Silvaire

My Feedback: (50)

While perusing the ads over on RCG this morning, Isaw a listing forsomeCox engines. One was a NIBlate style Killer Bee in a Cox box with a Corona California address on it.I questioned the seller on it as to its authenticity, Iand went so far as to suggest to him that I thought that what he was offeringwas an Estes assembled engine that had been put into a Cox California box. I'm sure I probably raised his fur a little.

He replied to me, stating in part that "....the Killer Bee as advertised in my posting is the last of the Killer Bee series. Cox ran out its inventory of anodized cases and then began substituting the clear case version." He then signed his name, followed by "Director - Cox Hobbies".

So, self styled Cox Authorities and Cox-a-holics: Do you think this is an original Cox produced engine, or do you think (as Idid)that it is it a later Estes assembled engine in an original Cox box?
I'd like to learn something here...

Here's the link to the ad:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1055338

EngineCrazy

Well it has two knocks against it..one as noted is the unanodized crankcase the other being the lack of the correct low-vibe needle valve made with the inner part of a Sullivan Gold-n-Rod. But it does have the black and I will assume the correct backplate of the Killer Bee, it has the correct twin slit cylinder with the taller bottom slit for SPI and the correct prop driver and stainless steel thrust washer. SO it only leaves one to wonder if it has the correct balanced crankshaft. I would dare to say yes...I bought one like this a few years ago at the LHS and it had the correct crank. SO I would say yes to it being a real COX factory Killer Bee minus the above noted parts.

LAter,

Tim

Silvaire

My Feedback: (50)

Thanks for your thoughts Tim. I was hoping that with your knowledge of Cox engines you would chime in.

I mentioned the un-annodized case and the lack of the yellow needle valve stem to the seller in my comments to him.

Were there not some later Killer Bees sold by Estes that used what were essentially Sure Start components?

EngineCrazy

Well I have never seen one with a gray i.e Sure Start backplate or the hex prop driver either. I think I had heard about guys getting a late Killer Bee with a plain reed valve crank though. I would dare to think the "Mike" who is selling them is Mike Pratt or something ...can't remember the last name for sure....but I bet it's the guy who designed the HyperViper at Cox/Estes.

LAter,

Tim

lildiesel

On Martin Hepperle's Cox type reference site he has pictures of a "2002" Killer Bee. It has an unanodized case and does not have the hi-po crankshaft. It does have the correct round drive plate. The needle valve is a shorter version of the long brass one with the blask plastic knob and there are detail differences in the black backplate. Sort of looks like a late Cox bottom of the parts barrel attempt to assemble a Killer Bee.

http://www.mh-aerotools.de/airfoils/cox_frameset.htm

I can't get a hyperlink posted with the button, so just cut and paste in your browser.

fritzke

My Feedback: (1)

Here are two pix of Killer Bees, NIB Ibought retail some time back.
Probably near the last versions made.
Dave
EDIT I bet someone at the shop switched out the spinner on the second one.
Both have gold anodized cases. first pic is w/camera flash on, second one off...

EngineCrazy

I have never ever seen one with that stupid warbirds spinner...remember kids don't smoke crack while working at the Cox factory!!!

lildiesel

That second engine has what looks like a brass plated 5-40 acorn nut on a stud instead of the "proper" Tee Dee style part. If that is a Cox part seeing it fills another gap in my Cox knowledge.

EngineCrazy

Dave's look like the start of the end for the Killer Bee's!! At least his still have the anodized crankcase and the cylinder..whether or not it's tapered is another story though.

Later,Tim

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

The later ones didn't have the taper just the Bigger botom slit and bigger venturi.  I still have about a dozen of them.

66Malibu

Silvaire, I have a NIB .049 Killer Bee that I got about a year and a half ago from Virginia Hobby Sports with the same features as the RCG ad engine including the Corona, CA box.. Henry said that it was the last one that he had in stock and he said that it had never been out of the box. I have never had it out of the box yet  either ,so it must have been mix & match and use up what they had left in inventory at Cox to build and package engines. I have several other used Killer Bees with plain and gold anodized cases but only the gold case version has the trick crankshaft.

I also bought some of the hex spinners that were noted as AT-6 Texan parts but I have seen some of the RTF warbirds like the Bearcat with the same spinners.

FYI.............Steve.......

Silvaire

My Feedback: (50)

Steve,

I like your story regarding your NIB Killer Bee find.

That Estes woud put engines together from whatever parts they had on hand, and that they would then put these enginesinto old boxes that they also had around seems true to form...

Whichwould then beg the question:
What other prized and cherished engines packed in Cox Corona CA boxes might also actually be made up of...

Estes Floor Sweepings?

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Many , many , Many ... I bought 30 of something that I had to send back because they weren't what they were.  But on the other hand, there may be units out there with the top of the line, when they were tapered, stuck in basic product engines.

66Malibu

Another oddity that I have is a NIB Dragonfly in a Santa Ana ,CA cardboard box that had the part number description panel double printed. It was printed first  with "RC Bee .049  No. 360" then overprinted  "No. 4505 .049 Dragonfly". It makes you think you have blurred vision. Go figure...

Also, once, I bought a 2 meter glider that was hanging from the ceiling of a closing hobby shop. It wasn't until the shop owner got it down, did we see that it had a glider pod with one of the last plain case Black Widows on it. The BW had only the black plastic tank and rest looked like a Baby Bee. When I looked closely later, it had never been started and it had the TD #4 cylinder ................