I’m starting on a 1:48 Piper J-3 (Hobbycraft). Most of the kit is not too bad, but the engine is not that great, yet on the J-3 the cylinders and heads stick out of the cowl. I can’t seem to find a resin engine. Anyone know of an aftermarket a65? I suppose an 85 wouldn’t be too far off- I believe the 85 and 65 are not that different.
Don, wouldn’t one of the engines out of one of the Minicraft Cessna 172 kits work okay at that scale? They’re nice little renditions of 4-cylinder light aircraft engines. Take one and ‘doll it up’ for your application and you’re there, I would think.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
I do have one of the new 172 kits, and it has a lovely engine (but then of course I’d like to keep it for the 172 kit. And, the 172 engine is considerably larger. I’ll look at it- maybe I can make a mold and cast a duplicate if it will fit. I’ve been thinking, if I have to do a big mod on the kit engine maybe I’ll just do the fins on the head area.
Also intending to cut out the doors to display theCub with the door/hatch open. Looks like a tricky cutting job.
What about the 1/48 Cessna 150s? Do they have engines? There’s not a lot of difference between a Continental O-200 and a C85.
Say, I have a 150 kit unopened! I’ll check that out. It will have to match pretty close, 'cause the cylinders stick through holes in cowl (real air cooling!)