RLE Gas Engine
The RLE engine is a Water Hopper cooled Hit and Miss engine, it’s speed is controlled by a fly wheel governor when the engine speed increases the governor operates a latch which holds the exhaust valve open by latching the push rod this causes the engine to Miss a power stroke, the engine’s speed drops and the governor release’s the latch on the push rod restoring compression on the power stroke, the engine then Hits and the speed increases, the governor spring setting and load on the engine all effect the Hit and Miss cycle.
The inlet valve is atmospheric as the piston goes down the bore on the inlet stroke the vacuum created opens the valve and draws the fuel into the cylinder.
This engine was my first attempt at internal combustion engines but I found a lot of information on the Internet mainly on American sites where building model IC engines are very popular, once I got to understand the workings of a Hit and Miss engine and the ignition side of things I found the engine quite easy to build.
The ignition on my engines are electronic buzz coil and are supplied as a kit of components that have to be soldered to a circuit board
The ignition has no points or contacts there is a Hall effect sensor on the engine frame a small magnet is fitted into the timing gear as this magnet passes the Hall effect sensor it activates the buzz coil circuit and through an automobile 6 volt coil produces the spark at the plug
The ignition has no points or contacts there is a Hall effect sensor on the engine frame a small magnet is fitted into the timing gear as this magnet passes the Hall effect sensor it activates the buzz coil circuit and through an automobile 6 volt coil produces the spark at the plug
Castings as received from foundry
Work on Castings