McCoy 35
07-16-2011, 09:21 AM
#4
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RE: McCoy 35
What did you clean / polish the case with? My McCoy 19 doesn't shine that much after I cleaned it for display since it was my first " BIG " glow engine in the early 60's.
07-16-2011, 12:51 PM
#6
RE: McCoy 35
Heh, dagnabit injun giver! 
delman: I used a combination of things. An 8" wheel buffing machine was used first to get the major areas. What it could not reach, I used a Dremel with pointed, and round buffs. I used an aggressive buffing compound, followed by some Tripoli compound, and finally with some liquid polish. Then I decided to put all the parts into my ultrasonic cleaner to get the left over buffing compound out of the nooks and crannies. That completely ruined the polishing job because the UC soap dulled all the aluminum. I did not know it would do that. I have since written BIG letters on the bottle of UC suds: NO ALUMINUM!!
So I had to re-buff the whole dang thing a second time. [:@]
delman: I used a combination of things. An 8" wheel buffing machine was used first to get the major areas. What it could not reach, I used a Dremel with pointed, and round buffs. I used an aggressive buffing compound, followed by some Tripoli compound, and finally with some liquid polish. Then I decided to put all the parts into my ultrasonic cleaner to get the left over buffing compound out of the nooks and crannies. That completely ruined the polishing job because the UC soap dulled all the aluminum. I did not know it would do that. I have since written BIG letters on the bottle of UC suds: NO ALUMINUM!!
So I had to re-buff the whole dang thing a second time. [:@]
07-18-2011, 07:29 AM
#12
RE: McCoy 35
If it helps you out any Kmot, the first McCoy Red Heads came out in 1957 and a variation in 1958. This early .35 had the red head, and it also had the glow plug centered in the head. In 1961 McCoy came out with a improved version and they moved the glow plug so it was off center in the head. In 1966 they did another production change to the engine. I assume they quit making the Red head engines around 1971 when the new Testors Series 21 engines came out.
07-18-2011, 12:36 PM
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RE: McCoy 35
Nice video and nice test stand! Didn't they have a problem with loosing compression after just one hot run? I had two of them and neither would start couldn't make sense of it at the time but now I think they were worn out.
Ernie
Ernie
07-18-2011, 07:04 PM
#16
RE: McCoy 35
I had a half dozen of these over the years.
I think it was closer to the fall of '57 before I saw one and I bought it.
My next ones were from '69
After about 1970 they more or less disappeared as McCoy was supposed to be bringing out the Series 21.
I never wore one out nor did I ever see any appreciable wear in one. But, I never had one run away in a lean run either.
They were an excellent control line stunt engine. Very reliable.
I had other brands also. The only engines that came close to being as good for control line stunt were the Fox 35 and the OS MAX S35. I had a McCoy 40 Stunt also but was not impressed.
I had the first Fox 40 Stunt like the one Earl has and it was very nice with the original Fox needle valve but all the magic was gone if you used a different needle valve.
I had several Super Tigers and they were bad about runaways on mixture but it didn't hurt them. The only ST good for stunt was the G21-46.
I had a Johnson Stunt Supreme that would tend to want to run away also.
The Merco Black Streak Stunt Special was a joke on my list.
I think it was closer to the fall of '57 before I saw one and I bought it.
My next ones were from '69
After about 1970 they more or less disappeared as McCoy was supposed to be bringing out the Series 21.
I never wore one out nor did I ever see any appreciable wear in one. But, I never had one run away in a lean run either.
They were an excellent control line stunt engine. Very reliable.
I had other brands also. The only engines that came close to being as good for control line stunt were the Fox 35 and the OS MAX S35. I had a McCoy 40 Stunt also but was not impressed.
I had the first Fox 40 Stunt like the one Earl has and it was very nice with the original Fox needle valve but all the magic was gone if you used a different needle valve.
I had several Super Tigers and they were bad about runaways on mixture but it didn't hurt them. The only ST good for stunt was the G21-46.
I had a Johnson Stunt Supreme that would tend to want to run away also.
The Merco Black Streak Stunt Special was a joke on my list.
07-19-2011, 04:00 AM
#17
RE: McCoy 35
I do not remember any of the McCoy .35's going bad after a lean run. Like when the engine is just about to run out of fuel on the control line plane. But then we all used 100% castor oil back then. Do not run them with 100% synthetic oil though, the engines were designed for castor oil, plus they had a lapped piston in a steel sleeve and a bushed crankshaft, no ball bearings. But any brand engine tended to destroy their cylinder piston if you managed to run them lean too long like that. The lapped piston, bushed crank engines like lots of castor oil in the fuel, 20% minimum, 25% much better. Now there were lots of stories about how once you broke one in then it was wore out. But in actual use the engines lasted longer than that though.
