I now put a strainer over the plug hole. Nobody wants to go sticking their fingers in the S trap of my sink! Regards, Mark

Trust me, I have been there and done that. A smarter man would fit a filter over the sink outlet. Regards, Mark

I had the same thought...

I know! Luckily, no engine parts were lost.... this time. Regards, Mark

I was thinking the same! 😄

Thanks and well done for getting your old Taipan running again. I hadn't thought about using heat to free up the engine. Good tip. I hope you weren't flooded too badly. We are very fortunate to live on top of a ridge so we never have to worry about flooding. Fire maybe but it's just our gardens and road that suffer in the heavy rain. Lismore really copped it this time. Regards, Mark

I didn't make the Turnado freehand turning attachment. I bought it from Eccentric Engineering. www.eccentricengineering.com.au/shop/The-Turnado-Freehand-Metal-Turning-System-c46075015 I have seen versions made in a home shop but the commercially available kit is very well engineered and reasonably priced. They don't sponsor me but I am a very satisfied customer. Regards, Mark

Robert, the nostalgia is strong with the topic of model aircraft. I too have very fond memories of building and crashing many, many planes. Good fun. Regards, Mark

Colin's workshop is like the Tardis. It looks small on the outside but the contents seem to go on forever. Regards, Mark

That little Tyro was truly a rugged little engine. It survived many a vertical landing and more than once I picked dirt out of the venturi and the exhaust ports. Regards, Mark

Thanks Graham. The thing is that I enjoy what I do. Some of my earliest memories are of me making things. My aim is to encourage others to do the same. I believe that making things is good for one's mental health. Regards, Mark

Well, who knew that model aircraft engines were so universally popular? Certainly I didn't know it at the time I started the Titan series. Regards, Mark

I know! I have been a big fan of a channel called Arnold's Designs. He does a lot of vapor blasting of motorcycle parts. One day! Regards, Mark

It's great that you still have the aircraft. My parents disposed of all my models when I left home to start my teaching career. I am sure that Gordon Burford was well known in the model aircraft community. I have been very surprised by the love for his engines and his support for the hobby. Regards, Mark

Well, that's my aim here. I hope to encourage others to have a crack at making things. Regards, Mark

Glad you enjoyed it Regards, Mark

The smell of the nats. Can't wait for it to be on again so I can fill my nostrils with nostalgia.

Tony, I couldn't help taking the cap off that fuel and having a good sniff. I must say it smelled a bit fishy but I don't know what sort of oil Colin used in it. I do recall the Aeroflyte fuel we bought was quite clear and had a very sharp smell. Regards, Mark

Thanks Hans. I can thoroughly recommend retirement. If you have a hobby you enjoy you will look forward to every day. Making things is good for one's mental health. Regards, Mark

Thanks John. I must say I have been very surprised by the enthusiasm and nostalgia demonstrated by model aircraft engine enthusiasts out there. When I was going to school it seemed like there were just a handful of us who flew planes regularly. Regards, Mark

Thanks Matty. I had so much fun with that engine when I was a kid I thought it should be restored and put on display. I gave my Taipan 3.5cc glow engine to my nephew and I'm pretty sure he lost it or dumped it. I wish I still had it now. Regards, Mark

Thanks. I just finished up anodising the cooling fins and the spinner today and it goes into reassembly tomorrow. I've even made a mid century modern display stand for it. Regards, Mark

Me too. My father once started to look for a cheap metal lathe but changed his mind at the last minute. I was devastated! Regards, Mark

With an anodised red cylinder head.

I used to buy the Aeromodeller magazine regularly. It was interesting to look at all the advertisements for different engines in the back pages. I recall that the Super Tigre racing engines looked super exotic and unobtainable given my meagre pocket money at the time. I did check out a few recipes for home brew diesel fuel when I realised it was hard to buy commercially available fuel and it was interesting to see the substitutions you could make to get a workable fuel. Regards, Mark

I think the version with the black anodised head was a later model than the one I have. Later still they added a spring wire tensioner against the compression screw. Regards, Mark

Thanks. I realised afterwards that my clumsy fingers may have let one of those parts end up in the S bend. I do have a strainer and I should have used it. Luckily, no engine parts were harmed in the process. So, I just googled ethylene glycol and found out that it's anti-freeze. I must say I have never had anything to do with it before possibly because we live in a subtropical climate! I also read that it's quite toxic but I have probably used far worse products before. I guess the Ajax is cheap and easy to get. Thanks for watching. Regards, Mark

