June 2005 47
Bill Mohrbacher (Beaver Falls PA) with his presentation of
Throttled Foxes that won the engine-display competition.
Evan Towne (Huntington IN) presents his collection of slag
engines that earned him first place in the slag category.
Jim Dunkin’s Dennymite engine display was complete with labels and
advertisements. He finished in second place in the engine-display competition.
THE WEEKEND BEFORE the SAM
(Society of Antique Modelers)
Championships each year, there is a
gathering of model-engine enthusiasts;
they are members of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA). Although
collecting is MECA’s main thrust, many
members are engine users/accumulators,
engine performance modifiers, engine
constructors, engine or part manufacturers,
or just interested people.
The gathering is referred to as the Expo
and it consists of a variety of enginerelated
activities that include displays,
lectures, engine-running sessions, and a
swap shop (collecto). Expo V was held at
the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie,
Indiana, September 10-12, 2004.
The convention center is in downtown
Muncie and is an excellent facility. The
staff has a reputation among modelairplane
people as being cooperative and
having a quality place for this type of
activity. That reputation was confirmed at
the Expo, which was an outstanding
weekend overall.
The event was extremely well executed.
It started with the board of directors
meeting Friday afternoon, September 10.
Several items were discussed and brought
to the general membership meeting. The
membership activities began with the
social hour Friday evening. It was a
relaxing time that was held in the facility’s
open area near the ballrooms.
The annual MECA business meeting
was held in a meeting room at the
convention center the following morning.
Numerous topics were discussed. The
primary action taken was to continue
having the Expo with the SAM Champs
each year; they are currently planned to
by Robert M. Bennett
Photos by the author
Jack Conrad discusses his experiences with Bill Brown. Great
stories are a big part of this event’s appeal.
Jim Dunkin gave a presentation on the Dennymite’s history,
including an overview of the Righter and Dennymite engines.
Karl Spielmaker talks about his engine production. It started for
him when he read a story about how to build midget engines.
alternate between Muncie and the Las Vegas, Nevada, area.
Featured Presentations: Several interesting presentations about
model-engine manufacturing, collecting, and history were
featured Saturday morning and afternoon. Jack Conrad related
his experiences while working with Bill Brown. Jack worked for
Bill for 10-12 years after “graduating” (retiring) from his job in
1989.
Jack reviewed several events in Bill’s life. Bill’s dad built a
sea-fishing reel in 1926 and took him through operating the
machinery. Bill had 12 years of background in machining before
he built his “high school engine” in 1930. Jack went to work to
help Bill with his CO2 engines for no pay until it was profitable
primarily for employment of Bill’s son.
Bill was a master miniature toolmaker, but Jack soon learned
that there was no documentation for the 22 parts in the CO2
engine. It was all in Bill’s head or in the tooling. After Bill’s
stroke in 1997, he continued to build engines with his left hand.
Karl Spielmaker described his efforts in model engine and
parts production. He started in high school, inspired by a
Mechanics Illustrated article about how to build midget engines.
He built an engine then, but it never ran. It was used as an
example in shop.
Later, as a summer job, Karl worked at Lear in the model
shop, where they did small-batch production. After some CL
flying, he became interested in FAI FF Gas and developed his
own .15: the Copperhead. It performed great on the first flight
but blew the rod on the next one.
Karl went on to make parts and full engines such as the
Spielmaker .60. He said that some people are addicted to modelairplane
engines, but his wife is married to a person who is
addicted to machinery such as lathes, etc. and has a basement
full of them.
Tim Dannels, who is editor and publisher of the Engine
Collectors’ Journal (ECJ), gave an overview of the early days
of engine collecting. He indicated that probably the first record
of collecting was in the February 1946 Model Airplane News.
John Hanson’s collection was on loan to the Smithsonian. There
were 31 engines in that set, including such types as the
Scrapper, the Mighty Midget, the Hurleman, and more. Many of
them were donated by the manufacturers.
The early days of the collecting publication were organized
by Bruce Underwood and later by Joe Wagner, who took up
where Bruce left off. As a printer, Tim offered to help Joe with
the Bulletin, but it did not work out.
Since several others were working on histories, Tim started
publishing the ECJ separate from MECA. One reason why we
have the MECA Bulletin and the ECJ is that Tim wanted to read
something other than what he printed, so there are publications
with different niches.
Tim indicated that he started collecting in 1959 and told
several of his collection stories. The audience members then
June 2005 49
Karl Spielmaker had on display samples of his parts and the
engines he had produced. There’s lots of history here. Part of Bob Pelfrey’s Gilbert engines and documents.
told some stories about how they got started in collecting.
Jim Dunkin gave an interesting presentation on the history of
the Dennymite engine at Expo IV. He followed that up in 2004
with a compelling update and overview of the Righter and
Dennymite engines. It started when Walter Righter was
unemployed in 1936 and wanted to design, build, and market a
model engine. It continued until a few years after World War II,
with several manufacturers and vendors.
In Bob Pelfrey’s presentation “The Gilbert Mystery,” he posed
the question of who designed the Gilbert engines. The A.C. Gilbert
Co. was known for Erector sets, American Flyer trains, ChemCraft
chemistry sets, and quality products.
A.C. Gilbert died in 1961, and the company was sold. In 1962
Gilbert reduced the trains and added airplanes, which were sold
only through toy stores. The company went bankrupt in 1966, and
Polk bought the airplane items. After reviewing many aspects of
the engines and the marketing, Bob came to
the conclusion that Hi Johnson and Bob
Holland designed the engines.
Model-Engine Displays: Engine
collections and unusual collectible items
are exhibited at each Expo. During the day
Saturday, the engine displays were set up
in the hallway or foyer near the meeting
room where the membership meeting and
presentations were held. The theme was
“slag engines,” which includes such
notable power plants as the Thor and
GHQ. The winners were determined by a
“beauty contest” on which attendees
voted.
Bill Mohrbacher was the overall winner.
