Model Engine: 1/4 Scale Rolls-Royce Griffon 65

The Spitfire Society may be able to help you. Choose this link and at the bottom of the page, you'll see an email address for their webmaster.

I think this chap has something similar to what you want, 1/5th scale though, which makes it about the sme size as his 1/4 scale merlin at a guess

http://dynamotive.netfirms.com/merlin/otherprojects.htm

but note he scales by engine physical size not capacity, so it isn't going to be 9 litres! At a little over 1 ft long it will probably be less than one litre

I've been emailing him. He has a 1/4 scale Merlin but not the Griffon yet.

Every year about January (?) there is a delightful event in York, Pennsylvania called Cabin Fever Expo.

I've seen all manor of kits for all types of aviation recips. 7 and 9 cylinder radials. Twin row variants too. They strand about 20 inches tall and are fully working engines. I know for I've seen them run with my own eyes.

Not sure if they have a Griffon replica or not. However, I do recall seeing an exact replica of the last Rolls Royce piston engine design and it was running on a mixture of nitromethane, alcohol and caster oil.

That demo was at an EAA Fly-in in Massachusetts many years ago (15?).

It was common back then for a machinist Flea Market to held simultaneously as part of the home-built aircraft event. We'd fly up for both events but especially to take advantage of the good deals on i beautiful Starrett and Brown & Sharp instruments.

The event was held at an small airfield in the town of Athol, Mass and the engine demo was right there in the flea market. I'm confident that if you get in touch with the local EAA chapter, that they can give you additional information.

As for the Cabin Fever Expo in York, PA: there are also one-of-a-kind engines, scratch built by retired machinists with time on their hands, hence the name "Cabin Fever".

The most memorable of those engines is scale replica of a V-12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine complete with gear driven centrifugal supercharger. It swung a three blade prop that was at least 12 inches in diameter and I guessing from memory but the engine was about 12 to 15 inches long with the mount and radiator in place.

The craftsman who built this remarkable machine was in his 80's when last I saw him. (picture below) The sound the engine made was both loud and as lovely as only 12 cylinders can be.

When I spoke with him, he volunteered that he was unable to get factory blueprints for RR from which to build the engine so he was forced to reverse engineer every single component from the WW2 US Army repair and maintenance manual!

It's a weekend event held indoors and concurrently with a model train expo. In addition, they build a "Man-Made" lake about 24 inches deep and perhaps 30 feet square in which all manner of powered boats are running using all manner of propulsion systems including submersibles. Replicas of WW2 Fleet submarines are plentiful as are steam powered replicas of Mississippi Paddle Wheel river boats, all operated remotely by RC transmitters.

If you attend and question the engine kit makers, I'm confident that one will recognize the engine and perhaps even the guy who demoed one in Athol.

Yes, you can even buy a 22 caliber working Gatling Gun kit!

There he is with his scratch built Merlin!

Another kit for a twin row radial engine.

The Harley-Davidson assembly plant is nearby and open for tours.

L.J.

"The craftsman who built this remarkable machine was in his 80's"

Our salute to this great soul...

Thank you for the comments and photos. I wonder where that little Merlin is now!

I have tried contacting RR as well but alas have had no reply!

Kit.

This chap could help too:

http://www.modelenginenews.org/gallery/roberts/index.html

Try one of two sister publications.

Machinists Home Workshop

And the second...? It will be advertised in the above. Google it for more.

Bob

Hi,

Can you tell us all what's cooking? I guess it is not a matter of only building another Scaled down replica? I don't think you would have gone to such painstaking project as to build your own matrix if it were? I am dieing from curiosity, And am sure there are many like me.

Hope you are not planning a 1/4 scale Battle of Britain? Or maybe it is as your name suggests, a new warbird kit?, (C44 used a radial)... Enlighten us please.

Wangito.

I've been making scale model Spitfires for some time now and decided it was time to make a 1/4 scale Mark IX or XIV and make a 1/4 scale Griffon 65 or Merlin to but in it! Just imagine the buzz of doing a high speed beat-up of the neighbour's house!!!

I guess I've always been one for setting to and making it if I can't source it from other suppliers.

KitC44 wrote: "I've been making scale model Spitfires for some time now. . . . "

A few weeks ago I took a ride by motorcycle with some friends to a quarter Scale event in Rhinebeck, New York. It's sort-a-like a pilgrimage for us since we are all pilots, having built planes of our own.

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is the home of aviation nostalgia with lots of WW1 aircraft and a few more modern taildraggers like the kids we fly but what draws us is the quarter scale event which is held once a year.

I'd like to think that those people will have some leads for you.

Doesn't hurt to ask.

L. J.

Here's a video of a scale V-12 engine running.

Miniature V-12 running at U-Tube

L. J.

Awesome!!! All I need need now are the blueprints for a Griffon and my test-bench could growl like that!

I received a post from a friend that has a collection of films and still images of a bunch of scaled model engines.

http://www.moyermade.com/chevyV8.html

Enjoy!

L. J.