I like to live dangerously! Regards, Mark

Thanks Joe. When you see how few parts these engines have it's a wonder they run at all. Regards, Mark

That Tyro was one of the later revisions. It is the one on the title thumbnail. Regards, Mark

I have heard from a number of viewers that Ajax is getting hard to find. I couldn't get any last time I looked in Woolworths but put it down to Covid and supply chain issues. I found it at another grocery store and maybe I should stock up on it since it is a very good metal cleaner and grease remover. I actually saw that tip on Dan Gelbart's channel and I regard him as the ultimate guru of engineering. If you haven't seen his channel you can get it here kzfaq.infovideos Regards, Mark

Ian, I did build a very large RC vintage style high winged monoplane about 15 years ago. Months in the building and just 15 minutes in the air before the wing collapsed and it fell to the ground in a flurry of balsa wood and solarfilm. I still have the wreckage under the house to remind me that I shouldn't try it again. Regards, Mark

What I have found is that the glass bead produces almost no dust compared to crushed glass and garnet. Although I have a vacuum attached to the blast cabinet, I find it's hardly necessary when using the glass bead media. Also, the beads don't fracture so they don't break down into smaller particles. The process I would really like to try is vapour blasting which uses high pressure water mixed with air and crushed glass. It's perfect for die cast parts as used on motorcycles. Check out this channel for some examples of how it works kzfaq.info Regards, Mark

David, I would like to build a multi cylinder petrol engine one day. I have a book by E.T. Westbury with lots of good designs. Perhaps a future project but I have a ton of other jobs on the to do list in the meantime. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 My first job was working on airplanes. One of people who's airplanes I worked on built a P51 engine (about 8 inches long) that ran. He built everything down to the spark plugs. This is in the mid 1970's. His home shop had no special equipment. This is before DRO's. On the lathe he used the compound feed set at a very low angle to get his proper cut. When making the crankshaft he nicked one balance weight. The crank was finished, but that night he could not sleep. That nick kept him awake. He went to his shop and cut the crank in half. He went to bed and started a new one the next day.

Thanks, I just googled that and I can get it easily from our local supermarket. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 Great. Let me know if you are impressed with the cleaning results after using K2R. Remember not to leave it on any longer than say 5 minutes on aluminium parts ( also, it can fade anodized parts & remove certain engine paints) & to use cold water to rinse

I had never heard of the Davis conversion heads before but I just googled it. It's interesting that people might want to convert a glow motor to diesel. Back when I was flying model planes, the diesel engines were considered to be inferior to glow engines although I felt that not having to lug a battery with you was a big plus. Regards, Mark

Colin has the lot! Regards, Mark

Thanks. It's a very cool tool. I have only scratched the surface of what it can do. Regards, Mark

I have only just learned about the diesel conversion heads for some glow plug engines. I always felt that the diesel engines were the poor cousins in the model engine families. However, diesels will start without too much paraphernalia like glow plugs and batteries so maybe that was the attraction. Regards, Mark

That's encouraging then. I recall the Tyro was always easy to start but 50 years later....? Regards, Mark

Gary, the later iteration of the Tyro engine had a wire spring which was fitted into holes on both sides of the cooling fin cap. It kept the compression screw from vibrating loose although on my engine which had no such device, I cannot remember it being a problem. I didn't realise that there would be uneven wear on the cylinder liner and to be honest I didn't mark the orientation when I dismantled the engine. I guess the wear would even out but the engine most likely won't run again. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 Hi Mark, I have not seen the spring retainer but I only ever had a couple of Taipans, a 1.5 and 2.5 from memory. Most of the engines I had were glow plug OS motors but I think there is still a Mills diesel somewhere. I should get them out and clean them up and properly preserve them.

Wow! That's cool. From what I gleaned from the book, Gordon Burford must have been a prolific and very committed engineer and businessman. I recall seeing that Mustang kit on the display shelves where I bought my Tyro engine. It was beyond my budget but some years later I scratch built a P40 Kittyhawk which flew beautifully. Fun times indeed. Regards, Mark

That seems odd. I ran that engine for several years and from what I remember it started and ran quite well. I only stopped using it because I grew out of the hobby. I did transition to a glow plug engine but the requirement to lug a battery around was what inspired me to start with a diesel. Just need fuel and a flicking finger! Regards, Mark

I preferred diesels, and found them easier to start. Yes, the power weight ratio wasn’t as good as a glow plug, but the airframe didn’t need fuel proof varnish. I didn’t have to carry around a starter battery, and I could mix my own fuel.

