Classic Model Airplane Engine Construction Kits

by
Roger J. Schroeder

Building A Model Airplane Engine That Runs


Sadly, the engine kits on this page are no longer available. We have left the details in place as a tribute to Roger who laboured so long and hard to produce them.

KitDescription
The Victor .09

The Victor was designed from scratch in 1999 to provide a simple, good running example of a traditional piston ported ignition engine. It has a displacement of .098 cu. in. The design concept was borrowed from a homebuilt engine discovered by Vic Diodelot. My prototype will turn about 7500 rpm using an 8 x 4 propellor. The kit provides aluminum castings for the crankcase, front cover, connecting rod, timer, tank and tank top. Detailed CAD drawings and step by step instructions are included
Junior Brown Jr.

This is a .19 cu. in. reduced size copy of the Brown Jr. Model D which was an early favorite of model airplane fliers. This engine has modern porting and timing for better running. The kit contains castings for the crankcase, connecting rod, back plate, tank top, and timer. The plans and instructions include drawings for an alternative Hurlman timer.
Lindberg Hornet "A"

This kit reproduces the ignition engine design by Paul Lindberg that appeared in the 1940 Popular Aviation magazine. The engine has a displacement of .23 cu. in. The kit includes castings for the crankcase, back plate, connecting rod, timer, tank and tank top. Complete detailed plans and machining instructions are furnished. This is a very beautiful engine that is a joy to own.
The Original Ohlsson

Irwin Ohlsson designed and built his first engine in 1934 with the help of his friend Roland Barney. Two engines were built, one for upright operation and the other for inverted. This .12 cu. in. casting kit reproduces the upright model and uses modern port sizing and timing to run better. The piston design has also been simplified. The kit has rough aluminum castings for the crankcase, the back plate and the connecting rod. Complete plans and machining instructions are provided.
Mills .75 Mk II

This kit provides the rough aluminum castings, plans and instructions for a reproduction of the popular Mills .75 Mk II diesel engine. Three prototypes were bult and all ran very well. Castings are supplied for the crankcase, backplate, spinner nut, and fin/piston-lap stock. There are seven letter size drawings and 12 pages of step-by-step instructions.
The Midget Gas Engine

Plans for a .104 cu in Midget Gas Engine designed by A. Teed Westlake, appeared in the May/June 1939 issue of The Model Craftsman. This kit is a redesign of that engine which preserves the original exterior appearance. The extensive use of castings reduces the machining time. The kit has 7 rough aluminum castings for the crankcase, cylinder, rod, timer, head, intake, and tank top. Step-by-step instructions and computer generated drawings are provided.
The Deezil

This kit builds a full size reproduction of the .125 cu. in. diesel engine offered for sale in 1949 by Gotham Hobby of New York. The reproduction Deezil has been completely redesigned and, when made with reasonable care, it will run well. The crankcase casting furnished is made using an original casting as the pattern. The finish however is sand cast rather than die cast. Two additional castings provide material for the crankcase cover and the tank top. Step-by-step instructions and computer generated drawings are part of the kit.
The First Brown

In 1931 Bill Brown was a 19 year old high school student and distinguished himself by building an engine to power a model airplane. The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin published plans for the engine which are the basis for this kit design. The casting kit was introduced by Stu Richmond in the October 1987 issue of Model Builder magazine. The engine displacement is .27 cu. in. which makes it the largest engine in this line of kits. The kit includes detailed plans, brief instructions and rough aluminum castings for the crankcase, piston, back plate, air intake and connecting rod.

CASTING AND PLANS:

These are for the advanced builder who does not need detailed instructions.

KitDescription
The ED Baby .46

The ED Baby is a replica of a tiny 0.46cc diesel made in England by model engine and R/C equipment pioneer, Electronic Developments. Plans and very comprehensive, step-by-step machining details for this engine appeared in the Engine Collectors Journal. The kit comprises the crankcase and backplate castings, plus plans only; the rest of the materials can be found in the average scrap-box!
The Weaver

The Weaver is originated from England in the early 1950's. It is a simple side port, compression ignition (diesel) engine of 1cc, designed as a "Rail Car" engine for construction without the need of castings. The Motor Boys have redrawn the original plan making it suitable for airplane work. This casting kit will save you many hours of tedious mill work on the crankcase. A series of construction articles on the Weaver are available on-line at here on Ron Chernich's Web Site.

CASTINGS ONLY:

These are castings for engine designs appearing in the Motor Boys Plan Book.

EngineDescription
Vivell Diesel
crankcase, front cover, tank top, tank
Deezil
crankcase, back plate, tank top
M&M
crankcase, back plate, back plate wrench
The ACE .5cc
crankcase, cylinder, spinner nut

PLANS AND INSTRUCTIONS ONLY



EngineDescription
Simple Single
(plan only)

The Simple Single is intended for beginners and uses a Cox .049 piston, cylinder and head. The remaining parts are made from bar stock. No castings are required. The 17 pages of computer generated drawings and the instructions are quite detailed to help the beginning engine builder.
The Schroeder Twin
(plan only)

The Schroeder Twin is a .040 cu. in. glow engine designed in the mid sixties to use two Cox .020 cu. in. pistons, cylinders and heads on an aluminum bar stock crankcase. The crankshaft is built up in three parts. No castings are required. This engine really runs well and many have been built in home shops


Back to Ron's Index page