As a kid the engines I had tended to wear out after several weekends of hard control line flying. We used to fly a lot, maybe ten flights a day. The engine would suck in dust and dirt, survive crashes and poor cleaning afterwards and so on. But the engines were cheap, something like one third to half the price of a Fox .35 engine at the time. As I recall it was like $7.50 for a McCoy .35 engine wheras a Fox .35 Stunt was going for $15.00, which was affordable when you are a kid mowing yards and delivering newspapers, etc. I could buy a new McCoy engine, some fuel, glow plugs, some comic books, and a root beer float or a milkshake with my money at the time. Usually the engine would eventually get to where you couldn't start it anymore as the compression was getting weaker over time. So since I had several engines, usually I could mix and match pistons and sleeves to get a tight one again to keep a engine running until I could afford getting a new engine. I wasn't the only one doing it either, everyone else was doing it too. I remember seeing estate sales where there was a box of old McCoy engine parts, but no complete engine, so others were mixing and matching too. it seemed at the time, that my memory recalls the McCoy .35 engine lasted about as long as the airplane it was on did. But Fox engine, barring a nasty crash, tended to last forever in comparison.
Now once a rich kid in the neighborhood got the flying bug watching us, and got Xmas, his dad gave him a deluxe control line plane setup all built up and RTF. The plane had a Fox .35 stunt engine on it. All of us kids were impressed, since it was a nice plane and all. But the kid refused our offers of help to fly the plane. But he did let us fire up the engine and adjust it for him. We ran a few tanks through it to help break it in some. Then he took the control handle stood in the middle and the handler let go of the plane. It went straight up and stalled and then shot straight down and crashed spectacularly. The kid threw down his handle and walked away and left everything. So I collected up all the stuff and wrecked plane. Later I went to his house to return the stuff and he said keep it, he didn't want it anymore. So I took it all home, repaired the airplane, cleaned the fox engine up and I flew that plane for ages after that. The Fox engine never wore out, it just kept on running and running and running.I had moved the engine from plane to plane, and it still worked OK. I still have that engine in the bottom of my engine box too, but I haven't tried to run it for many years now.
As a kid the engines I had tended to wear out after several weekends of hard control line flying. We used to fly a lot, maybe ten flights a day. The engine would suck in dust and dirt, survive crashes and poor cleaning afterwards and so on. But the engines were cheap, something like one third to half the price of a Fox .35 engine at the time. As I recall it was like $7.50 for a McCoy .35 engine wheras a Fox .35 Stunt was going for $15.00, which was affordable when you are a kid mowing yards and delivering newspapers, etc. I could buy a new McCoy engine, some fuel, glow plugs, some comic books, and a root beer float or a milkshake with my money at the time. Usually the engine would eventually get to where you couldn't start it anymore as the compression was getting weaker over time. So since I had several engines, usually I could mix and match pistons and sleeves to get a tight one again to keep a engine running until I could afford getting a new engine. I wasn't the only one doing it either, everyone else was doing it too. I remember seeing estate sales where there was a box of old McCoy engine parts, but no complete engine, so others were mixing and matching too. it seemed at the time, that my memory recalls the McCoy .35 engine lasted about as long as the airplane it was on did. But Fox engine, barring a nasty crash, tended to last forever in comparison.
Now once a rich kid in the neighborhood got the flying bug watching us, and got Xmas, his dad gave him a deluxe control line plane setup all built up and RTF. The plane had a Fox .35 stunt engine on it. All of us kids were impressed, since it was a nice plane and all. But the kid refused our offers of help to fly the plane. But he did let us fire up the engine and adjust it for him. We ran a few tanks through it to help break it in some. Then he took the control handle stood in the middle and the handler let go of the plane. It went straight up and stalled and then shot straight down and crashed spectacularly. The kid threw down his handle and walked away and left everything. So I collected up all the stuff and wrecked plane. Later I went to his house to return the stuff and he said keep it, he didn't want it anymore. So I took it all home, repaired the airplane, cleaned the fox engine up and I flew that plane for ages after that. The Fox engine never wore out, it just kept on running and running and running.I had moved the engine from plane to plane, and it still worked OK. I still have that engine in the bottom of my engine box too, but I haven't tried to run it for many years now.
07-19-2011, 08:27 AM
#19
Senior Member
RE: McCoy 35
I flew a McCoy redhead 35 in a Sterling Yak 9 for Old Time Stunt. For a long time the engine took only one flip to start. I put a lean run on it (all castor fuel, I'm sure). It still ran the same, but took three flips to start from then on. I thought the McCoy perhaps a little better than the Fox 35, perhaps not. Any way, I got rid of the McCoys and kept the Foxes because of parts availability. I still have several McCoy 19's and have flown the hound out of a couple of them. I really like them.