His display of “Throttled Foxes” was
exquisite. Every engine was mounted on
foam board with the advertisement for each
above it and a balloon containing the engine
description. They were arranged in a time
line of manufacture. The power plants
ranged from the 1/2A to the large .60s.
People described Bill as a “Foxaholic” and
a “Fox Hound.” He gave a masterful presentation and earned a welldeserved
first place.
Evan Towne won for the slag-engine theme display, which included
the original slags: the Weiss Babys of 1911. His power plants were
neatly mounted in a wood stair-step shelf with labels for each. He
included a cut-away engine and advertising for several engines. It was
an excellent presentation.
Jim Dunkin received second place for his remarkable Dennymite
engine display. Each one was neatly mounted on the sides of a box that
could be closed and locked for travel. He included ads for the
Dennymites from the model magazines. This supplemented his
presentation on the Dennymite engine.
Tim Dannels garnered third place with his collection of slag
engines. He was gracious at the awards ceremony and had his wife and
helper Betty accept the honor. The slag-engine collection was displayed
in three parts: the beginnings, the afterthoughts, and the endings.
Gerald Wiles’ collection of Ohlsson engines and racecars.
George Hellmer’s Morton M42 waits for its turn to run. Coolie Reynolds holds Woody Bartelt’s Hornet .049 engine.
The Magic City Music Men of Muncie, Indiana—a barbershop-style group that sings a capella—performed at the banquet held
Saturday evening.
Each Expo V speaker was awarded a plaque of appreciation at the banquet.
June 2005 51
Mike Cook runs a Wenson .36 in the inverted position.
Carly Pelfrey sold Gilbert engines and parts at the event. Her
husband Bob gave a presentation on Gilbert power plants.
Ed Seay (R), 94, and his son Ed Seay Jr. of Irving, Texas, were
selling their wares: kits, engines, and parts.
I’m anticipating Expo VI in or near Las Vegas this fall. Get
your engine collection organized and ready to go for the
displays; it is not too soon to start planning.
MECA Expo V Banquet: The banquet was held in one of the
Horizon Convention Center’s ballrooms. The buffet-style meal
was excellent, and the Magic City Music Men of Muncie
provided the entertainment.
The Magic City Music Men is a barbershop-style group that
sings a cappella and consist of roughly 25 men and one woman.
The program was extensive, with a variety of well-done group
and quartet music. Since the performance was held on
September 11, the concluding number was “God Bless
America,” in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
Engine-Running Demonstrations: Each Expo features an
engine-running demonstration. This year it included many
conventional and weird and wonderful engines. They exhibited
excellent craftsmanship and operation.
Collecto: MECA collectos are basically swap shops for model
engines and related items, but they also include displays of
interesting collectibles and socializing. The 2004 edition was
held in a ballroom at the Horizon Convention Center Sunday
morning. Attendance was high, and there were many tables with
a large selection of items for sale, display, or discussion.
One of the main interests in MECA is the Swap Sheet, which
contains approximately 40 pages of ads that are free to the
members and are related to model engines. It is published six
times per year. The MECA Bulletin—the membership
publication—is included with the Swap Sheet.
MECA membership is $30 per year in the US and $40 per year
elsewhere. Pay to MECA, Bob McClelland, treasurer, 3007
Travis St., West Lake LA 70669.
The ECJ is $15 for six issues in the US, $17 in Canada, $20
in Europe, and $24 in Asia-Australia. Pay to the Engine
Collectors Journal, Box 243, Buena Vista CO 81211. MA
Robert M. Bennett
40 Mohawk Rd.
Hampton VA 23669
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/06
Page Numbers: 47,48,49,50,51
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/06
Page Numbers: 47,48,49,50,51
June 2005 47
Bill Mohrbacher (Beaver Falls PA) with his presentation of
Throttled Foxes that won the engine-display competition.
Evan Towne (Huntington IN) presents his collection of slag
engines that earned him first place in the slag category.
Jim Dunkin’s Dennymite engine display was complete with labels and
advertisements. He finished in second place in the engine-display competition.
THE WEEKEND BEFORE the SAM
(Society of Antique Modelers)
Championships each year, there is a
gathering of model-engine enthusiasts;
they are members of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA). Although
collecting is MECA’s main thrust, many
members are engine users/accumulators,
engine performance modifiers, engine
constructors, engine or part manufacturers,
or just interested people.
The gathering is referred to as the Expo
and it consists of a variety of enginerelated
activities that include displays,
lectures, engine-running sessions, and a
swap shop (collecto). Expo V was held at
the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie,
Indiana, September 10-12, 2004.
The convention center is in downtown
Muncie and is an excellent facility. The
staff has a reputation among modelairplane
people as being cooperative and
having a quality place for this type of
activity. That reputation was confirmed at
the Expo, which was an outstanding
weekend overall.
The event was extremely well executed.
It started with the board of directors
meeting Friday afternoon, September 10.
Several items were discussed and brought
to the general membership meeting. The
membership activities began with the
social hour Friday evening. It was a
relaxing time that was held in the facility’s
open area near the ballrooms.
The annual MECA business meeting
was held in a meeting room at the
convention center the following morning.
Numerous topics were discussed. The
primary action taken was to continue
having the Expo with the SAM Champs
each year; they are currently planned to
by Robert M. Bennett
Photos by the author
Jack Conrad discusses his experiences with Bill Brown. Great
stories are a big part of this event’s appeal.
Jim Dunkin gave a presentation on the Dennymite’s history,
including an overview of the Righter and Dennymite engines.
Karl Spielmaker talks about his engine production. It started for
him when he read a story about how to build midget engines.
alternate between Muncie and the Las Vegas, Nevada, area.
Featured Presentations: Several interesting presentations about
model-engine manufacturing, collecting, and history were
featured Saturday morning and afternoon. Jack Conrad related
his experiences while working with Bill Brown. Jack worked for
Bill for 10-12 years after “graduating” (retiring) from his job in
1989.
