Saturday afternoon I put parts for three Cox reed-valve .049s from my bucket-o-engines into a mini crock pot with some antifreeze. The weekend was a zoo, so while I was able to unplug the pot that evening I had to leave them soaking cold for 24 hours, until Sunday evening after dinner.
The varnish just brushed off! It was still there, partly, but none of it was sticking, and it's all off now. Today I'm taking breaks from paying work to assemble the engines; I have high hopes for some nice-running engines -- I just need to order some gaskets and tubing to have them together really right.
_Give_ away _parts_? For a bunch of engines that I'll never, ever use all of them, because I've switched to electric for just about everything except control line? A part that I don't use because where's the fun of flying a 1/2A airplane if you can slow it down to land before the gas runs out?
Well....
I'll send you email.
------------------- Tim Wescott Control systems and communications consulting
Was just at my local dealer, he's got lots of new in box Cox .049s ( tee dee, baby bee, &?) for sale starting at (ouch) $69.95 CDN. Phil's Hobby Hut (Richmond, BC, Canada) 604-270-3714
Cox finally ran out of the Sure Start .049 engines, I bought a dozen at 6.99 each. However, a lot of people are dumping them on eBay, and you can get them for $15, including S&H.
I've been trying to come up with a business strategy to do just that. There are a couple of not-so-obvious factors involved that have to be considered. For one thing, there were enough Cox engines made that every modeler in the USA could have several of them, and probably does. So why does anybody need to make more? On the other hand, modelers are a strange breed who will buy ten of their favorite engine just in case they crash nine. So obviously somebody needs to make more. So where does that leave us? Is there a market for a "new 049" to replace the Cox or not?
The engine I have my eye on is the 020. Cox apparently made enough Pee Wee 020s to last another 30 years at the present rate of demand. Just look at them on ebay. But the Tee Dee 020 is a coveted treasure. I was tracking one on ebay that went for $91 yesterday. I'd like to take measurements from one and build a semi-clone that uses a standard short glowplug. I think you're right about modern manufacturing techniques. It wouldn't take much to build one of these little gems.
My theory is that using modern micro radio gear and a new throttled 049 engine, you could put together a plane that weighs as much as it would have with a lightweight Cox 049 and large old radio gear. The 020 is a different story, because there is not currently a good replacement for the Tee Dee 020. The Pee Wee is a great engine but it runs for only 2 to 3 minutes. The Tee Dee will give you a lot more power and more time with a remote tank. And the modern micro radio gear is just now bringing out the full potential of Tee Dee 020 powered airplanes. I seriously want to prototype a new glow engine with the same weight and performance specs as the Tee Dee 020 within the next couple of years. I just have to get a few other things settled first, but I will definitely be working on this.
I have one I did that to. The fuel line kept coming off, but a friend borrowed it and used a smaller diameter tube. He said it worked great, but tank height was a major issue.
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