Author Topic: What the heck is this good for? (Read 6678 times)

wwwarbird · « **on:** July 28, 2010, 09:16:14 PM »

I don't know any particulars about Merco engines, but I "won" this .49 on Ebay the other day. It just caught my attention because it appeared to be in great condition, and now all of a sudden I own it. After receiving and examining it yesterday, I don't think it had ever been run. If it had, it sure wasn't more than a couple of times because all the internals looked brand new. It's got ball bearings and two piston rings by the way.
It was all stiff and gummed up when I got it, so I crock-potted it, took apart and cleaned it, and then oiled everything up prior to a test run.
Tonight I just finished running a dozen or so primes through it on the stand in the basement. After that I couldn't resist and I ran about an ounce of fuel through it and it seems to run real good and strong. The pictures shown here were taken while it was still warm right after I took it off the stand.

Along with the engine came this 2-3/4" aluminum three blade spinner which I think is a Froom, but I'm not sure. It's tarnished a bit, but looks like it would polish up quite nicely. No dents or dings either.

As far as the engine goes, I'm thinking of swapping the R/C carb out for a C/L venturi and NVA. Then the question is, what the heck do I hang it on?

Garf · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2010, 09:29:53 PM »

I bet that would pull a T-rex.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2010, 09:33:00 PM »

Thanks for the suggestion Garf. It would pull one alright, immediately apart.

Russell Shaffer · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2010, 09:42:14 PM »

How about a Flite Streak 45? Plans available from Pat King, he's in the profiles. I'm flying one with a Veco 45 and your engine will be stronger. Lots of fun.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2010, 09:45:03 PM »

Flite Streak .45? I've never heard of one that size. That could be interesting. Do you have any photos of yours? What are the specs?

Steve Helmick · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2010, 09:50:09 PM »

The 'bad' thing about a Merco .49 is that it's the same case casting as a .61, but heavier and not as powerful. I'm sure it will work fine in the right plane. I'd suggest a Randy Aero "Shrike" or Bob Hunt "Saturn" as a good size match, tho both are designed for piped power.

Steve

wwwarbird · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2010, 11:07:15 PM »

Are you sure about the case size Steve? Again, I don't know diddly about the Merco's, but I've also got a Veco .61 that is very similar to the Merco in cosmetic design and it's larger overall than this .49.

Does anyone have any opinions to share, good or bad, about using the Merco .49 for stunt? I'm not going to be terribly broken hearted if this engine just ends up sitting on the shelf either, I'm just fishing for some thoughts...

Air Ministry . · « **Reply #7 on:** July 29, 2010, 12:35:11 AM »

Factory intake for thats a big tuliped Nelsn like venturie , and 'marvellous ' N.V.A.. 61d be same .
15 - 20 % nitro with 27 % Oil , mine towed trucks up brick walls. 12 x 6 wood , steady speed ,
dead even running. Heres the catch. Open Ex. or Super Tigre Silent Muffler .
But it was in The 72 in 72 Oz. MewGull . 70 Ft. lines.

So , send it to ME !

or pay attention to cowl ducting , and USE the TOURQUE , Shouldve hung onto mine .

Gary Anderson · « **Reply #8 on:** July 29, 2010, 02:26:21 AM »

Hi,
The Merco 49 is a very friendly engine and Steve is correct the 61 and 49 share the same case. I have used the 49 in my Stiletto, Score, Magnum and a few other planes. Fuel usages is very good and she has a very nice sound. If you look into search on the forum you will find a lot of information on merco engines. Most of the time the fuel I use is either 0% or 5% and I use around 22% to 25% oil, half and half. I love Merco Engines, if ya get a good one they're hard to beat.

Gary

Andrew Tinsley · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2010, 06:46:30 AM »

Hello,
The Merco 49 is an excellent stunt engine. It does share the same case as the 61 and hence it is a little on the heavy side. The good news is that you have a Mk1 which has a lighter case.
The famed ST 60 was a ripoff of the Merco 61 and the only real difference is that the 61 is just a tiny bit down on power compared to the ST 60. Why pay good money for an ST when you can get a Merco a whole lot cheaper. Anything that an ST 46 will fly then so will the Merco 49!