Jack reviewed several events in Bill’s life. Bill’s dad built a
sea-fishing reel in 1926 and took him through operating the
machinery. Bill had 12 years of background in machining before
he built his “high school engine” in 1930. Jack went to work to
help Bill with his CO2 engines for no pay until it was profitable
primarily for employment of Bill’s son.
Bill was a master miniature toolmaker, but Jack soon learned
that there was no documentation for the 22 parts in the CO2
engine. It was all in Bill’s head or in the tooling. After Bill’s
stroke in 1997, he continued to build engines with his left hand.
Karl Spielmaker described his efforts in model engine and
parts production. He started in high school, inspired by a
Mechanics Illustrated article about how to build midget engines.
He built an engine then, but it never ran. It was used as an
example in shop.
Later, as a summer job, Karl worked at Lear in the model
shop, where they did small-batch production. After some CL
flying, he became interested in FAI FF Gas and developed his
own .15: the Copperhead. It performed great on the first flight
but blew the rod on the next one.
Karl went on to make parts and full engines such as the
Spielmaker .60. He said that some people are addicted to modelairplane
engines, but his wife is married to a person who is
addicted to machinery such as lathes, etc. and has a basement
full of them.
Tim Dannels, who is editor and publisher of the Engine
Collectors’ Journal (ECJ), gave an overview of the early days
of engine collecting. He indicated that probably the first record
of collecting was in the February 1946 Model Airplane News.
John Hanson’s collection was on loan to the Smithsonian. There
were 31 engines in that set, including such types as the
Scrapper, the Mighty Midget, the Hurleman, and more. Many of
them were donated by the manufacturers.
The early days of the collecting publication were organized
by Bruce Underwood and later by Joe Wagner, who took up
where Bruce left off. As a printer, Tim offered to help Joe with
the Bulletin, but it did not work out.
Since several others were working on histories, Tim started
publishing the ECJ separate from MECA. One reason why we
have the MECA Bulletin and the ECJ is that Tim wanted to read
something other than what he printed, so there are publications
with different niches.
Tim indicated that he started collecting in 1959 and told
several of his collection stories. The audience members then
June 2005 49
Karl Spielmaker had on display samples of his parts and the
engines he had produced. There’s lots of history here. Part of Bob Pelfrey’s Gilbert engines and documents.
told some stories about how they got started in collecting.
Jim Dunkin gave an interesting presentation on the history of
the Dennymite engine at Expo IV. He followed that up in 2004
with a compelling update and overview of the Righter and
Dennymite engines. It started when Walter Righter was
unemployed in 1936 and wanted to design, build, and market a
model engine. It continued until a few years after World War II,
with several manufacturers and vendors.
In Bob Pelfrey’s presentation “The Gilbert Mystery,” he posed
the question of who designed the Gilbert engines. The A.C. Gilbert
Co. was known for Erector sets, American Flyer trains, ChemCraft
chemistry sets, and quality products.
A.C. Gilbert died in 1961, and the company was sold. In 1962
Gilbert reduced the trains and added airplanes, which were sold
only through toy stores. The company went bankrupt in 1966, and
Polk bought the airplane items. After reviewing many aspects of
the engines and the marketing, Bob came to
the conclusion that Hi Johnson and Bob
Holland designed the engines.
Model-Engine Displays: Engine
collections and unusual collectible items
are exhibited at each Expo. During the day
Saturday, the engine displays were set up
in the hallway or foyer near the meeting
room where the membership meeting and
presentations were held. The theme was
“slag engines,” which includes such
notable power plants as the Thor and
GHQ. The winners were determined by a
“beauty contest” on which attendees
voted.
Bill Mohrbacher was the overall winner.
His display of “Throttled Foxes” was
exquisite. Every engine was mounted on
foam board with the advertisement for each
above it and a balloon containing the engine
description. They were arranged in a time
line of manufacture. The power plants
ranged from the 1/2A to the large .60s.
People described Bill as a “Foxaholic” and
a “Fox Hound.” He gave a masterful presentation and earned a welldeserved
first place.
Evan Towne won for the slag-engine theme display, which included
the original slags: the Weiss Babys of 1911. His power plants were
neatly mounted in a wood stair-step shelf with labels for each. He
included a cut-away engine and advertising for several engines. It was
an excellent presentation.
Jim Dunkin received second place for his remarkable Dennymite
engine display. Each one was neatly mounted on the sides of a box that
could be closed and locked for travel. He included ads for the
Dennymites from the model magazines. This supplemented his
presentation on the Dennymite engine.
Tim Dannels garnered third place with his collection of slag
engines. He was gracious at the awards ceremony and had his wife and
helper Betty accept the honor. The slag-engine collection was displayed
in three parts: the beginnings, the afterthoughts, and the endings.
Gerald Wiles’ collection of Ohlsson engines and racecars.
George Hellmer’s Morton M42 waits for its turn to run. Coolie Reynolds holds Woody Bartelt’s Hornet .049 engine.
The Magic City Music Men of Muncie, Indiana—a barbershop-style group that sings a capella—performed at the banquet held
Saturday evening.
Each Expo V speaker was awarded a plaque of appreciation at the banquet.
June 2005 51
Mike Cook runs a Wenson .36 in the inverted position.
Carly Pelfrey sold Gilbert engines and parts at the event. Her
husband Bob gave a presentation on Gilbert power plants.
Ed Seay (R), 94, and his son Ed Seay Jr. of Irving, Texas, were
selling their wares: kits, engines, and parts.
I’m anticipating Expo VI in or near Las Vegas this fall. Get
your engine collection organized and ready to go for the
displays; it is not too soon to start planning.
MECA Expo V Banquet: The banquet was held in one of the
Horizon Convention Center’s ballrooms. The buffet-style meal
was excellent, and the Magic City Music Men of Muncie
provided the entertainment.
The Magic City Music Men is a barbershop-style group that
sings a cappella and consist of roughly 25 men and one woman.