I wonder how many of those little engines are sitting around in boxes as relics from boyhood hobbies. I have a little Cox .049 engine awaiting restoration. Those things must have been made in the millions. Regards, Mark

Jose, I am just about to start on the cylinder cap tomorrow. I have made a threaded mandrel to go in the lathe and I can screw the cap onto it to clean up the surfaces. I will try to clean in between the fins with some sort of sanding stick. I am not sure how that will work but I also have an aluminium brightener which is a nitric acid dip. It should clean up the oxidation but it won't polish the surface. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 Thanks for the reply. Making a mandrel for just that purpose is the kind of detail you bring to your projects, that is inspiring to watch.

Jay, the screw in the cylinder cap is to adjust the compression of the engine. It bears down on a "contra piston" fitted to the top of the cylinder liner. Lowering the compression makes it easier to start the engine and then once it's running you can screw the contra piston down into the combustion space to make the engine run more efficiently. Regards, Mark

I am not sure if you have watched the Titan series. Warning, it's 19 episodes! kzfaq.info/sun/PLbPzkHRZCQB8uBSFsim70U9hKNhcpp7Xk Regards, Mark

Peter, I had been watching a few of your videos, particularly the anodising content. It's amazing how many manufacturers got into model aircraft engines. Keep up the great work. Regards, Mark

Wayne, the mounting holes are just a bit worn. They weren't drilled over size. The tops of the holes have indentations where the screw heads would have clamped down onto the mounting flanges but I measured them today and they are still very close to 1/8" although slightly oval shaped. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 Ok thank you Mark, Just looks like they where drilled out in the video hard to tell sometime with video's. Anyway if you need any help with model engines at anytime you can find my contact details on RC Trader under services I know you have your friend not far away but I may know something he does not and vice versa, and thank you again for the video's I will keep watching.

Ron, the original plane was a Taipan Trainer supplied in kit form by Aeroflyte. Here is a link to the design. I recall that it was very hard to fly and on my first attempt I stacked it and broke the engine mounts off at the bulkhead. The maiden flight must have lasted just minutes. picclick.co.uk/Aero-Flyte-Taipan-trainer-mk-1-and-mk-133367506713.html#&gid=1&pid=1 Regards, Mark

Brandon. I bought a set of three of these tools from Burfitt tools here in Australia. They supplied a brass, fibreglass and a steel version in a set of three. I used the brass one on the Tyro engine. burfitt.com.au/product/scratch-brush-set-3-steel-brass-fibreglass/ They are great for delicate cleaning jobs in tight spaces. Regards, Mark

I didn't realise there were legal restriction on model aircraft engines. I do recall that we were banned from flying on the high school oval because of the noise. A nearby resident complained to the Principal and that was the end of our flying days. None of us were old enough to drive and the nearest club was miles away. Some of the names you mentioned do bring back memories of reading through the old Aeromodeller magazines. Happy days! Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 I live in Europe and they love rules .. the more complicated, the better. They made fuels over 16% NM (per weight, thats 12-13% per volume) illegal recently. You need a "semi-official" document (can be issued by certified persons in your flying club) documenting the noise level. This technically becomes invalid as soon as you change the make of the airscrew on it. So many people who would be interested in it for the fun of it don't even bother and stay electric.

I was surprised that there was just the one spacer inside the piston and now I don't know which side it came from but it would serve no purpose being on the side closest to the prop so I can assume it is to prevent too much rubbing against the back plate. There is no discernible wear on the back plate, just some minor scuffing so It must be doing some good. Regards, Mark

That's half the fun, along with burns, cuts and desperate heartbreak when that finely build model missiles into the hard packed earth! Regards, Mark

I usually get it from IGA or Woolworths. Last time I looked in Woolies though the shelves were empty. Could be a supply chain issue but it's probably a bit old fashioned for some consumers. Regards, Mark

I found the same thing. I guess the cool kids all use electric these days. Regards, Mark

