Gillbert engines

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 28 of 28 known posts recovered

russell shaffer · Oct 14, 2006 08:09 PM

Virginia Hobbysports has Gillbert .11's for a pretty low price. I know nothing about these things, so how is the power? Better than a Cox reed valve, or maybe an OK .074? Will they work on half A stuff or are they just a collector's item?

LeagueCityRalph · Oct 14, 2006 08:16 PM

#1 source

Sideport engines will run in either direction, just like the Cox reedies. Power is nothing to write home about. Replacement glow heads are scarce - - not made in 40 years, and only for about 4 years to begin with.

Ralph Wenzel

johnnyarcana123 · Oct 17, 2006 07:58 AM

#16 source

One of my Gillbert .11s has a drilled and tapped head for a standard glow plug. Works great.

John McCollum

JAKinHouston · Oct 14, 2006 08:17 PM

#2 source

They are a sideport design (by Fox I think) but actually made by Hi Johnson on contract for Gilbert. They are no powerhouse but they are not junk either.

John

dennis · Oct 14, 2006 09:42 PM

#3 source

LAST EDITED ON Oct-14-06 AT 10:48 PM (CST)

>Virginia Hobbysports has Gillbert .11's for a pretty low
>price. I know nothing about these things, so how is the
>power? Better than a Cox reed valve, or maybe an OK .074?
>Will they work on half A stuff or are they just a
>collector's item?

They also had an .074 I'm almost sure that the Fox 09 plug fits the 11, it also fits the Fox 10.
There was a fairly good thread on these motors on RCU in the 1/2 section.
Dennis
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_1907553/tm.htm here's the link on Gilbert. started by Dan Vincent

Iskandar Taib · Oct 14, 2006 11:14 PM

#4 source

[photo not recovered: Oj25864.jpg]

Apparently the engines were meant for a line of RTF planes (above) - kind of like the Cox plastic line. Man, look at the size of that bomb... [photo not recovered: rofl.gif]

Hey.. a stooge!

Iskandar Taib · Oct 14, 2006 11:17 PM

#5 source

[photo not recovered: Gz75749.jpg]

JAKinHouston · Oct 15, 2006 06:49 AM

#7 source

LAST EDITED ON Oct-15-06 AT 06:53 AM (CST)

Yep, that is them. They were indeed meant for the Gilbert RTFs. Gilbert gave up not long after the contract was placed and Johnson was apparently left with a bunch of complete engines they couldn't deliver. I think they disposed of these to AHC and some other hobby outlets and they have been for sale literally ever since. How many were made I don't know, but it was quite a few it seems...
Although Fox designed it, at least they didn't get blasted this time around like they did with the .049-.07s the did for Comet.

JAK

Iskandar Taib · Oct 15, 2006 10:25 AM

#13 source

Similar story to those Brat engines Indy RC was hawking. Except those were RC RTFs. Way too far ahead of their time - might've sold like hotcakes today.

gcb · Oct 15, 2006 11:03 AM

#15 source

BTW, although the Wing Thing used a pusher configuration, the rotation was CCW and used a pusher prop. The "spring starter" assured CCW rotation.

I got a few from Polk's with prop still on it sold in a plastic bag.

George

DW · Oct 15, 2006 06:16 AM

#6 source

>[photo not recovered: Oj25864.jpg]
>
>Apparently the engines were meant for a line of RTF planes
>(above) - kind of like the Cox plastic line. Man, look at
>the size of that bomb...
>[photo not recovered: rofl.gif]
>
>Hey.. a stooge!

Man I actualy had one of these power was an .074 I beleive. It was given to me NIB in the 80's but I left it in L.A. when I moved to Canada bummer
Dwayne

JAKinHouston · Oct 15, 2006 06:54 AM

#8 source

The bomb probably flew better than the airplane did...

JAK

johnnyarcana123 · Oct 15, 2006 07:08 AM

#9 source

I have an assorted batch of these new-in-package that I picked up on Ebay. Three or four of each size.

John McCollum

Iskandar Taib · Oct 15, 2006 10:26 AM

#14 source

>I have an assorted batch of these new-in-package that I
>picked up on Ebay. Three or four of each size.

The bombs?

EddyR · Oct 15, 2006 07:13 AM

#10 source

I have some I paid $.75 for. Even at less than a dollar it was to much. They are useless.
Ed

G Willie · Oct 15, 2006 08:42 AM

#11 source

Bob Holland (the Wasp and Hornet designer) designed these engines while at Johnson. Johnson (Dynamic Models) built the first Gilberts. Duke Fox DID NOT design the Gilbert engines even though they bear a strong resemblance to Duke's Rocket .09 of 1959.