The program was extensive, with a variety of well-done group
and quartet music. Since the performance was held on
September 11, the concluding number was “God Bless
America,” in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
Engine-Running Demonstrations: Each Expo features an
engine-running demonstration. This year it included many
conventional and weird and wonderful engines. They exhibited
excellent craftsmanship and operation.
Collecto: MECA collectos are basically swap shops for model
engines and related items, but they also include displays of
interesting collectibles and socializing. The 2004 edition was
held in a ballroom at the Horizon Convention Center Sunday
morning. Attendance was high, and there were many tables with
a large selection of items for sale, display, or discussion.
One of the main interests in MECA is the Swap Sheet, which
contains approximately 40 pages of ads that are free to the
members and are related to model engines. It is published six
times per year. The MECA Bulletin—the membership
publication—is included with the Swap Sheet.
MECA membership is $30 per year in the US and $40 per year
elsewhere. Pay to MECA, Bob McClelland, treasurer, 3007
Travis St., West Lake LA 70669.
The ECJ is $15 for six issues in the US, $17 in Canada, $20
in Europe, and $24 in Asia-Australia. Pay to the Engine
Collectors Journal, Box 243, Buena Vista CO 81211. MA
Robert M. Bennett
40 Mohawk Rd.
Hampton VA 23669
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/06
Page Numbers: 47,48,49,50,51
June 2005 47
Bill Mohrbacher (Beaver Falls PA) with his presentation of
Throttled Foxes that won the engine-display competition.
Evan Towne (Huntington IN) presents his collection of slag
engines that earned him first place in the slag category.
Jim Dunkin’s Dennymite engine display was complete with labels and
advertisements. He finished in second place in the engine-display competition.
THE WEEKEND BEFORE the SAM
(Society of Antique Modelers)
Championships each year, there is a
gathering of model-engine enthusiasts;
they are members of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA). Although
collecting is MECA’s main thrust, many
members are engine users/accumulators,
engine performance modifiers, engine
constructors, engine or part manufacturers,
or just interested people.
The gathering is referred to as the Expo
and it consists of a variety of enginerelated
activities that include displays,
lectures, engine-running sessions, and a
swap shop (collecto). Expo V was held at
the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie,
Indiana, September 10-12, 2004.
The convention center is in downtown
Muncie and is an excellent facility. The
staff has a reputation among modelairplane
people as being cooperative and
having a quality place for this type of
activity. That reputation was confirmed at
the Expo, which was an outstanding
weekend overall.
The event was extremely well executed.
It started with the board of directors
meeting Friday afternoon, September 10.
Several items were discussed and brought
to the general membership meeting. The
membership activities began with the
social hour Friday evening. It was a
relaxing time that was held in the facility’s
open area near the ballrooms.
The annual MECA business meeting
was held in a meeting room at the
convention center the following morning.
Numerous topics were discussed. The
primary action taken was to continue
having the Expo with the SAM Champs
each year; they are currently planned to
by Robert M. Bennett
Photos by the author
Jack Conrad discusses his experiences with Bill Brown. Great
stories are a big part of this event’s appeal.
Jim Dunkin gave a presentation on the Dennymite’s history,
including an overview of the Righter and Dennymite engines.
Karl Spielmaker talks about his engine production. It started for
him when he read a story about how to build midget engines.
alternate between Muncie and the Las Vegas, Nevada, area.
Featured Presentations: Several interesting presentations about
model-engine manufacturing, collecting, and history were
featured Saturday morning and afternoon. Jack Conrad related
his experiences while working with Bill Brown. Jack worked for
Bill for 10-12 years after “graduating” (retiring) from his job in
1989.
Jack reviewed several events in Bill’s life. Bill’s dad built a
sea-fishing reel in 1926 and took him through operating the
machinery. Bill had 12 years of background in machining before
he built his “high school engine” in 1930. Jack went to work to
help Bill with his CO2 engines for no pay until it was profitable
primarily for employment of Bill’s son.
Bill was a master miniature toolmaker, but Jack soon learned
that there was no documentation for the 22 parts in the CO2
engine. It was all in Bill’s head or in the tooling. After Bill’s
stroke in 1997, he continued to build engines with his left hand.
Karl Spielmaker described his efforts in model engine and
parts production. He started in high school, inspired by a
Mechanics Illustrated article about how to build midget engines.
He built an engine then, but it never ran. It was used as an
example in shop.
Later, as a summer job, Karl worked at Lear in the model
shop, where they did small-batch production. After some CL
flying, he became interested in FAI FF Gas and developed his
own .15: the Copperhead. It performed great on the first flight
but blew the rod on the next one.
Karl went on to make parts and full engines such as the
Spielmaker .60. He said that some people are addicted to modelairplane
engines, but his wife is married to a person who is
addicted to machinery such as lathes, etc. and has a basement
full of them.
Tim Dannels, who is editor and publisher of the Engine
Collectors’ Journal (ECJ), gave an overview of the early days
of engine collecting. He indicated that probably the first record
of collecting was in the February 1946 Model Airplane News.
John Hanson’s collection was on loan to the Smithsonian. There
were 31 engines in that set, including such types as the
Scrapper, the Mighty Midget, the Hurleman, and more. Many of
them were donated by the manufacturers.
The early days of the collecting publication were organized
by Bruce Underwood and later by Joe Wagner, who took up
where Bruce left off. As a printer, Tim offered to help Joe with
the Bulletin, but it did not work out.
Since several others were working on histories, Tim started
publishing the ECJ separate from MECA. One reason why we
have the MECA Bulletin and the ECJ is that Tim wanted to read
something other than what he printed, so there are publications
with different niches.
Tim indicated that he started collecting in 1959 and told
several of his collection stories. The audience members then
June 2005 49
Karl Spielmaker had on display samples of his parts and the
engines he had produced. There’s lots of history here. Part of Bob Pelfrey’s Gilbert engines and documents.
told some stories about how they got started in collecting.
