Models and engines. Help needed please.

[Blind Bus Driver]

Hi. 
Hoping you guys may be able to help with this slightly painful job.

My late father in law was a keen builder & flier of RC aircraft. When he passed, most of his collection was left to friends who also flew.

We are now pretty much at the end of the process and I need some advice from folks who know what they are talking about.

We are left with 3 engines; one of which is still installed in a large 5’ ish model plane.

Two of them are completely unused. One has a box & still in plastic bags.

The one which is in the model I can’t identify without removing the nosecone of the plane and I can’t see how to do that as the exhaust is stopping it moving. Obviously the way to do it is to remove the exhaust first, but I can’t see how to do this at all.

The other two are

OS FS40 Surpass. Unused but no box etc.

OS Max 25SF.

The other engine I think is OS too but much much bigger.

Question is: do I remove the big engine from the model and sell it separately or try to put the whole thing on EBay. I think the size would put people off as the Lakes is a long way to come to collect.

what do you think please? Sorry for the length of the post.

TIA Simon

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

Some pictures would help.

[Blind Bus Driver]

4 minutes ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:

Some pictures would help.

Thanks Paul. 
As I’ve only just joined I was wary of including pictures in my first proper post. Some here though.

thanks, Simon

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

That's a good start,,😇

[Cuban8]

Is/are there local clubs who you could contact with a view to offering the items to members?

In my experience of having the sad job of disposing of deceased friends' used engines (run of the mill stuff as you've described) they are becoming increasingly difficult to sell and if and when they are sold the prices are way lower than what we might have expected some years ago. Good luck though.

Edited March 11 by Cuban8

[Blind Bus Driver]

1 hour ago, Cuban8 said:

Is/are there local clubs who you could contact with a view to offering the items to members?

In my experience of having the sad job of disposing of deceased friends' used engines (run of the mill stuff as you've described) they are becoming increasingly difficult to sell and if and when they are sold the prices are way lower than what we might have expected some years ago. Good luck though.

Hi. Thanks for the reply. There used to be a club locally of which my father in law was a member. It seems to have folded quite a few years ago unfortunately and I don’t have contacts among former members. I’ve tried advertising the planes & engines locally but not had much response via Facebook groups etc.

I have done a bit of research on eBay & listed the two loose engines.

i can’t list the big one as I can’t tell what it is and need to remove the cowl to take any pics & give it a clean. It’s only flown a dozen or so times so should be in decent condition.

I don’t really want to saw the cowl off to get at the engine.

Just can’t see how it comes off.

Cheers, Simon

[kc]

There seems to be a tiny screw visible below silencer and that might release cowl.  There could be holes to insert an allen key to remove silencer bolts on opposite side.   Needs a good fitting allen key though as bolts will be tight.

 

Despite what Cuban thought, when we checked last week for engine values most of us were a bit suprised that they seem higher on EBay than expected!   Planes are too difficult to post but engines are easier.  

Measuring the Cyl head diameter and silencer length  might tell us the engine size approx - OS data sheets gave all the dimensions.     Measuring my OS 40FP shows a 37mm dia cyl head and 115mm  length silencer - anything a lot larger could be an OS 61 etc.

 

BMFA Club Finder could tell you a nearby club.   It could be more satisfying to get his plane to a good home rather than destroying it to remove engine.

Edited March 11 by kc

[kc]

BMFA club finder

[Blind Bus Driver]

15 minutes ago, kc said:

BMFA club finder

Thanks for this. I don’t think I was looking in the right places! I’d rather it went to a good home without having to possibly damage it to remove the engine cover.

[kc]

For your reference from OS data sheet an OS40 size measures about 66mm from cyl head ( without glow plug which sticks out a little ) to centre of prop shaft  while a OS61size is about 78mm.    Might estimate the size by that.   Many different models though.

If you post a photo of the wing then maybe we could identify the model.  Measure wing span tip to tip exactly too.  Showing the wheels might reveal if retracts are fitted ( worth more )   and a look inside the fuselage might identify if servos etc are present.

Looking at the engine it looks a little oil encrusted which suggests it's well used and not as new as the model.  

Edited March 11 by kc

[Blind Bus Driver]

Thanks for your help.

The pot measures 45mm across and the silencer is about 160mm if that helps identify it.

I’m pretty sure that the engine is the same age as the model but I think there may have been some fuel leak issues with it. The nose cone may have been replaced. It didn’t fly many times: less than a dozen I think. 
It has got some servos in it but the wheels are fixed. I remember he was thinking of retracts but didn’t get them in the end. It was supposed to be a trainer for large aircraft & was his first and only big model. Looks a bit like a Harvard from WWII but not quite. I don’t have the wings here but may be able to find some old pictures.

