Hi,

The Atlas and Curare were both designed for the Austrian-made Webra Speed 61 which was made from 1973 right up to last year when Webra went out of business.

However, it appears that an engine closely reated to the Webra Speed 61 is still available: [link=http://www.mecoa.com/]Model Engine Company of America (MECOA)[/link] make the formerly Austrian-made [link=http://www.mecoa.com/hp/index.htm]Hirtenberger Patronen (HP)[/link] engines, among them the [link=http://www.mecoa.com/hp/61/2203.htm]HP61 Gold Cup[/link] and [link=http://www.mecoa.com/hp/rcss.htm]HP61 Silver Star[/link].

The HP61 Gold Cup is available in either ringed or ABC versions from MECOA's online shop; the Silver Star is available ringed only. Both come with a silencer (muffler to you transatlantic fellows). The Gold Cup, besides the blue colour and gold-anodised head, has a machined and anodised head and a slide-type carburettor.

According to the 1974 Peter Chinn test of the Webra Speed 61 in the British magazine Radio Control Models and Electronics (attached), the Webra Speed 61 was designed by one Peter Billes, who was previously involved in the development of the original (pre-Silver Star, pre-Gold Cup) HP61, said to be the world's first Schnuerle-ported RC glow engine.

Appearance and specifications of the Webra Speed 61 and the HP61 Gold Cup and Silver Star are quite close so they are a natural fit for a Curare or Atlas. If I were shopping for a new engine for a Curare or Atlas (the two designs on my building list fr my return to pattern) I'd definitely be ordering one of the two HP engines, probably the Gold Cup. As it is, I have two Webra Speed 61's, a recent one I ordered from the local distributor here, coincidentally just before Webra went out of business, and a 1977 one I found new-in-box on the well known auction site.

I haven't tried MECOA's products yet, so I can't comment on the product quality or customer service. But I have just ordered a silencer for my 1977 Webra Speed 61 from them and the USPS tracking website says it's on its way. Their HP parts page says "No parts fit Webra" but I read somewhere here on RCU that the strap-on silencer MECOA offer for the old style HP61's will also fit the old-style Webra Speed 61 (the later versions of both engines take bolt-on silencers). I hope that was correct, and that the silencer will be satisfactory.

Best regards,

George