RC IC Engines, you've probably never heard of.

[David Davis]

A former clubmate flew a Mutunuc back in the Nineties. It was fitted in a Tiger Moth with foam wings produced by an English company which I believe is no longer trading. They made a range of semi scale models at the time but for the life of me I cannot remember their name. The engine seemed to go ok.

How about Fuji? I used to have a 19 in a Junior 60 until the crankpin failed. Otherwise it was a good powerful little engine. It is one of only two engines which I have ever damaged in flight.

The other was an HP VT 21, an Austrian four stroke as heavy as a 40, power of a 10 but very quiet! I ran the piston ring through running it too lean or with insufficient fuel in the engine.

I still have an HP VT 25 and two 49s. I may find a use for them one of these days.

[John Tee]

I got a Mutunuc in a bring and buy years ago , as I had never heard of them. it appears not to have had fuel through it. Must have had some connection with Sussex Model Centre as all the paperwork had their name all over it. Had an HGK 45 in a Helibaby years ago when you used a belt to start the engine. The compression was so high I rarely got the engine to turn over without the belt slipping.

John

[Denis Watkins]

I still fly a DB Mascot yearly, with a Bluebird 46 up front that I think is Chinese motor from years ago.

Edited By Denis Watkins on 15/04/2020 09:05:16

[Nigel R]

"I still have an HP VT 25 and two 49s. I may find a use for them one of these days."

They were some beautifully made boat anchors. The VT 25 however made excellent motive power for my Junior 60. The heavy engine avoided the addition of lead in that short nose, and the thing had low power requirements.

I seem to recall the instructions recommended lots of castor (25% ?) in the fuel to help seal the rotary valve.

[Bob Cotsford]

I got an engine in a second hand Pilot EZ20 (?) low winger, I think it was a Taijet 25. Plain bearing with a very basic rc carb. After the EZ20's demise it was used in various long forgotten airframes and ended up in my Veron 1 1/2 Strutter for a few decades before converting it to electric. That engine always had tremendous end float on the crank , had no compression and spewed grey metallic waste from the front of the crankcase but never missed a beat.

[Robin Colbourne]

I'm really enjoying this thread!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Paul Marsh]

SK (Kangke Engines) Have 2 both in models and flown them. One in the Grob pictured and the other in a Seagull Turbo Porter.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Brian Cooper]

MP Jet .061 BB diesel.

A powerful little 1cc diesel engine. Easy to start and it throttled well. I have still got one here somewhere.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

You don't hear much about Veco engines. I still have a 19 somewhere - along with the scars from when it wore a pusher prop for a few months!

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Frank Skilbeck]

Posted by David Davis on 15/04/2020 07:57:07:

A former clubmate flew a Mutunuc back in the Nineties. It was fitted in a Tiger Moth with foam wings produced by an English company which I believe is no longer trading. They made a range of semi scale models at the time but for the life of me I cannot remember their name. The engine seemed to go ok.

Was it Pat French Models (PFM)

[Peter Christy]

My first MicroMold Lark flew with a Veco 19!

--

Pete

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Chris Berry]

I've got the bits to make about three and a half MDS engines of about three different sizes. I cant even give the stuff away!! I might use them as they were intended, to prop a door open during summer.

 

I know a couple of chaps who swear by them, I only ever swore at mine, even after changing carbs and o rings.

Edited By Chris Berry on 15/04/2020 21:44:22

[Denis Watkins]

At the time that MDS were marketed, at my place we ran On Castor Straight ?I

We were brought up fearing Nitro would ruin our motors, and nitro was a no no.

The MDS came in a beautiful stylish box, and basically, the motor was taken from the box and run on castor straight

And did not fly very well.

Months after purchase, On then reading the instructions, we saw the recommended fuel with 10% nitro ?

That day onwards, with 10% fuel, we had no more problems

[Martin McIntosh]

On my return to the hobby in 1998 after a fairly long break I bought a couple of mags to see what was what, and MDS were getting glowing reports so I went to the RAF Halton show and got a JR computer radio (wow!), a kit for a very slippery F3A model (Desire) and an MDS 48. The throttle would jam wide open on this due to the barrel slot ending like a letter P so this was filed out. I soon discovered that the way to get a really good idle was to use 10% nitro and a slightly cooler plug. The motor was very powerful, reliable and astounded my new clubmates because of the very slow idle. I ended up giving it and the model to an impoverished but keen guy. He never did get it to start though!

