April 1966

Here are two pieces of history from 1968.

- Left, the italian Super Tigre G60R, first mass-produced engine with lapped ABC technology (aluminium piston, brass chromed liner).

- Right, the austrian HP .61, first mass-produced Schnüerle-ported engine.

Both have shown the way for our current model engines by introducing these new technologies, they are now included in the most of the engines available today...

(From M.A.N., dec 1999)

" ...The first mass-produced Schnuerle-ported model airplane engine was marketed by the Austrian manufacturer Hirtenberger (HP) in 1968. Paul Bugl's revolutionary design (.61 CL and R/C) was the hit of the season but unfortunately suffered from terminal production flaws. More important, the concept had been established.

With the help of American metallurgist and CL speed modeler Dick Hall, SuperTigre again raised the performance level of miniature engines with the release of the first ABC engine, the S.T. G60R, in 1968. Lapped ABC configurations (aluminum piston, brass chromed liner) expanded more uniformly throughout an engine's operating temperature range. Matched expansion reduced wear and the possibility of catastrophic failure experienced by earlier metallurgies. ABC pistons and cylinders are the norm rather than the exception for engines today..."

Photo 1: ST G60R NIB with its marine version and accessories (note the factory uncut nose cone)

Photo 2: HP 61 RC NIB with its marine version and silencer.

Photo 3: close-up of the HP carburetor.

I think that finned exhaust header on the Supertigre is really neat. it sorta makes one feel like the engine is more powerful or faster than the engines without the finned header.

Fitzpatrick .61 FSR-ABC

Not a lot of glow's here, but still interesting (Dec. 1959)

The glow plug itself

Mr Duke Fox for a number of years used to have this article run inside a number of Model Airplane Magazines. it is still good useful information even today.

Back in the 1960's, the late, great (and much lamented) Peter Chinn produced a series of articles on model engines which time has shown to be the single most comprehensive review of the subject ever. Here is the 1968 (and final) Global Engine Survey by P.G.F. Chinn. BOB

And the rest of the article

MVVS cutaway display engine:

In the world of C/L Stunt, 2 names stand head & shoulders above all others - Bob Palmer and George Aldrich. Here's an article on the latter from 1970, also my autographed FROG 500 instruction sheet. I was honoured to meet the great man (as were many other lucky Aussies) when he attended the 1994 Nationals at Wagga Wagga in N.S.W. He told me Bob Palmer was his hero !

I know this isn't a vintage glow engine but this thread is what got me interested in collecting engines. I just won this one on Ebay. Obviously, I don't have it yet and I don't even know if it was a good buy. I'd been trying to buy several other engines there and I kept losing out in the last few seconds of the auction. I figured this was fairly unusual, NIB and affordable enough to figure out how to work the system. I can tell, I still have a long way to go. I'm working on something more like what we are discussing here but that auction has nearly a week before it ends.

I'm now officially an engine collector. Thanks for the inspiration guys!

I'm now officially an engine collector. Thanks for the inspiration guys![/QUOTE]

Mr. Wiz,
I am extremely pleased that our efforts have created a new collector - A Standing Ovation Please !! The little MVVS engine is quite a good choice - I did have once, the slightly larger (2cc) MVVS Junior, but yours is far less common. Keep in mind that all us guys probably started off with something far less exotic, so you can feel pleased with yourself ! With regard to losing out on eBay in the last few seconds, I myself use Auction Sniper but only sparingly as it costs money. It is very effective but I normally only use it if 1) the item is something I really want, and 2) if the item is on the other side of the world, and the auction finishes at 3 AM. The best way to decide how much your maximum bid should be is - If you can win the item for that much, you're happy. If you lose the item for that much, you're happy as well. BOB

Originally Posted by Twin-Stack

The best way to decide how much your maximum bid should be is - If you can win the item for that much, you're happy. If you lose the item for that much, you're happy as well. BOB

Sounds like good advice, Bob.

Thanks again.

Wiz