Model engine

An old Cox Golden Bee 0.049 cubic inch (0.8 cubic cm.) reed valve engine disassembled. The weight is two and a quarter ounces with the propeller and large fuel tank, but without fuel.
The same Cox Golden Bee 0.049 assembled. The left rotating propeller and horizontal cylinder contribute to keeping the control lines tight.

A model engine is a small internal combustion engine[1] typically used to power a radio-controlled aircraft, radio-controlled car, radio-controlled boat, free flight, control line aircraft, or ground-running tether car model.

Because of the square–cube law, the behaviour of many engines does not always scale up or down at the same rate as the machine's size; usually at best causing a dramatic loss of power or efficiency, and at worst causing them not to work at all. Methanol and nitromethane are common fuels.

  1. ^ "Model Engineers—Internal Combustion Engines". craftsmanshipmuseum.com. Retrieved 2024-08-05.