Movo D2

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The 2cc Movo D2 was made by Signor Clerici of Milan, Italy, circa 1946. The name "MOVO" comes from Modelli Volanti (Flying Models). The shop was located on a narrow street named Via Santo Spirito, a tributary of the famous Via Montenapoleone. Basically, it is a Yet Another Copy of the Swiss DYNO. There were two models that differed only in the location of the tank and orientation of the needle valve. The first model had a backplate mounted aluminium fuel tank. The vertically oriented needle valve and spray bar extended into the tank from above. On the second model, the venturi was rotated 90° and a diecast "sidewinder" cap for a revised translucent tank attached.

Each original Movo carries an engraved serial number on the forward facing transfer passage just below the engine name. There was a very nice Movo D2 Reproduction made in 1989. These would be almost indistinguishable from original engines except for the fact that they all have the same "serial number", 1989!

Indications are that the Movo was built in great numbers to cater to post-war demand for diesels in the USA. This early and rather short-lived infatuation of US modellers with the diesel was in no small part driven by articles written in the model press by Jim Noonan. The "D2" designation probably means 2cc diesel as there was also a 1cc Movo D1, although no photos of it can be found. Movo also produced a DP23 9,96cc spark ignition engine and a 10cc diesel. The photo here (from the May 1949 Aeromodeller) shows the rather nautical FRV 10cc Movo prototype and the significantly different RRV production engines.

In the photos above we see an original second model Movo with a home-made replacement fuel tank, a first model without the backplate mounted tank, and a complete and original second model posed along side an example of the virtually identical 1989 reproduction.