Regards,

Andrew.

john e. holliday · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2010, 07:39:38 AM »

The only experience I had with the Merco .49 like yours, is that it was my second carrier engine. Won the first contest it was entered in. Very reliable engine from day to day. Always started very easily and the throttle worked like a champ. Never thought of using it in stunt back then. Now if it is any thing like the Merco .35, you will have one horse of an engine. A guy that was getting into stunt offered me too much money for my Merco .35.

Brian Hampton · « **Reply #11 on:** July 29, 2010, 09:53:39 AM »

As said, that's a Mk1 .49 (single plug) and the crankcase was designed with the intent of making it into a .61 at a later date, which of course they did and still with the single plug. The Mk2 had the twin plugs but still used what's called the lightweight crankcase. I have one of these too which was given to me by a friend in Tennessee who happened to be in a London hobby shop having a cuppa tea with the owner when a rep from Merco walked in to say the new .49 was ready for delivery from the factory. My friend said he'd have one and it was delivered to the shop the next day. So mine is about as old as a .49 can get, it's believed to be the first ever sold commercially. It started on the very first flick and has the most amazing compression seal I've ever felt with a ringed engine even after a lot of use.

pat king · « **Reply #12 on:** July 29, 2010, 10:02:46 AM »

The Flite Streak 45 has a 52" wingspan and 622 square inches. I can supply the drawings as electronic files to be printed locally. My plotter is down so I can't plot the two sheets. I can supply the machined leading edge.
Pat

rustler · « **Reply #13 on:** July 29, 2010, 01:57:53 PM »

If you'd like something with a bit of interest about it, - Bob Palmer Skyscraper. The Brit. KeilKraft factory were well advanced with plans to kit the Skyscraper when Eddie Keil was killed in a car accident, and the project stillborned. The kit plans would have shown a Merco 49 installed. And you have the correct 49, the light case first model.

Will Davis · « **Reply #14 on:** July 29, 2010, 03:12:51 PM »

Any of the bigger OTS Planes that had a ignition engine will be a good choce . Alot of these had very short noses and will balance well with the Merco installed . I have twin plug 61 that pulled a 70 + ounce magnum around with authority

Will

Air Ministry . · « **Reply #15 on:** July 29, 2010, 05:02:54 PM »

Theres a classic plane called ' Olympus ' by I think Van Derholt , Fair sized .
This and a few others were running Merco 49s at the World Champs back
then, according to the Aeromodellor reports.Late 60s early 70s .

All comp reports should list Engine type !

Model aircraft News , Nov. 1965 has a P.Chinn test of 49 & 61 combined .

wwwarbird · « **Reply #16 on:** July 29, 2010, 07:26:37 PM »

Pat,

What's the story on the FS '45? Is this just one that someone blew up into a larger size, or was it actually kitted at one time? I don't remember ever hearing of it before. This one might be a thought, but I think I'd do it with a full fuse.

When was this version of the Merco .49 produced?

Brian Hampton · « **Reply #17 on:** July 29, 2010, 09:33:02 PM »

The Mk1 came out in early 1962 and the Mk2 about mid 1966. There was also one called a Black Streak (I have one) but I don't know when they were introduced.