Bob Pelfrey researched these engines very thoroughly and delivered a nice paper at the 2004 MECA EXPO in Muncie.

Jim Ivey, who worked for Hi, confirmed that Bob Holland designed them, but also told me that Duke made most of the screw machine parts for the Johnson made Gilberts.

Bill Mohrbacher

BLACK HAWK MODELS · Oct 15, 2006 09:24 AM

#12 source

BLACK HAWK

I do not think it fair to blame A. C. Gillbert for stopping selling these engines and planes......he died. The company went with him and was disolved. No more chemestry sets, microscops, erector sets, or dozens of other great toys that he invented and produced.
Larry

Louis · Oct 17, 2006 09:00 AM

#17 source

I have a couple of the Gilbert Stooges new in box. They do look neat. I have never ran any of the Gilbert engines, but have never heard anything spectacular about them.

Louis Rankin
Atoka, Tn
AMA 10859

Bob Reeves · Oct 17, 2006 11:42 AM

#18 source

I had a Gilbert chemistry set way back when.. I remember it had potassium nitrate, sulfur and a bunch of other stuff real fun to play with mixed in the right proportions.

LeagueCityRalph · Oct 17, 2006 11:52 AM

#19 source

>I had a Gilbert chemistry set way back when.. I remember it
>had potassium nitrate, sulfur and a bunch of other stuff
>real fun to play with mixed in the right proportions.

I still have mine; guess it's 55 years old by now. Still has many of the original test tubes of chemicals. I might just eBAY that sucker . . .

Ralph Wenzel

green head 35 · Oct 17, 2006 02:05 PM

#20 source

I don't know too much about the glow engines but I still have the complete Gilbert Erector set # 8 1/2 that my older brother gave me. My one son, for a high school project, built one of the larger Walking Beam engines for his science class. Nobody but nobody could believe what the thing was but turning the electric motor on and watching the thing go around, the teacher was so impressed he put the thing in the display case by the office. I would only hope that the glow engines would be half as good as their Erector Set.

Ed H

Currell · Oct 17, 2006 02:16 PM

#21 source

I have sold one or two Gilberts on ebay over the years, plus one rare RTF Gilbert, still in the box.

One buyer in Australia was particularly keen on the engines. He uses mine to train kids to fly CL there.

They are like OK Cubs, in a way. Not much in the way of power, there are a lot of bad ones that barely start out there, but when you get a dependable one, hang on it.

Currell

zdavejump · Oct 18, 2006 09:28 AM

#22 source

Morning,guys!!
I bought one of those Gilbert .11's from Virginia Hobbysport when I was in the D.C. area last year. Very cool engine, at least the one I got runs well. I think it would be great on a scaled-down Dmeco Sportwing,dual exhaust and all! I have a set of plans coming from our friend Leonard Neumann whenever he gets sorted out. By the way, if anyone gets near Virginia Hobbysport, it is a worthwhile visit. Great people and an amazing collection of C/L goodies. I even picked up an OK Cub .049- i had no idea they are still in production! One of BlackHawk's planes will get that, or some scratch-built something or other.
Dave

russell shaffer · Oct 20, 2006 05:47 PM

#23 source

They are also online and in the mail order business. Great people, just charge the actual shipping rate. You can order a couple of props if you want. http://www.virginiahobbysport.com/

Goozgog · Oct 20, 2006 06:46 PM

#24 source

Wow! What great ads!
What I like best is that this
stuff was drawn back when people
still had faith in the future.

Too bad the engines were weak.

This was real ad people pulling out
all of the stops back when
this stuff required real skills.
The illustrator and typographer
get full marks from me.
First rate airbrush work.
The type for the head was
based on a popular style but
you can bet someone spent an
entire day drawing it.

I'm sure Mr. Gilbert paid big
dollars for this promotion.
Sure hopr it worked for him!

Morgan

Iskandar Taib · Oct 20, 2006 11:12 PM

#25 source

Note the "Nats Pensacola" on the Skyflash.

johnnyarcana123 · Oct 21, 2006 07:57 PM

#26 source

How would you folks compare the Gilbert .11 to a McCoy/Testors .09?

John McCollum

Kragmeister · Oct 22, 2006 07:50 PM

#27 source

Also, what sort of kit would these be a good power plant for?

Later,
Greg