[Steven Webb (Steve Webb Models)]

One I think I will surprise a few with. An ASP ( Acceleration Speed and Performance ) Chinese 40 RC Diesel.

The Info I have is that it was a Prototype or one of a few Diesel 40 's that ASP released. Its the only one I have ever seen. Does any one else have one or any info they could share. I've lost my diesel book at the moment. I have sold some in recent years and bought more. I don't think I sold this one. My memory is terrible.

I doubt I will have as its rare, so I probably still have this.

The wife said do you worry about Burglar's. I said always - but then again I can't find a lot of them myself and so how will they?

That's not a challenge if you are a Burglar!

Any info, would be lovely.

Steve

[Robin Colbourne]

Posted by Barrie Lever on 15/04/2020 21:05:59:

Posted by Peter Christy on 15/04/2020 19:04:58:

My first MicroMold Lark flew with a Veco 19!

--

Pete

 

Peter

At around that time I seem to have memories of seeing a chap flying a heli with power by a Cox 049, his name might have been Peter Valentine, do you remember that?

Barrie

Barrie, I remember seeing Peter Valentine's 049 helicopter in RCM&E in 1976.  The helicopter was an amazing achievement for the time. I think Peter was also an Air Cadet Gliding instructor too.

Here you are: 

Edited By Robin Colbourne on 15/04/2020 23:59:36

Edited By Robin Colbourne on 16/04/2020 00:03:54

[Steven Webb (Steve Webb Models)]

Part 1 MDS Early 90's from the other side of the counter.

Adding to the MDS postings. I first heard of them when the Ripmax Rep Produced Polystyrene Boxes with MDS 40 and 61's in them. They were very drab, dirty white boxes. I looked at said... No not interested. He said you will be when you hear the price. Retailing at £25 each. I was interested. We did a better deal and sold the 40's at £15.99 and the £61's at £19.99. It was crazy. We had a table stacked about 8ft high in engines. People bought them in 3's and 4's, This was what I called the 1st wave. They did not run that well, fitting an Enya or OS carb with adaptor ring tripled or quadrupled the price. But to some people getting them to run was the Hobby. The ones that came back and there were many the Ripmax Rep Swapped and when he ran out of swaps, he credited us with goods for the duff engine. Often leaving  us the engine. They didn not want them back. I gave a few away to customers that has tamed them and got their's running.  Extra discount asked for often resulted in, do you want a free engine... The returns were often unrun, new. Just people heard how bad they were and brought them back.

I heard many years later that that first wave of engines were engines produced just to keep workers busy many years before Ripmax purchased them. Part of the deal to get them to produce a new range was Ripmax taking the first wave. It seemed were never produced with sales in mind.

BUT - Ripmax were planning something better for MDS. The Robbe MDS. Ripmax must have gone in with Robbe as a Black Box with Robbe Logo , Ripmax Sticker Engine appeared along with some Polysterene Box 15 R 's with tune piple ( and these worked! They had no carb, venturi only. The Miniature Aircraft Factory ( Dave Lowe and John Redmond) produced a F16 model to go with the 15 R and they sold loads - I used to swap engines for kits.

The Robbe MDS were a finer looking engine. No longer as cheap, but still very economic compared to even Chinese engines. There was a 18, 25, 36 ( might have become a 38) 40, 48 and 60 - I can't recall the pricing but lets say it was £35 to £50.

But still problems. Carbs again. But these were much better machined. It seemed to be a Disappointment to Ripmax as they had redesigned the Carb I was told. Then customer service ( in those days a chap called Gary R) started issuing us with little rubber o rings for the NVA if I remember correctly. It cured most of the problems. They needed 10% Nitro and a good plug. The one they came with was terrible. But a viable engine. Unfortunately lots of bad experiences gave the range a terrible name and I don't thing they ever recovered, but as they had another face lift things improved even more regard engines, but not sales... Part 2 another time.

 

Steve

 

Good Night and Stay Safe,.