Jim Dunkin gave an interesting presentation on the history of
the Dennymite engine at Expo IV. He followed that up in 2004
with a compelling update and overview of the Righter and
Dennymite engines. It started when Walter Righter was
unemployed in 1936 and wanted to design, build, and market a
model engine. It continued until a few years after World War II,
with several manufacturers and vendors.
In Bob Pelfrey’s presentation “The Gilbert Mystery,” he posed
the question of who designed the Gilbert engines. The A.C. Gilbert
Co. was known for Erector sets, American Flyer trains, ChemCraft
chemistry sets, and quality products.
A.C. Gilbert died in 1961, and the company was sold. In 1962
Gilbert reduced the trains and added airplanes, which were sold
only through toy stores. The company went bankrupt in 1966, and
Polk bought the airplane items. After reviewing many aspects of
the engines and the marketing, Bob came to
the conclusion that Hi Johnson and Bob
Holland designed the engines.
Model-Engine Displays: Engine
collections and unusual collectible items
are exhibited at each Expo. During the day
Saturday, the engine displays were set up
in the hallway or foyer near the meeting
room where the membership meeting and
presentations were held. The theme was
“slag engines,” which includes such
notable power plants as the Thor and
GHQ. The winners were determined by a
“beauty contest” on which attendees
voted.
Bill Mohrbacher was the overall winner.
His display of “Throttled Foxes” was
exquisite. Every engine was mounted on
foam board with the advertisement for each
above it and a balloon containing the engine
description. They were arranged in a time
line of manufacture. The power plants
ranged from the 1/2A to the large .60s.
People described Bill as a “Foxaholic” and
a “Fox Hound.” He gave a masterful presentation and earned a welldeserved
first place.
Evan Towne won for the slag-engine theme display, which included
the original slags: the Weiss Babys of 1911. His power plants were
neatly mounted in a wood stair-step shelf with labels for each. He
included a cut-away engine and advertising for several engines. It was
an excellent presentation.
Jim Dunkin received second place for his remarkable Dennymite
engine display. Each one was neatly mounted on the sides of a box that
could be closed and locked for travel. He included ads for the
Dennymites from the model magazines. This supplemented his
presentation on the Dennymite engine.
Tim Dannels garnered third place with his collection of slag
engines. He was gracious at the awards ceremony and had his wife and
helper Betty accept the honor. The slag-engine collection was displayed
in three parts: the beginnings, the afterthoughts, and the endings.
Gerald Wiles’ collection of Ohlsson engines and racecars.
George Hellmer’s Morton M42 waits for its turn to run. Coolie Reynolds holds Woody Bartelt’s Hornet .049 engine.
The Magic City Music Men of Muncie, Indiana—a barbershop-style group that sings a capella—performed at the banquet held
Saturday evening.
Each Expo V speaker was awarded a plaque of appreciation at the banquet.
June 2005 51
Mike Cook runs a Wenson .36 in the inverted position.
Carly Pelfrey sold Gilbert engines and parts at the event. Her
husband Bob gave a presentation on Gilbert power plants.
Ed Seay (R), 94, and his son Ed Seay Jr. of Irving, Texas, were
selling their wares: kits, engines, and parts.
I’m anticipating Expo VI in or near Las Vegas this fall. Get
your engine collection organized and ready to go for the
displays; it is not too soon to start planning.
MECA Expo V Banquet: The banquet was held in one of the
Horizon Convention Center’s ballrooms. The buffet-style meal
was excellent, and the Magic City Music Men of Muncie
provided the entertainment.
The Magic City Music Men is a barbershop-style group that
sings a cappella and consist of roughly 25 men and one woman.
The program was extensive, with a variety of well-done group
and quartet music. Since the performance was held on
September 11, the concluding number was “God Bless
America,” in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
Engine-Running Demonstrations: Each Expo features an
engine-running demonstration. This year it included many
conventional and weird and wonderful engines. They exhibited
excellent craftsmanship and operation.
Collecto: MECA collectos are basically swap shops for model
engines and related items, but they also include displays of
interesting collectibles and socializing. The 2004 edition was
held in a ballroom at the Horizon Convention Center Sunday
morning. Attendance was high, and there were many tables with
a large selection of items for sale, display, or discussion.
One of the main interests in MECA is the Swap Sheet, which
contains approximately 40 pages of ads that are free to the
members and are related to model engines. It is published six
times per year. The MECA Bulletin—the membership
publication—is included with the Swap Sheet.
MECA membership is $30 per year in the US and $40 per year
elsewhere. Pay to MECA, Bob McClelland, treasurer, 3007
Travis St., West Lake LA 70669.
The ECJ is $15 for six issues in the US, $17 in Canada, $20
in Europe, and $24 in Asia-Australia. Pay to the Engine
Collectors Journal, Box 243, Buena Vista CO 81211. MA
Robert M. Bennett
40 Mohawk Rd.
Hampton VA 23669
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/06
Page Numbers: 47,48,49,50,51
June 2005 47
Bill Mohrbacher (Beaver Falls PA) with his presentation of
Throttled Foxes that won the engine-display competition.
Evan Towne (Huntington IN) presents his collection of slag
engines that earned him first place in the slag category.
Jim Dunkin’s Dennymite engine display was complete with labels and
advertisements. He finished in second place in the engine-display competition.
THE WEEKEND BEFORE the SAM
(Society of Antique Modelers)
Championships each year, there is a
gathering of model-engine enthusiasts;
they are members of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA). Although
collecting is MECA’s main thrust, many
members are engine users/accumulators,
engine performance modifiers, engine
constructors, engine or part manufacturers,
or just interested people.
The gathering is referred to as the Expo
and it consists of a variety of enginerelated
activities that include displays,
lectures, engine-running sessions, and a
swap shop (collecto). Expo V was held at
the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie,
Indiana, September 10-12, 2004.
The convention center is in downtown
Muncie and is an excellent facility. The
staff has a reputation among modelairplane
people as being cooperative and
having a quality place for this type of
activity. That reputation was confirmed at
the Expo, which was an outstanding
weekend overall.
The event was extremely well executed.
