Anyone remember those micro alcohol engined models....?

[Trevorus]

I remember my dad telling me about a mini alcohol fueled toy dragster that he used to have when he was a kid. They would flick the wheels to start them, and then just set them down and let them fly. Anyone remember these, and what they were called? I am looking to do some small modeling along these lines, and I just can't remember what they are called.

 

[Trevorus]

Nevermind. I found it. Cox engines. Those things are cool!

 

[ModulusFan]

Hey, you got me looking at these now too!

When I was a kid, my brother had an airplane (with the string tethers you hold) he could never get to run.

I don't know how I did, but after a week of screwing with it, dumping fuel in nonstop, and flipping the propeller 8 million times, it fired up!

Fired up real good, with no tethers.......in the living room.

 

[jobu3]

Were you then grounded?

 

[HeavyDuty]

I forgot all about these! I had one - I think it was a Vega - that would run down a line and then pop a chute at the end. As I recall, it was turned into a road pizza by a passing fire truck in about 1974.

SSTs were more fun.

Damn, I'm getting old.

 

[Folmeister]

I had at LEAST three Cox airplanes when I was a kid. They were a complete PITA to get to run, you nearly skinned your fingers spinning that dang prop, the fuel HAD to be toxic (it burned like fire in the cuts from the endless prop spinning), the glow plug always burned the heck out the rest of your hand, and when you did get them running they flew for about thirty seconds before you got dizzy and flew it straight into the ground. There was a reason they were held together by rubber bands. I also want to throw props to SSTs. Those were fun and I just found a company that is making similar vehicles of the pull-cord type. They are far cheaper than the originals, but a fun bit of nostalgia!

 

[LajoieT]

OK I'm missing something, What's an SST?

Estes (the model rocket company) makes these cars now powered by a modified version of their rocket engines. They look like they could be a LOT of fun (especially in a huge parking lot without the tether wire )

 

[ModulusFan]

Were you then grounded?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzinggggggg

I don't recall it actually making it airbourne in the living room, I think it just kinda hauled ass across the floor until it met the wall/baseboards. The impact was enough to stahl it. My dad wasn't too pissed, he was surprised as anyone that it actually started.

I made it my mission to get it to fly for about the next month. I think I got it to run and fly about twice.

Speaking of micro engines, I remember seeing one somewhere in the last couple of years that was sized about the same, but a dead acurate small block chevy V8 made of billet aluminum. It was super cool, but I think it was priced at or near 5 digits.

 

[HeavyDuty]

OK I'm missing something, What's an SST?

My memory's getting bad - thank Goddess for Google. They were actually called "SSP" cars, for "Super Sonic Power". They had one big wheel that was spun with a T-strip (looked like a zip tie with a t-handle).

Mine was a purple "Laker" and looked like a rocket car - this one is similar. Amazingly fast.

SSP Info

 

[LajoieT]

My memory's getting bad - thank Goddess for Google. They were actually called "SSP" cars, for "Super Sonic Power". They had one big wheel that was spun with a T-strip (looked like a zip tie with a t-handle).

Mine was a purple "Laker" and looked like a rocket car - this one is similar. Amazingly fast.

SSP Info

HOLY S$&#!!! I had a few of those. I forgot all about them till I saw the photo. I can't remember what mine looked like but I very much remeber ripping the cord and having that huge (and heavy IIRC) wheel spin forever!!! Great memories, Thanks for the jog.

 

[Hambone]

I remember my dad telling me about a mini alcohol fueled toy dragster that he used to have when he was a kid. They would flick the wheels to start them, and then just set them down and let them fly. Anyone remember these, and what they were called? I am looking to do some small modeling along these lines, and I just can't remember what they are called.

I had that EXACT car. It was a slingshot dragster model with a pretty good hollow replica hemi that snapped over the .049 engine. The tires were semi-pneumatic. It was designed to be run on a string that passed under the car through 2 loops. The string kept the model going straight. At the end was a bead knotted into the line that triggered a parachute to pop out at the end of the run. The engines weren't alcohol - they were nitromethane with castor oil. That's the only thing that would sustain the rapid combustion of the glow plug engine. Remember, these things are, essentially, small diesels in theory.

I got mine by saving TV stamps for redemption.