good read!

I especially enjoyed the picture of Bill Browns castor laden first engine. How natural and authentic. Also the picture of his later engine completely outfitted with batteries and electronics. Quite a load to get in the air.

I am unfamiliar with ignition engines although I have a couple of incomplete examples. The vertical arm pictured in the top right engine and Browns second engine, what is that for, some sort of interrupter?

The arm is used to adjust the timing - advancing or retarding the ignition.

rsv1cox wrote:  The vertical arm pictured in the top right engine and Browns second engine, what is that for, some sort of interrupter?  

I only had a quick look, but I assume the arm you refer to is the advance/retard lever.  This rotates the ignition points so that you can set the timing at the best point for the current conditions.  Retard it back and it slows the engine, which may have been desirable on free flight craft.  Different weight planes, different size props, different fuel blends and weather conditions can all play a part.  I guess it would be a bit like tweeking the compression screw on a diesel, which actually does advance and retard ignition.  You can use it to find the "sweet spot".

Rod.

Rats, Ian beat me to it.  Anyway, my explanation is far more detailed.

Thanks, got it. Sorta like my father's old model T Ford with the spark advance/retard lever on the tree. Coming home one night it started missing, lost a cylinder wire, dad fixed it with a hair pin out of my mothers hair.

Bob

Thanks Mark , there is some really good stuff in there will read later at the end of my morning reading for now . I have wanted one of these ole ign. engines to play with but the good ones that may give you a run without too much hassle are out there $$$ Bob talking about that hair pin , my first employer wile on a wrecker call one cable end broke for a jump off and he said (pull It up till the bumpers were touching and used that for a ground to do the jump ) I haven't for got that after 40 yrs. but not something you can do with todays plastic cars . Eric