It started with the board of directors
meeting Friday afternoon, September 10.
Several items were discussed and brought
to the general membership meeting. The
membership activities began with the
social hour Friday evening. It was a
relaxing time that was held in the facility’s
open area near the ballrooms.
The annual MECA business meeting
was held in a meeting room at the
convention center the following morning.
Numerous topics were discussed. The
primary action taken was to continue
having the Expo with the SAM Champs
each year; they are currently planned to
by Robert M. Bennett
Photos by the author
Jack Conrad discusses his experiences with Bill Brown. Great
stories are a big part of this event’s appeal.
Jim Dunkin gave a presentation on the Dennymite’s history,
including an overview of the Righter and Dennymite engines.
Karl Spielmaker talks about his engine production. It started for
him when he read a story about how to build midget engines.
alternate between Muncie and the Las Vegas, Nevada, area.
Featured Presentations: Several interesting presentations about
model-engine manufacturing, collecting, and history were
featured Saturday morning and afternoon. Jack Conrad related
his experiences while working with Bill Brown. Jack worked for
Bill for 10-12 years after “graduating” (retiring) from his job in
1989.
Jack reviewed several events in Bill’s life. Bill’s dad built a
sea-fishing reel in 1926 and took him through operating the
machinery. Bill had 12 years of background in machining before
he built his “high school engine” in 1930. Jack went to work to
help Bill with his CO2 engines for no pay until it was profitable
primarily for employment of Bill’s son.
Bill was a master miniature toolmaker, but Jack soon learned
that there was no documentation for the 22 parts in the CO2
engine. It was all in Bill’s head or in the tooling. After Bill’s
stroke in 1997, he continued to build engines with his left hand.
Karl Spielmaker described his efforts in model engine and
parts production. He started in high school, inspired by a
Mechanics Illustrated article about how to build midget engines.
He built an engine then, but it never ran. It was used as an
example in shop.
Later, as a summer job, Karl worked at Lear in the model
shop, where they did small-batch production. After some CL
flying, he became interested in FAI FF Gas and developed his
own .15: the Copperhead. It performed great on the first flight
but blew the rod on the next one.
Karl went on to make parts and full engines such as the
Spielmaker .60. He said that some people are addicted to modelairplane
engines, but his wife is married to a person who is
addicted to machinery such as lathes, etc. and has a basement
full of them.
Tim Dannels, who is editor and publisher of the Engine
Collectors’ Journal (ECJ), gave an overview of the early days
of engine collecting. He indicated that probably the first record
of collecting was in the February 1946 Model Airplane News.
John Hanson’s collection was on loan to the Smithsonian. There
were 31 engines in that set, including such types as the
Scrapper, the Mighty Midget, the Hurleman, and more. Many of
them were donated by the manufacturers.
The early days of the collecting publication were organized
by Bruce Underwood and later by Joe Wagner, who took up
where Bruce left off. As a printer, Tim offered to help Joe with
the Bulletin, but it did not work out.
Since several others were working on histories, Tim started
publishing the ECJ separate from MECA. One reason why we
have the MECA Bulletin and the ECJ is that Tim wanted to read
something other than what he printed, so there are publications
with different niches.
Tim indicated that he started collecting in 1959 and told
several of his collection stories. The audience members then
June 2005 49
Karl Spielmaker had on display samples of his parts and the
engines he had produced. There’s lots of history here. Part of Bob Pelfrey’s Gilbert engines and documents.
told some stories about how they got started in collecting.
Jim Dunkin gave an interesting presentation on the history of
the Dennymite engine at Expo IV. He followed that up in 2004
with a compelling update and overview of the Righter and
Dennymite engines. It started when Walter Righter was
unemployed in 1936 and wanted to design, build, and market a
model engine. It continued until a few years after World War II,
with several manufacturers and vendors.
In Bob Pelfrey’s presentation “The Gilbert Mystery,” he posed
the question of who designed the Gilbert engines. The A.C. Gilbert
Co. was known for Erector sets, American Flyer trains, ChemCraft
chemistry sets, and quality products.
A.C. Gilbert died in 1961, and the company was sold. In 1962
Gilbert reduced the trains and added airplanes, which were sold
only through toy stores. The company went bankrupt in 1966, and
Polk bought the airplane items. After reviewing many aspects of
the engines and the marketing, Bob came to
the conclusion that Hi Johnson and Bob
Holland designed the engines.
Model-Engine Displays: Engine
collections and unusual collectible items
are exhibited at each Expo. During the day
Saturday, the engine displays were set up
in the hallway or foyer near the meeting
room where the membership meeting and
presentations were held. The theme was
“slag engines,” which includes such
notable power plants as the Thor and
GHQ. The winners were determined by a
“beauty contest” on which attendees
voted.
Bill Mohrbacher was the overall winner.
His display of “Throttled Foxes” was
exquisite. Every engine was mounted on
foam board with the advertisement for each
above it and a balloon containing the engine
description. They were arranged in a time
line of manufacture. The power plants
ranged from the 1/2A to the large .60s.
People described Bill as a “Foxaholic” and
a “Fox Hound.” He gave a masterful presentation and earned a welldeserved
first place.
Evan Towne won for the slag-engine theme display, which included
the original slags: the Weiss Babys of 1911. His power plants were
neatly mounted in a wood stair-step shelf with labels for each. He
included a cut-away engine and advertising for several engines. It was
an excellent presentation.
Jim Dunkin received second place for his remarkable Dennymite
engine display. Each one was neatly mounted on the sides of a box that
could be closed and locked for travel. He included ads for the
Dennymites from the model magazines. This supplemented his
presentation on the Dennymite engine.
Tim Dannels garnered third place with his collection of slag
engines. He was gracious at the awards ceremony and had his wife and
helper Betty accept the honor. The slag-engine collection was displayed
in three parts: the beginnings, the afterthoughts, and the endings.
Gerald Wiles’ collection of Ohlsson engines and racecars.