Air Ministry . · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2010, 02:26:37 AM »

Later ones had Muffler Lugs , much like a ST. .46 , but tapped 6 Ba , mine was late , silver O.A. & single plug.& trumpet venturie insert.
Maybe Mk II refered to muffler lugs ,or plugs ? People flog the silencor for Super Tigres , there a bit saught after, bolt on one same pattern .
Earlier had a wire strap , as per yours.But youve got that R/C butterfly screw for a tounge muffler mount.B.A. thread ? Bolt from model railway types ?

frank carlisle · « **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2010, 04:09:07 AM »

That engine must be at least 50 years old Wayne. A few years in one of your cool models will be good for it.

pat king · « **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2010, 07:03:58 AM »

I took my CAD plans for the Streak and re-engineered it for the 45 size airplane. The airplane was designed in 2007. It has not been kitted. The 1/2" balsa fuselage is designed to be skinned with 1/64 ply for rigidity and strength. The sandwich will not be as stiff as a built-up fuselage, but is much stiffer than a normal profile fuselage. The sandwich has much more torsional resistance than a plain balsa profile fuselage.
Pat

pat king · « **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2010, 07:14:57 AM »

Wayne,
If the airplane was re-designed to have a full fuselage, how would you want the engine mounted? It can be designed to keep the engine mounted on it's side so that it does not stick up or down to change the profile view of the airplane. Laser cut parts are available for the existing Streak 45 design. If a Streak 45 Deluxe is designed in CAD laser cut parts would be available for that one also.

Pat

wwwarbird · « **Reply #22 on:** July 30, 2010, 06:39:51 PM »

Pat,

It would HAVE to be upright, given the time period of the designs it just wouldn't be right any other way.

Dean Pappas · « **Reply #23 on:** July 30, 2010, 08:21:05 PM »

Hello Wayne!
That vintage Merco 49 would go perfectly in my Vintage Pattern Kirkland Beachcomber.
It was designed for that, or the OS Max 50 that was its competitor back in the day. ('64)
Would you consider selling it?
Dean Pappas

wwwarbird · « **Reply #24 on:** July 30, 2010, 10:50:45 PM »

Thanks Dean, but at least for now I plan to keep it. After the short burst I gave it on the test stand I got a good feeling about the engine right away. I would really like to build something for it, but with the list of other things I've got in mind to build I can't say that I'll use it soon. But you know how it goes in this hobby, these plans always have a way of changing.

A couple things I've forgotten to ask is what props do you guys recommend for C/L stunt with this one? Also, does anyone have an original C/L venturi they would part with?

Neville Legg · « **Reply #25 on:** July 31, 2010, 02:02:28 AM »

I would think an 11x6 or a 12x5 would be fine, but you'll probably have to experiment! So you'll need a model with a longish undercart! you still see the later dustbin silencers for sale from time to time, and they do fit the older Merco's.

Cheers Neville

wwwarbird · « **Reply #26 on:** July 31, 2010, 05:07:45 PM »

Dustbin silencer? Huh?

Neville Legg · « **Reply #27 on:** August 01, 2010, 01:28:58 AM »

Yes, it is quite a bulky but short (if that makes sense?) silencer and very effective. I have one on a 61. It was quite light as well.

Cheers Neville

wwwarbird · « **Reply #28 on:** August 01, 2010, 03:13:18 PM »

Is it that flat circular kind that sits tight against the side of the engine? Maybe you could post a picture of it?

Balsa Butcher · « **Reply #29 on:** August 01, 2010, 05:21:12 PM »

The stock silencer on the Merco 61 I have looks like a standard tube muffler when mounted. The dust-bin part of it may be a reference to its construction. The tube is split down the middle and bolts on to the tongue part. It is the only silencer I've seen with this design. It seems to work OK although if I were to use the engine in an model I would replace it with a modern tube style muffler if I could find one that fits.

wwwarbird · « **Reply #30 on:** August 01, 2010, 05:34:17 PM »

This is what I'm thinking of when you say "dustbin" muffler. Is that what this is?

http://www.brodak.com/shop_productdetail.php?ProductID=6703

Neville Legg · « **Reply #31 on:** August 02, 2010, 11:28:16 AM »

Wayne, if you look on Ebay UK there is a Merco 49 with a red dustbin silencer fitted, you'll see what I mean!

Cheers Neville

wwwarbird · « **Reply #32 on:** August 02, 2010, 11:36:06 AM »

Thanks Neville, now I know.