Edited By Steven Webb (Steve Webb Models) on 15/04/2020 23:55:19

[Robin Colbourne]

Steve,

That ASP 40 diesel certainly looks different.   Having got that far with it , I'm surprised they didn't produce more even just as a limited run for collectors?

Re the piped MDS15, the model I remember that used it was, I think, called a Wasp. It was a tiny thing with an all-sheet wing. I saw them fly at the Plumpton show, and they went like rockets. They did a 40 size as well, but the small one was the most impressive.

Here are a few from today's rummage in the roof.  My father, Jim, collected engines for most of his life.  His first engine being a Hallam Nipper he built from castings during the war.  He died last year, so now I'm going to put together a database of what he had (He kept cards with each engine listing what it is and where he bought it, but despite out efforts, didn't ever get the hang of spreadsheets and databases).  A lot of the engines came from shows such as Sandown that we went to together, so have special meaning as I remember him getting them.

His later work, auditing companies for the Ministry of Defence, allowed him to travel home calling in to current and former model shops to see what they had lurking in their dusty drawers.  Often after tea, he would disappear into the basement to strip and clean his latest acquisition.  Usually somewhere between 1am and 2am, he would finish reassembling it and we would hear it being started in the test stand on the bench.  Fortunately our nearest neighbours were quite some way away!

Here we have a Russian 40 (but its not an MDS!), A Kraft 61, A Taipan 15 rear exhaust, a Cipolla Junior 1,5cc with the annular exhaust collector ring (this engine isn't R/C, but they did do them), and a British Powermax Himax 91 four stroke.  The Himax does have the exhaust and carb with it in the box, but I didn't fit them for the photos.

There are a lot of other less common engines, but it will take a while to find them, so watch this space!

Edited By Robin Colbourne on 16/04/2020 00:56:45

[Brian Cooper]

The MVVS range of glow engines were fabulous. The external finish looked a bit "agricultural" but the internals were a masterpiece of solid, precision engineering.

The .49 was especially good, and was further enhanced with a full length pipe. . And the performance could be raised even further by adding an ED carburettor. . 16,000 rpm on an APC 10x8 prop.

Very affordable too. The .49 cost £100 complete with full length pipe. . It is a tragedy that MVVS stopped making glow engines.

They were available through Just Engines. My son and I used to fly for them at shows back in the day..

[Peter Christy]

Posted by Barrie Lever on 15/04/2020 21:05:59:

Posted by Peter Christy on 15/04/2020 19:04:58:

My first MicroMold Lark flew with a Veco 19!

--

Pete

 

Peter

At around that time I seem to have memories of seeing a chap flying a heli with power by a Cox 049, his name might have been Peter Valentine, do you remember that?

Barrie

Yes indeed! Peter Valentine was a fellow club member at the Watford Wayfarers, and a very good friend of mine!

When I first met him, he was flying an OS10 (1.5cc) powered version of the "MayFly" - slightly larger than the .049 powered one. At the time, the only helicopter kits available were the Schluter, Kavan and Graupner ones, all German, all for 61 power and all huge! Many experts didn't believe that smaller machines were possible!

The smaller .049 powered one followed the OS 10 version. There were no gyros back then, so they were quite twitchy on the tail! He eventually donated it to the Goosedale museum, and it disappeared when that closed. He was working on another set of .049 mechanics when he died, and I have the central chassis of it in my collection.

He also made one powered by a Cox .020, but never managed to get it to fly. He couldn't make a clutch small enough that wouldn't slip! He did try a direct drive version, without a clutch, but it proved impossible to start!

Around 8'50" into this video is some fairly blurry footage of the .049 powered heli at RAF Odiham:

I've recently re-digitised some of that 8mm film in better quality, and really ought to get round to re-making those videos!

 

Meanwhile, back on topic, down in my garage I have a Veron Colt control-line trainer, built to teach my kids to fly nearly 40 years ago! Its powered by a KingCat diesel. A very pretty little engine in appearance, but couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding! Just about adequate for the Colt trainer, though......

 

--

Pete

 

Edited By Peter Christy on 16/04/2020 08:10:34

[Chris Berry]

MVVS...now you're talking!!! Lovely engines. Such a shame they have gone.