George Hellmer’s Morton M42 waits for its turn to run. Coolie Reynolds holds Woody Bartelt’s Hornet .049 engine.
The Magic City Music Men of Muncie, Indiana—a barbershop-style group that sings a capella—performed at the banquet held
Saturday evening.
Each Expo V speaker was awarded a plaque of appreciation at the banquet.
June 2005 51
Mike Cook runs a Wenson .36 in the inverted position.
Carly Pelfrey sold Gilbert engines and parts at the event. Her
husband Bob gave a presentation on Gilbert power plants.
Ed Seay (R), 94, and his son Ed Seay Jr. of Irving, Texas, were
selling their wares: kits, engines, and parts.
I’m anticipating Expo VI in or near Las Vegas this fall. Get
your engine collection organized and ready to go for the
displays; it is not too soon to start planning.
MECA Expo V Banquet: The banquet was held in one of the
Horizon Convention Center’s ballrooms. The buffet-style meal
was excellent, and the Magic City Music Men of Muncie
provided the entertainment.
The Magic City Music Men is a barbershop-style group that
sings a cappella and consist of roughly 25 men and one woman.
The program was extensive, with a variety of well-done group
and quartet music. Since the performance was held on
September 11, the concluding number was “God Bless
America,” in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
Engine-Running Demonstrations: Each Expo features an
engine-running demonstration. This year it included many
conventional and weird and wonderful engines. They exhibited
excellent craftsmanship and operation.
Collecto: MECA collectos are basically swap shops for model
engines and related items, but they also include displays of
interesting collectibles and socializing. The 2004 edition was
held in a ballroom at the Horizon Convention Center Sunday
morning. Attendance was high, and there were many tables with
a large selection of items for sale, display, or discussion.
One of the main interests in MECA is the Swap Sheet, which
contains approximately 40 pages of ads that are free to the
members and are related to model engines. It is published six
times per year. The MECA Bulletin—the membership
publication—is included with the Swap Sheet.
MECA membership is $30 per year in the US and $40 per year
elsewhere. Pay to MECA, Bob McClelland, treasurer, 3007
Travis St., West Lake LA 70669.
The ECJ is $15 for six issues in the US, $17 in Canada, $20
in Europe, and $24 in Asia-Australia. Pay to the Engine
Collectors Journal, Box 243, Buena Vista CO 81211. MA
Robert M. Bennett
40 Mohawk Rd.
Hampton VA 23669
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/06
Page Numbers: 47,48,49,50,51
June 2005 47
Bill Mohrbacher (Beaver Falls PA) with his presentation of
Throttled Foxes that won the engine-display competition.
Evan Towne (Huntington IN) presents his collection of slag
engines that earned him first place in the slag category.
Jim Dunkin’s Dennymite engine display was complete with labels and
advertisements. He finished in second place in the engine-display competition.
THE WEEKEND BEFORE the SAM
(Society of Antique Modelers)
Championships each year, there is a
gathering of model-engine enthusiasts;
they are members of the Model Engine
Collectors Association (MECA). Although
collecting is MECA’s main thrust, many
members are engine users/accumulators,
engine performance modifiers, engine
constructors, engine or part manufacturers,
or just interested people.
The gathering is referred to as the Expo
and it consists of a variety of enginerelated
activities that include displays,
lectures, engine-running sessions, and a
swap shop (collecto). Expo V was held at
the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie,
Indiana, September 10-12, 2004.
The convention center is in downtown
Muncie and is an excellent facility. The
staff has a reputation among modelairplane
people as being cooperative and
having a quality place for this type of
activity. That reputation was confirmed at
the Expo, which was an outstanding
weekend overall.
The event was extremely well executed.
It started with the board of directors
meeting Friday afternoon, September 10.
Several items were discussed and brought
to the general membership meeting. The
membership activities began with the
social hour Friday evening. It was a
relaxing time that was held in the facility’s
open area near the ballrooms.
The annual MECA business meeting
was held in a meeting room at the
convention center the following morning.
Numerous topics were discussed. The
primary action taken was to continue
having the Expo with the SAM Champs
each year; they are currently planned to
by Robert M. Bennett
Photos by the author
Jack Conrad discusses his experiences with Bill Brown. Great
stories are a big part of this event’s appeal.
Jim Dunkin gave a presentation on the Dennymite’s history,
including an overview of the Righter and Dennymite engines.
Karl Spielmaker talks about his engine production. It started for
him when he read a story about how to build midget engines.
alternate between Muncie and the Las Vegas, Nevada, area.
Featured Presentations: Several interesting presentations about
model-engine manufacturing, collecting, and history were
featured Saturday morning and afternoon. Jack Conrad related
his experiences while working with Bill Brown. Jack worked for
Bill for 10-12 years after “graduating” (retiring) from his job in
1989.
Jack reviewed several events in Bill’s life. Bill’s dad built a
sea-fishing reel in 1926 and took him through operating the
machinery. Bill had 12 years of background in machining before
he built his “high school engine” in 1930. Jack went to work to
help Bill with his CO2 engines for no pay until it was profitable
primarily for employment of Bill’s son.
Bill was a master miniature toolmaker, but Jack soon learned
that there was no documentation for the 22 parts in the CO2
engine. It was all in Bill’s head or in the tooling. After Bill’s
stroke in 1997, he continued to build engines with his left hand.
Karl Spielmaker described his efforts in model engine and
parts production. He started in high school, inspired by a
Mechanics Illustrated article about how to build midget engines.
He built an engine then, but it never ran. It was used as an
example in shop.
Later, as a summer job, Karl worked at Lear in the model
shop, where they did small-batch production. After some CL
flying, he became interested in FAI FF Gas and developed his
own .15: the Copperhead. It performed great on the first flight
but blew the rod on the next one.
Karl went on to make parts and full engines such as the
Spielmaker .60. He said that some people are addicted to modelairplane
engines, but his wife is married to a person who is
addicted to machinery such as lathes, etc. and has a basement
full of them.
