David is sending me the original Brown Jr box.......very cooool, can't wait.
Thanks David.

Bill

Originally Posted by williame3590

David is sending me the original Brown Jr box.......very cooool, can't wait.

Now I am jealous, one of those I don't have. Wating for photos of box

Finding this box was really an accident, I was wandering thru an antique consignment shop and noticed it because of the propellor logo. I picked it up and looked at it closer, and then realized I was holding a piece of modeling history, and that it needed to be reunited with the engine it once held!!

Ok, I thought you were talking about an old cardboard box at first.

Once the box arrives I will post a photo of the complete setup.....time to sell the good china I don't have room for another china cabinet

Bill

Bill,

I put a couple videos up in my RCG blog of old sparker engines running on test stand, just to egg you on more than anything

Warren

Thanks Warren, very nice blog

Bill

Well I just got the original instructions for the engine today. I actually had them before and gave them away as I never thought I would own one of these classics.
Dropped over to Chads aka Flying Farmer to pick up an engine and there they were hanging on his workshop wall
The only thing missing now is Bill Brown whom I would have loved to have met.
Speaking to Fiske Hanley on the phone the other night regarding his flight in 1937. Just prior to his flight a Cadillac pulled up and Bill Brown got out and asked if he could fine tune the Brown Jr which powered Fiske's model.
Very funny thing......I hated history in school with a passion, must have been the topics.

Bill

Hey Warren; I just checked out your blog and you have some very cool stuff on there. I have a question about your battery setup. I have been using 3 AA NIMH batteries in a plastic Radio Shack 4 AA cell battery box with one end cut off and rewired for 3 AA cells. Just recently I have been having a little trouble with vibration and the batteries building up resistance where they rub on the positive end. I noticed you are using what appears to be a wired up pack of I am guessing AA NIMH batteries. My question is what are you using for a charger? The reason I am using the battery box is because I have to fast charge my batteries seperately in my charger. If I could come up with a charger for charging 3 AA NIMH batteries in series, I could make up packs, and that would solve my vibration problem.

Jim,
The ignition battery packs are three AA 2500 maH Nimhs hard wired (soldered) in series as you guessed.

Here's the charger: http://www.all-battery.com/smartuniv...ck24v-72v.aspx

Warren

Thank you Warren. That is exactly what I have been looking for, and the price is right too. That will solve my problem. It is getting so hard to wade through electronic stuff to find what you are looking for anymore so its always nice to find somebody that has something that works for our use. Probably not to many out there charging 3.6 volt packs. Thanks again. Jim

Hi Guys, I too will be making an entrance in spark ignition. Through an estate I have received the following engine with historical model, an original Reg Truman Special built by the designer. This NZ design won the NZ national texaco event back in the 1940s. I am told this is a Ohlsson side port but don't know the size as yet. I am picking up the model (along with two other vintage models!) next week while away for Christmas. Won't get a chance to work on them as work is taking me away until the end of February. After many years in storage it will be interesting to see what condition the wiring is, etc.

Appreciate the advice of retarding the spark before starting. Don't want to lose any digits! I'll try an get a photo up of the engine in due course. Allen

Originally Posted by Teals1

.....Appreciate the advice of retarding the spark before starting. Don't want to lose any digits! I'll try an get a photo up of the engine in due course. Allen

Looks like a O&R .60 Special (small intake and airfoil shaped exhaust). Setting the spark is not troublesome at all. The front crankshaft bushing has a slot cut in it for the points to ride on the crankshaft lobe. If you move the points back and forth you will feel the end points as a little tug on the timer.

Facing the engine you want to push the timer arm down till it hits the end of the slot then bring it backup a bit. Every engine is slightly different on where it wants the points for starting, too far retarded and it won't start, too far advanced and you'll get ignition flyer's fingers.

Set the needle valve at about 2 1/2 turns open,timer in retarded position,cover the intake for choke and flip a couple times. It should pop or maybe even start. Once running move the timer up to advanced position that is about 20* from straight up and down. The engine will richen a bit at advance so turn the needle valve in until it leans out and is running at top speed.

Fuel can be petrol and a 60 or 70 wt. equivelent engine oil. Or if you can obtain a replacement tank that is methanol safe (the stock one is not) you can run FAI type fuel of methanol and castor oil. They run cooler and make a bit more power on methanol.

Make sure you have good battery voltage, good connections, clean points (and shut off timer contacts on free flights) and a good coil. Good test is to grab the engine with a couple fingers and put your thumb on the spark plug then prop the engine over holding the prop. Your thumb should get a nice jolt and jerk back ...I'm serious here, it works. Bad batteries,dirty points or connections will drive you mad trying to start your engine.

Hope this helps. If you get stuck just yell, there are some good sparker guys in here.

There is a startup video in my RCG blog's last post of an O&R .60 if you want to look.


Warren

Thanks for the helpful advice Warren. I will be installing the engine in an RC model and understand about the possibility of radio interference. Just a couple of questions:
1. Here is NZ we have two different petrol grades. High octane with I understand is around 98 and a low octane of around 92. Are spark ignition engines like lawn mowers that prefer the higher octane? The fuel tank will almost certainly be the original that came with the engine when new. May have to think about a replacement tank to run the methanol mix, we'll see.
2. Understand about clean points etc. Will need to check condition of all the ignition equipment on the model once I pick it up. Don't like the thought of testing the shock with the thumb.....too many memories of having my arm arm shoot up in the air when shorting out the old Morrison motor mower to stop the engine as a kid!
Appreciate the quick reply and offer of further help if needed. Will also look up the start up video you spoke of. Kind regards, Allen

Originally Posted by Teals1

I will be installing the engine in an RC model and understand about the possibility of radio interference.

Allen,
Radio interferance is a thing of the past or can be. Use of a 2.4 ghz radio, a high tension lead with a 10K resistor soldered inline at the spark plug end between the lead and plug clip and one of the available solid state ignition modules will eliminate any worries about radio problems. For additional insurance place the RX as far away as you can get it from the ignition parts, example in a cabin job would be put your ignition setup forward close to the firewall and place the RX as far aft in the cabin as possible. I use both Futaba and Hitec radios with my sparkers and they both work brilliantly. I don't know what you have available to you Down Under for modules but there might be something in use that is readliy accessable. Perhaps look up one of the SAM Chapters in NZ for information on these. There are two listed on the SAM site:

55 Chapter 55- Assoc. of Vintage Aeromodelers, Neil McDougall 60 Heke Street Wellington 6004 NewZ.
1928 SAM- Chapter 1928, Martin Evans 71 Spinella Drive Bayview Auckland NewZ. +64 (9) 444 6204

As to the fuel situation I would go with the lower octane rating,but again there should be more information on your local level to be had from either of these two organizations.


Warren