If I have wind up or runaway problems, the first thing I do is change propellers. I've been able to solve the problem that way several times. Easier than fooling with head shims or venturi size, maybe.
If you are beyond the beginner stage in control line, a Brodak Flitestreak would supply hours of fun with your McCoy 35.
If I have wind up or runaway problems, the first thing I do is change propellers. I've been able to solve the problem that way several times. Easier than fooling with head shims or venturi size, maybe.
If you are beyond the beginner stage in control line, a Brodak Flitestreak would supply hours of fun with your McCoy 35.
07-19-2011, 07:54 PM
#21
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RE: McCoy 35
My first "big" engine was a McCoy 35. It didn't take me long to realize why they only cost $5.95. I learned my lesson and bought a Johnson 35. The standard line about McCoys in the 60's was, "if you got one started, you just wore it out." Most of the Testors McCoys were worth exactly what they cost and you got what you paid for. Except for the limited runs of the 60.
07-21-2011, 05:16 PM
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RE: McCoy 35
In the early sixties I was running Johnson engines in my U/Control stunt planes, and Dick McCoy gave me a red head 35 with the plug off center, to encourage me to switch. I did build a plane for it, and it was a very good engine. Ed Southwick and some of the other California stunt pilots used it, and I saw them often when they attended contests in Arizona. I eventually gave the plane and engine to a couple of young guys flying U/C in the park a couple of blocks from my home, as I was out of modeling at that time. Wish I had the engine back now!
Clair Sieverling
Clair Sieverling
07-21-2011, 05:32 PM
#25
RE: McCoy 35
Thanks for the story Clair. I love these personal interest comments.
Let me tell you a story about me and Hi Johnson:
In 1974 I went to a dirt field near Hansen Dam lake park. I was teaching myself to fly r/c at this time and had a 1/2A trainer plane. Along came an older gentleman in a VW Squareback and parked in the dirt lot near me. He took out a glider, and got it up in the air (I do not remember how) and he asked me if I wanted to take the sticks for a bit. I eagerly said "sure!" and he handed me his radio. Well, I was used to a fast and skitterish 1/2A plane and it seemed so strange to me that when I moved the rudder stick, it seemed like an eternity before the glider reacted and started to turn. I flew it for a minute or two and then handed the controls back to the man and thanked him. He kept flying his glider and I fueled up and launched my 1/2A plane. I flew it around as best I could and I did keep it up in the air until it ran out of fuel. I then started to try and land it but I overshot my spot I was aiming for, and flew my plane right into the side of the mans VW Squareback! I was so embarrassed! I apologized profusely but he was very calm and collected and said don't worry about it. He landed his glider and we chatted a little bit more. I told him my name and said thanks for being so understanding. He then told me his name, he said "My name is Hi Johnson".
The name meant nothing to me at the time, as I was unaware of his storied past and contributions to modeling. He did tell me he had some canopies for sale and asked if I would like to by any. I said sure and bought a couple of bubble canopies from him for use in a future model build someday. I still have those canopies, and of course I later learned who's car I had flown into that day.
Let me tell you a story about me and Hi Johnson:
In 1974 I went to a dirt field near Hansen Dam lake park. I was teaching myself to fly r/c at this time and had a 1/2A trainer plane. Along came an older gentleman in a VW Squareback and parked in the dirt lot near me. He took out a glider, and got it up in the air (I do not remember how) and he asked me if I wanted to take the sticks for a bit. I eagerly said "sure!" and he handed me his radio. Well, I was used to a fast and skitterish 1/2A plane and it seemed so strange to me that when I moved the rudder stick, it seemed like an eternity before the glider reacted and started to turn. I flew it for a minute or two and then handed the controls back to the man and thanked him. He kept flying his glider and I fueled up and launched my 1/2A plane. I flew it around as best I could and I did keep it up in the air until it ran out of fuel. I then started to try and land it but I overshot my spot I was aiming for, and flew my plane right into the side of the mans VW Squareback! I was so embarrassed! I apologized profusely but he was very calm and collected and said don't worry about it. He landed his glider and we chatted a little bit more. I told him my name and said thanks for being so understanding. He then told me his name, he said "My name is Hi Johnson".
The name meant nothing to me at the time, as I was unaware of his storied past and contributions to modeling. He did tell me he had some canopies for sale and asked if I would like to by any. I said sure and bought a couple of bubble canopies from him for use in a future model build someday. I still have those canopies, and of course I later learned who's car I had flown into that day.
