Strato bug ....or is it?

oh crap!

Jason, if it doesn't have the aluminum pickup i'd be worried, also look at the machine marks on inside of tank, i've never seen that before. also, the glowhead is later version with the decorative fin removed at base of stem....i didn't notice that till after a while

Hopefully Mud will respond. I do know that a bunch of these were made many years ago by some MECA guys to help fill their collections, probably along with black SBJ's, in fact I got a old set of plans to make a Strato tank...that will never see the light of day.

The tank does look CNC machined on the inside.



Time to contact the seller.

Now I'm convinced the tank was CNC machined. Here is a picture of the tank on a real Strato Bug I just bought. No swirl marks or chatter from a mill bit. The Cox tank was turned not milled.



Still waiting for my refund.......

Maybe I should change the title to " How to spot a fake Strato Bug"

I would track that F&%&in Dog and give him his just dessert!! That discusses me to no end...Un called for!!

I think Jason got his money back on this one, he also found another one this time correct.

Got my money back on this one and found a real one.

Can you please do a comparison photo so people can see the difference between the two?

Jason_WI wrote:Got my money back on this one and found a real one.

Pictures Please!!!

warrenlead wrote:Can you please do a comparison photo so people can see the difference between the two?

Well that Backplate belongs to a Space Bug Jr as it's been identified. The Venturi in the Back Plate of the Strato Bug is a lot bigger then that Pin Hole shown in that Red Backplate, again this has been mentioned but it's really hard to see the difference...Both these backplates, of the above mentioned engines, were made from the same mold...Apparently both these engines leaked like sives from areas in the backplate, could not sustain a good crash, and the production of these motors were not very long. I guess that's why they are rare and desible but theses engines defintely lacked the technology of the later engines made by Cox. If not for it's rarity that stems solely for the quantity produced, I would'nt have bothered looking for one! Plastic just ain't my thing!!

Lew

ZACATTACK wrote:

Jason_WI wrote:Got my money back on this one and found a real one.

Pictures Please!!!

Pictures located here for my real one.

https://www.coxengineforum.com/t3909-properly-restoring-a-strato-bug

Hmmm I might have to add some info to the Wikipedia article about Fakes.

Please...Add it here!! This is the Forum of knowledge... Never enough info on Fake Engines!

Lew

Looks like that fake Strato bug has the wrong cylinder and piston on it too. It's supposed to be a thin wall Space Bug type with the early style glow head I thought.

I was also curious about the gigantic venturi hole in the back plate, but then I noticed the venturi is integrated into the tank on the real one. Doesn't matter what the size in the back-plate is as long as it's not too small, because its the hole in the tank that matters.

Having never seen one in the flesh, puts me at a disadvantage. There probably wouldn't even be one in Australia. Would be good to be able to get some good photos of one for the Cox Wikipedia article.

Take a look at what I was saying about the Back Plate!!

Ok I have updated the Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cox_model_engine to include details about the Strato Bug. I don't have a picture as I don't own one to take a photo.

If there is anything else you think I should add just let me know.

Cheers

Warren, hit the 049collecters site, I've updated the Babe Bee, RR-1, Space Bug & Strato Bug photo files with info and photos, take what you need, remember to click on 'original' for larger photo before copying.