I have sent some emails to local clubs to see if there is any interest from them for the whole thing.

Im very grateful for your help.

[kc]

Well if it's bigger cyl head dia than an OS40FP  then we might guess it's an OS60FP as the silencer looks like the FP series.   They were plain bearing engines which were the cheaper OS engine series.   Ball bearing motors were dearer than the FP series.   But the plain bearings may last longer as they had no ball bearings to rust or get gummed up.    To identify it will have FP stamped on the crankcase and state size too.   

An experienced aeromodeller can tell something of the engines condition by putting a prop on it and turning over by hand a few times.  Left in the plane they might put fuel in and start it to see if it runs well.

 

You might look around for items to include to sweeten the sale - things like new glow plugs in packets (cost around £3 each or more new ) and any servos might improve the price you get.   Put a photo up with any bits you find and we might be able to tell you what they are if you don't know.

 

[David Davis 2]

Both the OS 40 Surpass and the little 25 are good quality engines so you should get a reasonable price for them. The other engine, if it is an FP, will command a lower price.

 

My advice would be to take the model over to the nearest club where an experienced aeromodeller could remove the cowling and identify the engine.

[Rich Griff]

Red model canopy ( and tail plane, not sure about rudder ) looks like a hurricane ? ?

 

That was my impression when I first saw it anyway.

Edited March 12 by Rich Griff

[Blind Bus Driver]

20 minutes ago, Rich Griff said:

Red model canopy ( and tail plane, not sure about rudder ) looks like a hurricane ? ?

 

That was my impression when I first saw it anyway.

I don’t think it is meant to be an actual plane. It seems to draw elements from quite a few different ones. The wings are very boring straight parallel with rounded tips.

 Looking for a pic with the wings on now.

 

[Blind Bus Driver]

Found some pics with wings on. I think it looks a bit of a mongrel but apparently was quite easy to fly.

[kc]

In the third photo I can see the two holes in the side  for an allen key to go through to remove silencer capscrews. 

[Blind Bus Driver]

Thanks. Yes I found those too. Just need an Allen key that fits now!

[kc]

The look of that plane made me think it was possibly a Nor-Cal  Continental but that is 72inch wingspan.  The general shape and the very detailed canopy  gave me that impression.  A USA kit that was sold for a long time.   See the photo here -  a fairly rare plane in UK but it could be someone scaled it down and even sold it as an ARTF at a smaller size.  

The plane will be worth a bit more if you find th model name - a measure up might tell ( the Continental is 49 inch fuselage and 72span )

 

The allen keys needed might be AF rather than Metric and they can be very similar at small sizes but only the exact fit should be used.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Unlikely if it’s an OS. 

[Blind Bus Driver]

53 minutes ago, kc said:

The look of that plane made me think it was possibly a Nor-Cal  Continental but that is 72inch wingspan.  The general shape and the very detailed canopy  gave me that impression.  A USA kit that was sold for a long time.   See the photo here -  a fairly rare plane in UK but it could be someone scaled it down and even sold it as an ARTF at a smaller size.  

The plane will be worth a bit more if you find th model name - a measure up might tell ( the Continental is 49 inch fuselage and 72span )

 

The allen keys needed might be AF rather than Metric and they can be very similar at small sizes but only the exact fit should be used.

That certainly does look very similar. I’m super tall & not a good guesser so wings may be 6’. I’ll get someone to measure them properly. It is a pretty big plane.

point taken re the Allen keys. I wouldn’t want to damage the plane or the engine ideally.

[kc]

Judging by the photos the fuselage looks 8 times the length of the silencer which you say is about 160mm so it seems to fit the 49 inch fuselage length specified for the Continental.    Someone in USA seems to be looking for the plans of that design for many months - worth looking around to see if the plan is still with the plane?  

[Blind Bus Driver]

Thanks for that. Unfortunately there were no plans. Lots of stuff was cleared from the house and workshop/garage before I became involved in helping with the estate disposal. I presume much of his aircraft modelling stuff was removed then.

[kc]

When you have the measurements it would be worth putting a new  "Identify this plane"  posting here on the forum to see if anyone else knows the design.   It is possible the Continental was copied in the Far East and sold as an ARTF plane under another name.   With a name the model with engine might sell more easily.

[Blind Bus Driver]

Now got the cowling off & can see it says OS Max one side & 60 on the other. I can’t see anything else on it but the mount may be obscuring that.

It seems pretty tidy but has obviously leaked quite a lot of oil and possibly fuel as well over the years.

Thanks for the helpful advice!