Recommend me a first engine

I am a reasonably experienced engine builder (locos and stationary steam) and fancy doing an I/C next, probably aero engine style. Any thoughts and where do I get plans? Thanks, Phil

My first i.c. engine was a Matador, a 10cc 4-stroke glow: Plans for sale here. Has the advantage of being made from bar stock and is a very usable engine.

HTH,

Rod

Simplex petrol locomotives circa 1910-20? Interesting looking things.

Michael W

Or you could try Alex Whittaker's Firefly,2-stroke Glow. Plans from Myhobbystore or possibly downloaded from the net. How to build one here. Also a barstock engine.

Edited By JasonB on 02/10/2016 20:38:35

You could try one of these designs, humbug, boll aero or the mills 1.3cc, they are all bar stock simple single cylinder diesel aero engines very usable and I have a copy of all the drawings if you want to use them.

cheers

Dean

There are kits of castings and drawing available from a number of sources but from my experience the aluminium used for the castings from one source to particularly horrible. Because of this I would suggest an engine that only uses bar stock. After that you can work out how to machine sticky horrible cast aluminium (if you live long enough).

JA

Thanks all, some good leads and will go for bar stock design

Phil,

just because you haven't built an aero engine doesn't mean that you need to restrict yourself to a simple design. If you have built a locomotive then your skills are good enough for any IC aero engine.

Castings can sometimes be poor but I have found that it is possible you build most engines without reverting to castings. Aluminium alloy stock can easily be shaped using the mill augmented with hand files/Dremel etc to reproduce look alike castings. A quick blast with some abrasive medium has them looking like the real thing after you have finished with the files.

I have made full size motorcycle crank cases this way. If you look at some of my albums I think there is an example of a Humber OHC engine crank case that I made.

Agreed. The only additional technique you will need is lapping/honing for the cylinder(s).

Rod

I got the plans for Matador and it looks about right for difficulty - some parts where I think how the heck do I make that. Is there any problem getting the little bearings ? What is meant by lapping and honing as mentioned in 1 post ? I haven't done that with steam - I use 'O' rings. Regards, Phil

Look back at the link I posted about making the Firefly, lapping is covered there. Basically you need very close fits as there are no rings so the cylinder is lapped with finer and finer grades of Silicon Carbide and then the piston lapped into the cylinder with finer still SiC

Phil,

You shouldn'the have any problems getting the bearings. I got the helical gears from HPC **LINK**

The Matador has a sprung piston ring so the piston fit is not so critical as Jason'so example and a brake cylinder hone will give an adequate surface finish.

Rod

dean Clarke 2 wrote "You could try .......... the Mills 1.3"

Now there's a name I haven't heard in a very long time. Over 50 years ago I bought (for a very small sum) a clapped out Mills , my very first engine. It still started and ran ok if I fitted a large prop but was very down on power. With it I learnt to fly control line sedately until I could afford something better. It ended its days when fitted to an equally cheap, second-hand, much repaired and very over-weight Slicker free flight plane. Who would have thought that this model, with barely enough power to keep it aloft, would catch a thermal and disappear forever. Happy days. I didn't realise it was a bar stock engine.

Steve

The Mills engine was re-imagined by Ron Chernich as a bar stock engine. He published his drawings in Model Engine Builder.

Cheers,

Rod

Rod, thanks for the info on where to get the Mills plans.

Steve

Actually the very first mills 1.3 (mk1 series 1) was a billet engine, then they went to cast crankcases, I have a copy of the drawings for anyone who wants them just pm me.

Cheers

Dean

Problem, Muffetts no longer do the specified gears and don't know of anyone who does - any ideas?? Phil

What spec are teh gears assume for the matador?

HPC probably have them but if you can post DP and number of teeth that would help

48 DP 10 & 20 T crossed helicals

Here's the HPC page **LINK**

Rod

HPC looks good, will hit the magic tellingbone tomorrow. Now for the bearings. Was thinking of getting something similar second hand off ebay to get a feel for these things, my level of ignorance is profound - which way round do they run (the prop will tell me, must get one), what oil, what fuel ? Is there a model aero engine for dummies book?