mike109

G'day When I started flying control line way back about 1960, I used to make money from mowing lawns and similar activities. I also got about $1 a week for pocket money and all this went into supporting my "balsa wood habit". I used to sweat for each Sunday afternoon so I could go flying only to be constantly damaging engines in prangs, burning out plugs and breaking props. My first OS 15 was pretty well clapped after about two years. I suspect I was running it too lean. It got to the poingt eventually where it was using a plug a flight and on my small income, this was just not on. Despite all this we had a great time watching the "experts" who build magnificent stunt models with Fox and Merco 35s and who would turn up each comp day with Fox 36 powered brown paper covered Smoothies to use and abuse in combat. I remember the team race teams trying to find reliable powerful engines. ETA 15s were tried but were really savage to start, ETA 29s liked to catch fire and Oliver Tiger 15s were impossible to get. One of the most reliable engines was the Enya 15D.

Actually ,I have been thinking of all the engines I have ever had and the worst by far was a small Davis Charlton diesel of about 0.8cc. It was so badly made that as the liner was tightened into the crank case, it would distort and cause the piston to seize. I managed to get it to fire but never to actually run. I have had lots of glow engines all of them have done what I wanted although a Fox 35 I had was really savage on fingers when starting. I never managed to get it run in and sold it without ever taming it. They are usually such easy to use engines (or so I am told.).