My First.020

Happy Birthday Robert! Shared today with my Daughter in Law who turns 55.

Great picture! Best of times.

Bob

Thank you Gentlemen …. I don’t have any special plans for it at the moment George… Just had been lost in the back of my mind for a lot of years that it needed to fixed…. It might get a “safe” job like pulling the Guppy glider up a time or two….. Well wish your daughter in law a happy birthday from Texas for me Bob …. Yes, Those were great times….. We had no idea how good we had it….

Happy birthday, Robert  you are only 2 months ahead of me, same year.

I got my first COX red postage backplate engine at the age of about 15 among quite different conditions - incidentally from a friend who zeroed a Stuka he got from -then- Western Germany, when these toys were completely unknown in Hungary- but remember my amazement when I first heard it scream and smelled...and still have it as a memento..

That lil' thing of yours has a thin wall cylinder with taper bore, that will last for ages before it ends its dependable service...good luck and many hours of airtime with it!

I broke the crank nose on one of my first 0.020's. The crank is hardened, thin and fragile.
Landing (not even crashing!) into grass.

706jim wrote:I broke the crank nose on one of my first 0.020's. The crank is hardened, thin and fragile.
Landing (not even crashing!) into grass.

Jim, was the crash when the motor was still rev'd up? All my previous Pee Wee's mid 1960's and on, did not break crankshafts. But, I rarely ever had them encounter the ground while running. I did break a few then expensive Cox competition 4.5x2 props. But when I went to the Top Flite white nylon 5.25x3 props (that I carefully balanced - they were notoriously out of balance as sold), the nylon was more durable and withstood even harder dead stick landings in good grass.

Were the earlier version Pee Wee's weaker and Cox then possibly installed larger diameter crankshafts?

How many memories and nostalgia bring us to the passionate, each of our pieces.
I fully understand what you feel friend for the rebirth of your engine.
I accompany you on your birthday and enjoying the magic of the march of your engine!
Happy Birthday!

As over 60 years have passed from that not particularly spectacular crash I honestly don't remember if the engine was running or not just that it didn't seem to take much to damage the engine. I was able to get it running again by shortening the crankcase and grinding a crude taper on the end of the crankshaft to mate up with the drive washer that I had countersunk. That was the engine that flew away on me many years ago.

Thank you for the kind regards Gentleman!…

Were the earlier version Pee Wee's weaker and Cox then possibly installed larger diameter crankshafts?

As far as I know George the cranks remained the same from early to late versions…. As the cylinders changed thru the years the crankcases did as well…. The early versions were very thin on the front end….. That coupled with a little play between the prop drive plate and crankcase made them more susceptible to snap with just the right impact….. Having broken one, I agree with Jim that they can be fragile …. On those that I suspect may have a hard life I make and install a brass thrust washer to take up that play in the front…. Also switching to wood props may help provide a weak link to snap before the shaft does…. Just my dos centavos

Edit: Forgot to add they also get a hardened prop screw that reaches practically to the end of the threads in the crank