger prop The crankshaft must be very stressed and must be submitted and already undergo a lot of stres

Regardless, it sure is a pretty thing. I hope that Rod chimes in with some history.

I'm glad that no one had a problem with my description of "mint" on the Wen P-39/63. Because actually it is. Seven out of ten of these are missing the canopies, and most are missing the engines cowl. That, plus no wing root cracks and intact elevators make this a jewel. Nasty will clean off with parts cleaner and Simple Green.

Sorry Bob, I can't even recall posting the picture of the diesel conversion, let alone recall where I got the picture. Guarantee it was discovered during a google binge. While I agree with Ken that the Gilbert is most likely too fragile to handle the diesel conversion, it wouldn't be the first "impractical" engine to grace this screen, and won't be the last. For rev-heads like me, it just looks cool sitting there. No need to run it.
I'm a Gilbert fan (I only have about 15, give or take) and regardless of the negative impression that some have, I've always found them to run better than expected for a side port, being an over-square engine. They turn pretty good numbers, but I will admit that the .07 is a dog compared to the .11. Only similar engine I have to compare it to is the Fox .09 side port. Not that's a dog of an engine. Both examples I have seem to have good fits, but are still very anaemic. Only by fitting a way too small prop will they turn anywhere reasonable rpm, unlike the Gilbert.

Polk hobby shop purchased the Gilbert engine line. Later when they went out of business, Penn Valley Hobby Shop purchased the entire line of parts and engines. I never seen so many of one engine in barrels. I walked by those barrels of engines for 30+ years. They couldn't give those things away. Wooden pickle barrels full to the top with plugs, headers, etc. I never was impressed with them. As a joke, a few of our members purchased Jack the Flying Hang Glider they made. I believe it was called the Wing Thing or something like that. Jack was our club's president and we thought it was fitting to buy it for him. To my surprise we got that turd flying and it actually worked.

I have both the .07 and the .11 without stacks and they are the most gutless of any engine I own next to the Thor.29. Surprisingly though Rod mentioned the Fox .09, while it's not a powerhouse, it does run quite well. The Fox .10 also does quite well. I typically use anemic engines for free flight use but the Gilbert really doesn't suit that category for myself. One thing I have noticed is that the Gilbert .07 glow plugs are VERY fragile and usually have a short lifespan compared to the .11 plugs. A Fox .15 drive washer also fits the .07 so one can get rid of that ridiculous POS starter they use.

Ken,
I'm glad you posted your notes regarding those engines. I almost bought a match for my .11. I feel like I dodged a bullet now!

Mine is never run, NOOB, but as adorable as it looks with those stacks, I just can't think of anything I'd build for it.

944_Jim wrote:Ken,
I'm glad you posted your notes regarding those engines. I almost bought a match for my .11. I feel like I dodged a bullet now!

Mine is never run, NOOB, but as adorable as it looks with those stacks, I just can't think of anything I'd build for it.

I don't know Jim, they are pretty cheap.  I just bought two more with stacks, props, extra heads, and wrenches for about $20 apiece.  

Sellers's caution:

Gilbert .07 and .11  Model Airplane Engines & Prop and Extra Glow Head and Wrench.  Selling for someone else.  Here's his description----  These engines have been run in for more than 15 minutes on mild fuel with extra castor:  30% castor, 10% nitro.  Most of the obstinance is gone.  They are still not fully broken in and extra 5-10% castor oil should be added to the first quart of fuel you run in these engines.  Gilbert engines have ball sockets under the piston to hold the rod.  Therefore, the fuel used in these engines must have at least 20% CASTOR OIL CONTENT by volume.  Otherwise the socket will wear, fueled with only synthetic oil.  This will quickly ruin the engine: lost compression and change in timing.  Note:  Cox engine warranty was voided if fuel did not have castor oil as primary lubricant.  Synthetic oil will not adequately lubricate ball-socket.  Recommend Cox Fuel, Superfuel, K&B, Duke's Fuel & SIG.  Also recommend tightening glow head before each flight.   You are getting a .07 Gilbert engine and a .11 Gilbert engine with mounting hardware for each engine.  2 prop's for each engine.  The prop for the .07 is a reverse pitch prop.  2 extra glow head for each engine and 2 Gilbert wrench's.  Exhaust stacks for the .11 engine.  The .11's have a prop driver from the .07 engines, it will work just fine.  The engines may have scuff's, discolorations, scratches as they are old and have been worked on so that each engine has been proven to run good.  I have 10 of these ready to go, they are all the same so I will pick one to ship to you.  Check my other auctions and store for more model airplane items.

My post wasn't a attempt to have one not purchase one of them. I was just stating what I've experienced using them. I have one .07 and one .11. The .11 is buried deep somewhere but the .07 is in close vicinity. I run a lot of vintage stuff on the bench when the winds are up and this is one that can be a fun one. A Google search reveals many experiences some being unrealistic in my opinion. When you figure that these engines were manufactured in and around 1960, the metallurgy and rpm ratings should've surpassed the designs of yesteryear. That really wasn't the situation and so many had their hands in this newly designed engine. A clear case of " Let's fix it until it's broke". I do like the looks of the stacks but for as much as it's down on power without them, I can only imagine running them with them installed.

Got the Gilbert today.

This guy or gal knew how to pack, best that I have seen.





Nasty engine, locked up. Missing the central screw that holds up the landing gear, but all the rest are there.





Airfoil wing, near perfect. Control limit peg on the bell crank.





This one should be a pretty easy repair and clean-up. I wanted it because it was different, a learning experience.

Bob, I think you have quite a treasure there. These are nearly impossible to find these days. Your's looks about as good as you'll find. Nice addition to the collections once cleaned up.

Oldenginerod wrote:Bob, I think you have quite a treasure there.  These are nearly impossible to find these days.  Your's looks about as good as you'll find.  Nice addition to the collections once cleaned up.

Thanks Rod, but I think we may be the only ones.

It may give me the inspiration to run it after I get it cleaned up.  Think I will! I don't remember ever having ran one.  Kind of eager to listen to what those twin pipes have to offer.  

While looking for another, I discovered these for very reasonable money.  I really only needed one of the props to replace the broken one on my second buy (pictured above).  I just wish it included the nose cone/black spinner that the originals had.  



Hmm, better picture.  Interesting exhaust stack arraignment. This one is actually the better example.

How to brighten White plastic?   If your methods don't clean up that old yellow stained airplane, you might try these:

https://www.howtogeek.com/196687/ASK-HTG-WHY-DO-OLD-COMPUTERS-AND-GAME-CONSOLES-TURN-YELLOW/

https://www.sallybeauty.com/hair-color/other-products-and-applications/developer/40-volume-creme-developer/SLNCAR63.html