Stuart. it's fair to say I have forgotten a lot about starting and running this engine. I am hoping it comes back to me. I haven't removed the contra piston but it is free to move up and down in the liner and it's still a good tight fit. I didn't mark the orientation of any of the parts but given that it will only run for a short time I think it will be OK. I just want to show it running and then it will go into a display case that I have for some of my other engines. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 Hi Mark, in which case you'll just have to follow the normal break in procedure i.e. short runs at first and keep it rich so it doesn't rev too hard. You would normally prime through the exhaust port, back off the compression screw a quarter turn and then flick the prop until your arm hurts... When the thing eventually decides to run then tighten down the compression screw just a little. Basically you're flicking the prop whilst simultaneously holding the compression screw. When it's running, the aim is to get the engine running at full revs (after break in) with the minimum compression and leanest fuel mix. So basically you've got one hand adjusting the compression screw and the other adjusting the needle valve. Hours of fun, almost better than flying 🙂. These old diesels are usually painful if you're not eperienced with them. The best of the bunch came (arguably) from Irvine in the 90's where they used an ABC construction (Aluiminium piston, Brass liner Chrome plated). The liner was tapered to the top when cold so that when at running temperature it becomes parallel due to the thermal gradient down the liner. These were quite docile engines for diesels and throttled well (not an easy feat given they are a compression igntion engine and the compression ratio varies when you throttle an engine. You're not up there tweaking the compression screw when you change the throttle setting). The advantages of the diesel are that your glow plug battery is never flat, your glow plug never burns out, the fuel lasts twice as long (so you get the same flight times with a smaller fuel load) and the fuel smells better (or is that the smell of nostalgia). Also you're not handling methanol which is a cumulative poison which is absorbed through your skin and destroys your liver (amongst other things). At least with Kerosene you'll 'only' get dermatitis... I look forward to watching you start the Taipan (and don't be tempted to use anything other than your finger or a chicken stick...) Oh, one last thing, the diesel fuel won't last long in a plastic bottle as the ether will evaporate through the plastic. It really needs to be kept in a tin with a tin lid. If the ether content reduces in the fule then you'll never get it to start. Believe me, I've flicked one of these things for hours with old fuel...

Clinton, I did ask Colin if he would be interested in taking on requests for engine repairs and parts and he agreed. If you email me at mark.presling@gmail.com I can forward your email to Colin. He may charge for his time or parts but you can negotiate directly with him. Regards, Mark

Interestingly, I mentioned the first plane I built to Colin Maybury and he immediately knew the name of the kit. It was called the Taipan Trainer and I was able to find the original plans for it. Regards, Mark

Thanks for that offer. I do have a small quantity of diesel fuel which is sufficient to test run the engine. Once I get it to run it will go into a cabinet as a display. My flying days are over I am afraid. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 My days of flying are over too. Been too long since I put a boot full of rudder in and I would never pass the flight medical. Getting too old.

I did find it was hard to get in Woolworths last time I went looking for it. I guess it's probably a bit old fashioned nowadays. I did get a supply though. Maybe I should stock up before it goes away for good. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 You have Woolworths too! Woolworths here went about 20 years ago. We have Wilco's now which is similar but no Ajax.

Bob, the tool that I used is the Turnado freehand turning system with the tracer arm option. www.eccentricengineering.com.au/shop/Turnado-With-The-Lot-p178595904 I did look at purchasing the acute tool sharpener but bought a Deckel clone tool and cutter grinder instead. The Turnado is a lovely tool and easy to use. Regards, Mark

I am always happy to learn more. I am not an expert by any means. Regards, Mark

In hindsight, yes, absolutely! Regards, Mark

From the little experience I have had in building the Titan engine, I would think that most of the materials you have listed would be fine. I do believe that aluminium bronze can be brittle though. Maybe a good wrought aluminium alloy would be better for the connecting rod. Regards, Mark

@@Preso58 I think the aluminium alloy they use for chain rings on lightweight bikes would be a good choice. It will be tough and also wear resistant as it needs to be for the stress and strain it gets all the time. Not tried it and not sure if it will be thick enough.

Yeah, I wondered about that. Still stuck up in the head?

Chris, I didn't remove the contra piston. It is free to move and still quite tight as it should be but I felt it was best to leave it in place. I will talk more about that part of the engine in the next video. Regards, Mark

I did buy a new prop for that engine before Colin gave me the Taipan props. The brand new one sliced open my finger twice before I had the sense to sand the trailing edge smooth. Regards, Mark