Nice hobby shop find

[Mark Mc]

I flew back up to Portland for a couple of weeks to pack up my homebuilt project and ship it back down to Tulsa, and to drive my Vette back that’s been sitting in my son’s garage for the last six months.

Today we had some free time, so I had him drive me back to the old hobby shop.  Not much interested me, but since I’ve gotten on a free flight kick, I checked out his back wall to see what he had.  There’s stuff that’s been on that wall for 30 years, so you just never know.  He had some peck Polymers stuff, seems like the price on everything was $1.35.  So I bought some washers, hubs, and a couple of props.  I passed on the rubber.  Who knows how old that was.

As I was checking out, I heard the owner talking to another customer about something and it prompted me to ask about old engines.  He used to be a decent source of used engines until I bought all the good ones he had and he disposed of the rest.  So for the last two or three years when I ask, he never has any old engines for me.  Well, since I’ll never be this way again, I decided to try one last time.  When I asked about old engines, he turned to the other guy behind the counter and asked, “Where’s that old sparker?”  So we walked to the back of the store and he pulled out a bag:






It also had a Model 5224 Enya 29 and a PeeWee in the bag:




Whoever tortured that PeeWee with a 6x4 prop deserves coal in his stocking… 

There was also a muffler, but it has no number on it.  It seems a pretty big muffler for that small exhaust inlet.  When I get home I’ll measure the distance between the holes and do some more digging on it.   Feels pretty light, though.




The shop owner is an old Wheeler and Dealer, so he always overprices everything.  I seldom buy new stuff, but I usually come out ahead when dickering on old engines.  I asked what he wanted, he said he didn’t know and make an offer.  I said $50.00 for the lot.  He said he was thinking $100.00 for the lot, and suggested we meet in the middle at $75.  I hemmed and hawed for a minute, and then begrudgingly accepted.

I have the ignition stuff to get the Spitfire running, and I may go the outrageous route and build a Taurus for the Spitfire.  Outrageous because I’m still very much the beginner…

Mark

[Joe Gilbert]

All right Mark! Safe travels back home. See you at the field.

Joe Gilbert

[Dave Harmon]

Right on Mark!
You missed a great party.....get home soon and lets get out there!!

[Mark Mc]

*SIGH*

I never get to attend the parties with all the cool kids...

Today my son and I disassembled the tail surfaces and wings on my plane project.  Now to load 'er up in the trailer.

[Robert Zambelli]

Mark - you did very well with that purchase!
The ENYA 5224 is a very good engine for sport or stunt flying. Get it all flushed out, nice and clean and I think you’ll be quite pleased. Properly broken in, they seem to run forever.

The Spitfire on the other hand is a great find. I’ve flown quite a few spark ignition engines and in my opinion, the Spitfire is the most rugged, powerful and reliable of them all. As far as I know and from what I see, it’s the big brother of the Super Cyclone, both designed by Bill Anderson.
The Taurus would be a perfect mate for it. Designed by John Coasby of Great Britain in, I believe, the late 40s.
So, build the Taurus, clean up the Anderson, hook up your ignition system, mix up a gasoline/castor/synthetic fuel and get ready for some fun. Add a touch of nitrobenzene if you can find some!
Then go out and get some OTS trophies.

Bob Z.

[Shorts,David]

That muffler looks like the one for the o.s. 45 fsr. I have one for rc.

[Air Ministry .]

Yep , think its the Magnum / Royal 40 / 45 FSR clone muffler , 27 or 28 mm spacing , same as HP 40 and within a mm of some Enya Schneurles .