burtcs

My perspective is that of AMA Gas free flight and sport R/C. Keep in mind that the standard for comparision when AME's started showing up was the Cox TD's or KK TD's. I don't recall what year (maybe 1992 or 93) but two assciatates had gotten early AME's. They came in a baggie with a letter/set of instructions. These had the bath tub venturee. I was envious but it was clear these were combat engines - all intake and no inherent fuel draw, had to use a bladder - ich. I was hanging with a couple of combat guys when one them mentioned a "Moscow Cheater" - oh brother, that did it. What they were were Russian engines - very exotic. They required bladder pressure. The next year an outfit calling themselves Northern Velocity (Norvel) was peddling them for about $28.00 apiece. I was game and bought two. They now came in a vaccum packed package. These engines were probably what I would call mkII's. They now had a round venturi that was epoxied in with the press-on screen. They came with a spring starter, a starter/prop driver, and a muffler. They also came with a short prop driver for finger flipping.

Using the spring starter was almost a disaster. The spring went harmonic when the engine came up to RPM, nearly killing the prop driver and spring and prop. It sucked the spring into the prop. Boy that was ugly. Also very dicy was the needle valve - very touchy.

It was clear though the engine had potential. The 0.049 used the short crank case. The 0.061 had about a 1/4" extra bearing area in front of the crank case.

I ordered an 0.061 and I aquired another 0.049 and an 0.061 at an auction for a couple of bucks. I could only guess that the unhappy prior owner was glad to dump them for $3.00 apiece. Bench running suggested that the engines preferred the Cox high compression head and 55 or 60% nitro and of course a pressure bladder tank. It was time to mount them up and fly.

Fourtunitly it was about this time that Norvel offered a pressure tap crankcase plug and a decent starter spring but the early cases were not drilled for the starter spring - this was do it yourself. KK offered a high compression head that took a Nelson glow plug. Rumor control had it that these were made by a guy named Doug Galbreath. I took a chance and ordered a KK head and two glow plugs. They ran at least as well as a Cox Hicomp head.

The engines were lively enough, about 24k for the 0.049 and about 25k for the 0.061. These RPM's were possible because APC came out with two new props at this time also. A 5.5-2 and a 6-2. There was no small intrest in 0.049's about that time because of the Baldwin and CS entries into the market. Both of which could come close to 30k. What these engines were not was cheap as in inexpensive. The Baldwin had design problems and the CS's need massive rework. I had already tried VA's. I had (and still have) a prototype (serial no. 20) and a production engine serial 134. The prototype was a winner - the production engine was a dog. They were ligh weight but you either used a starter to light them off (bending the con rod) or you finger flipped them.

So, I've encluded some pictures for your viewing pleasure, the first with the old logo on the right hand side of the engine resplendent with the expoy plug holding the needle valve gadget in the the second with the goodies encluded with the engine. Also note the change in logos - enjoy...

Regards - Steve B.