Tim Dannels, who is editor and publisher of the Engine
Collectors’ Journal (ECJ), gave an overview of the early days
of engine collecting. He indicated that probably the first record
of collecting was in the February 1946 Model Airplane News.
John Hanson’s collection was on loan to the Smithsonian. There
were 31 engines in that set, including such types as the
Scrapper, the Mighty Midget, the Hurleman, and more. Many of
them were donated by the manufacturers.
The early days of the collecting publication were organized
by Bruce Underwood and later by Joe Wagner, who took up
where Bruce left off. As a printer, Tim offered to help Joe with
the Bulletin, but it did not work out.
Since several others were working on histories, Tim started
publishing the ECJ separate from MECA. One reason why we
have the MECA Bulletin and the ECJ is that Tim wanted to read
something other than what he printed, so there are publications
with different niches.
Tim indicated that he started collecting in 1959 and told
several of his collection stories. The audience members then
June 2005 49
Karl Spielmaker had on display samples of his parts and the
engines he had produced. There’s lots of history here. Part of Bob Pelfrey’s Gilbert engines and documents.
told some stories about how they got started in collecting.
Jim Dunkin gave an interesting presentation on the history of
the Dennymite engine at Expo IV. He followed that up in 2004
with a compelling update and overview of the Righter and
Dennymite engines. It started when Walter Righter was
unemployed in 1936 and wanted to design, build, and market a
model engine. It continued until a few years after World War II,
with several manufacturers and vendors.
In Bob Pelfrey’s presentation “The Gilbert Mystery,” he posed
the question of who designed the Gilbert engines. The A.C. Gilbert
Co. was known for Erector sets, American Flyer trains, ChemCraft
chemistry sets, and quality products.
A.C. Gilbert died in 1961, and the company was sold. In 1962
Gilbert reduced the trains and added airplanes, which were sold
only through toy stores. The company went bankrupt in 1966, and
Polk bought the airplane items. After reviewing many aspects of
the engines and the marketing, Bob came to
the conclusion that Hi Johnson and Bob
Holland designed the engines.
Model-Engine Displays: Engine
collections and unusual collectible items
are exhibited at each Expo. During the day
Saturday, the engine displays were set up
in the hallway or foyer near the meeting
room where the membership meeting and
presentations were held. The theme was
“slag engines,” which includes such
notable power plants as the Thor and
GHQ. The winners were determined by a
“beauty contest” on which attendees
voted.
Bill Mohrbacher was the overall winner.
His display of “Throttled Foxes” was
exquisite. Every engine was mounted on
foam board with the advertisement for each
above it and a balloon containing the engine
description. They were arranged in a time
line of manufacture. The power plants
ranged from the 1/2A to the large .60s.
People described Bill as a “Foxaholic” and
a “Fox Hound.” He gave a masterful presentation and earned a welldeserved
first place.
Evan Towne won for the slag-engine theme display, which included
the original slags: the Weiss Babys of 1911. His power plants were
neatly mounted in a wood stair-step shelf with labels for each. He
included a cut-away engine and advertising for several engines. It was
an excellent presentation.
Jim Dunkin received second place for his remarkable Dennymite
engine display. Each one was neatly mounted on the sides of a box that
could be closed and locked for travel. He included ads for the
Dennymites from the model magazines. This supplemented his
presentation on the Dennymite engine.
Tim Dannels garnered third place with his collection of slag
engines. He was gracious at the awards ceremony and had his wife and
helper Betty accept the honor. The slag-engine collection was displayed
in three parts: the beginnings, the afterthoughts, and the endings.
Gerald Wiles’ collection of Ohlsson engines and racecars.
George Hellmer’s Morton M42 waits for its turn to run. Coolie Reynolds holds Woody Bartelt’s Hornet .049 engine.
The Magic City Music Men of Muncie, Indiana—a barbershop-style group that sings a capella—performed at the banquet held
Saturday evening.
Each Expo V speaker was awarded a plaque of appreciation at the banquet.
June 2005 51
Mike Cook runs a Wenson .36 in the inverted position.
Carly Pelfrey sold Gilbert engines and parts at the event. Her
husband Bob gave a presentation on Gilbert power plants.
Ed Seay (R), 94, and his son Ed Seay Jr. of Irving, Texas, were
selling their wares: kits, engines, and parts.
I’m anticipating Expo VI in or near Las Vegas this fall. Get
your engine collection organized and ready to go for the
displays; it is not too soon to start planning.
MECA Expo V Banquet: The banquet was held in one of the
Horizon Convention Center’s ballrooms. The buffet-style meal
was excellent, and the Magic City Music Men of Muncie
provided the entertainment.
The Magic City Music Men is a barbershop-style group that
sings a cappella and consist of roughly 25 men and one woman.
The program was extensive, with a variety of well-done group
and quartet music. Since the performance was held on
September 11, the concluding number was “God Bless
America,” in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
Engine-Running Demonstrations: Each Expo features an
engine-running demonstration. This year it included many
conventional and weird and wonderful engines. They exhibited
excellent craftsmanship and operation.
Collecto: MECA collectos are basically swap shops for model
engines and related items, but they also include displays of
interesting collectibles and socializing. The 2004 edition was
held in a ballroom at the Horizon Convention Center Sunday
morning. Attendance was high, and there were many tables with
a large selection of items for sale, display, or discussion.
One of the main interests in MECA is the Swap Sheet, which
contains approximately 40 pages of ads that are free to the
members and are related to model engines. It is published six
times per year. The MECA Bulletin—the membership
publication—is included with the Swap Sheet.
MECA membership is $30 per year in the US and $40 per year
elsewhere. Pay to MECA, Bob McClelland, treasurer, 3007
Travis St., West Lake LA 70669.
The ECJ is $15 for six issues in the US, $17 in Canada, $20
in Europe, and $24 in Asia-Australia. Pay to the Engine
Collectors Journal, Box 243, Buena Vista CO 81211. MA
Robert M. Bennett
40 Mohawk Rd.
Hampton VA 23669