Model Engines - Gnome and Aeronca

C

cwelkie

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I finally posted an introduction and was asked to post some photos of a couple of my engines ... so here they are.

One is a 1/4 scale model of a horizontally opposed twin from the thirties designed for a series of light aircraft built by Aeronca. This one has been finished for a couple/three years now. Runs pretty well for something I've built :))

The other is also in 1/4 scale but of a nine cylinder rotary engine from World War I called a Gnome. I'm still in the process of finishing this build. The engine is complete but it takes a lot of ancillary equipment to get one running - not to mention the huge club of a propeller this one needs.

Cheers
Charlie

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Nice Charlie. What needs to be done yet on the Gnome to get it running? Did you cast the crankcase or is it machined from a solid?

I started a 1/5 scale Gnome years ago and got hung up making the crankcase. I made a couple attempts at casting it, but lacked a proper furnace to get enough aluminum hot enough for the pour. Seeing this makes me want to drag it out and get started again. My dad promised to make a scale Nieuport 28 to put it in if I was successful building it, but I failed to hold up my end of the deal. There are a few pics on the site of it here.

Tom
 
Thanks everyone for the compliments.

Tom - It looks like you made some good progress on your 1/5 scale Gnome. Were you working to the Chenery drawings ... they look familiar after having built the Aeronca. I hope you pick it up again.

The crankcase on mine is a combination of turned from solid and silver brazed/soldered assemblies. For example, the cylinder spigots are made as separate pieces and silver brazed onto the central crankcase. I'll bet you could work out something similar for yours if you don't / can't get the furnace sorted. By way of inspiration I've added a photo that includes my 1/5 scale Nieuport II (top centre).

Shawn - sorry I can't say how many hours or when I'll be finished. (If any one asks when it will be done I just say, "Tuesday") It will certainly be in the several hundred hours but then I'm not terribly fast (or bright :thinking:).

Cheers
Charlie

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Sorry Tom - I didn't answer all of your questions.
I'm working on the combination fuel/oil tank, the control panel (fuel pump speed controls, battery, voltage regulator, etc.) and all the plumbing.
... not quite your usual 2-stroke model engine.
Cheers
cw
 
Man Charlie,
You've quite the hobby there and everything is so beautiful. All those model planes look great.
Boco
 
AS an ex aeromodeler and now trying to make engines,all I can say is AMAZING.

Ian (seagar)
 
cwelkie said:
Tom - It looks like you made some good progress on your 1/5 scale Gnome. Were you working to the Chenery drawings ... they look familiar after having built the Aeronca. I hope you pick it up again.

The crankcase on mine is a combination of turned from solid and silver brazed/soldered assemblies. For example, the cylinder spigots are made as separate pieces and silver brazed onto the central crankcase. I'll bet you could work out something similar for yours if you don't / can't get the furnace sorted. By way of inspiration I've added a photo that includes my 1/5 scale Nieuport II (top centre).

Cheers
Charlie
Click to expand...

Charlie,

I don't know who did the drawings, there is no name on them anywhere.

The original Gnome was all steel because aluminum wasn't readily available at the time. I do plan to fly mine, so I opted for an aluminum crankcase to keep the weight down and I cheated and made the cylinder cooling fins aluminum as well. It must have been a real challenge to part all of those fins in steel.

I'll get back to it one of these days. My dad is getting too old now to build the Nieuport 28, so I'll probably end up building that as well. There is never a shortage of projects to build.

Tom
 
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