(1)Yes you are correct-the one on the right is a 1980's era Bambi prototype that DC were considering putting back into production. And you've poached the photo out of Mike Clanford's book! A small number were produced (perhaps no more than 10 or a dozen or so) and we had to wait nearly another 2 decades before VA took the commercial risk. Anecdotal stories would suggest that the unmachined/partly machined/fully machined (versions vary) 1980s crankcase castings left over from the stillborn DC 1980s Bambi project found their way into other hands and a few afficionados had complete engines made up by the small engine gurus in the UK.

In terms of Bambi variants, there are at least 6 distinct 'official'versions:

(1) The original DC prototypes of 0.1cc capacity, and with a knurled thumbwheel compression adjuster,
(2) The revised prototype/preproduction version of 0.13cc capacity
(3) The 1954-1961 production version of 0.15cc, with conventional T-bar comp screw
(4) The 1980s DC re-production prototypes-with parallel finned head like the last DC Darts
(5) The first VA Bambi replica with small prop driver, dark red tapered head fins and flat top head
(6) The later VA Bambi with the correctly shaped rounded head

You could add the small number of 'completed by others' variants derived from the 1980's DC crankcases as a 7th variant if you wanted to split hairs-but in any case these may all be different from one another depending on who did the work, what head shape was adopted, and whether the heads were anodised or not.

What I can say is the first VA ones perform very well in use-easy to start and run happily on a Cox 4.5x2, a Graupner 5x2, or my favourite, the DC 5-1/4x3-1/2 prop (which is anything but what it claims to be, as far as actual pitch is concerned!). I wrote the engine review which appeared in MEW back in Dec 98 and March 99. One of my VA's is in a Vic Smeed Pomilio, which flies very well, and the other will one day grace a micro RC model

(2)The LH engine in the group of 3 in your photo is an original DC manufactured Bambi. The plain headed engine on the right of the group of three is the Ian Russell Rustler 'Tadpole' of 0.25cc-a half size replica of the first model Frog 50 diesel of 1952. No longer available I believe. May or may not originate from the same manufacturer as the Dave Banks/VA stable.Pictured below my one with the VA ED Baby Mk1 0.25cc replica. The Frog is quite a bit smaller than the ED-just as the original was in comparison with the other 0.5s of the era



ChrisM
'ffkiwi'