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Engine basics => Engine set up tips => Topic started by: Dalton Hammett on July 29, 2010, 12:58:07 PM
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I have a couple of old Cameron engines in my collection, .15 & .19, anyone have any experience with these and can say how good they are. My .15 appears to have very little use and the .19 is still NIB.
Dalton H.
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Dalton. Cameron engines came in many flavors. I had a .19 side-port. It was equal in power to the Ohlsson 23 sideport, which isn't very much. They also made a rotary valve engine which was popular in tether cars (for some reason) and I believe an outboard marine engine.
Floyd
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Hello Dalton,
Floyd is correct in his comments. The early side port Camerons on spark, looked very much like the Ohlson 19 and 23 sideports. But that is where the resemblance ends. They were of excellent construction and materials, a quality product, quite unlike the Ohlsons and more powerful to boot! The first of the FRV glows were made for the Cox car operation, before Cox started to make the famous line of Cox engines. The later .15s were again very well made but not exactly powerhouses. They came in both lapped and ringed versions. The Cameron brothers stayed in engine production for a very long time, closing down in the late 60s if my memory is correct.
Enjoy the engines for what they are, a very well crafted and long lasting product. if not quite in the top league for performance. I would not part with mine!
Regards,
Andrew
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I picked up a Cameron 19 about 1952. Built a small stunt ship that looked like a Yates Dragon which flew quite well. Also used it to power two of the 32" span Stearman models I built. Ran very nicely, pretty good deal for an engine that cost just a few bucks.
Don
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Thanks for the information, I notice they are a bit smaller than other .15s and .19s I have. I think both are still new , might build something over the winter to play with them a bit.
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If you have the appropriate Camerons you might find they have an interesting construction unique to Camerons. Top half of the cylinder is a steel sleeve, (tube) reaching down to the ports. Below this the piston runs in the c/case casting. Neat wheeze to get steel cylinder where it matters, and not have to cut the ports.
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They are very light engines. I learned to fly on a Cameron 19. I used one to power a Mackey Profile in Classic at the 1998 VSC. A friend had a 15 on a Jr. Magician and was very happy with it. The 19 came out in 1952 so is an OTS era engine.
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Thanks, sounds like they are well worth considering for projects. I was thinking that possibly as they were smaller than other .15, .19 engines they might not be strong runners. I will give them a shot on something.
Dalton H.