An Early Model Airplane Engine Building Pioneer
Henry Orwick (left) with friends Ted Enticknap and Tom Strom. (Photo courtesy of Tim Dannels and Model Engine Collector’s Journal. Taken circa 1952.)
From a Garage Operation to Building Contest Winning Engines
In Los Angeles during the 1930s, Henry Orwick experimented with 2-stroke, ignition model airplane engines that he made in his own garage. He continued into the 1940s, when his .64 engine became popular enough that production expanded in 1945. Mr. Orwick moved operations outside of his garage shop to an address at 414 East First Street in Los Angeles. Although he had produced a .73-inch engine earlier, and went on to make .23, .29 and .32-inch engines, the .64 turned out to be the most successful and enduring model. According to the instruction sheet that came with the Model 64, the price at the time was $32.50.
With the increase in popularity of glow plug engines, ignition engines were falling out of favor with the hobby market. Although Orwick did try a couple of .23 and .32 glow plug versions, the ignition engines remained their bread and butter until they went out of business in 1955.
An Orwick .23 engine, Serial No. 3093. With a smooth light green color, this engine is likely from 1948. It was noted that this engine once belonged to the late Harry Fosbury.
An Orwick .29 engine, Serial No. 2211. This ignition model has a mid-green smooth finish, circa 1948-1950.
It is a testament to the faithful following for Orick engines that years later, another company offered reproduction Orwick engines, all faithfully reproduced to the original design. They are usually identified by a “K&M” marking on some of the parts and a serial number starting with “R” for “reproduction.” Dunhams in England also produced reproductions of the Orwick engine that were almost as faithful to the original design as the K&M versions.
The failure of the original Orwick engine business was due more to poor business practices than to any faults with the product. The original engines were never produced in very high numbers by production standards, so they remain quite collectible in today’s market. The Model Engine Collector’s Journal ran a 7-part article on Orwick engines in 1999-2000, covering the period from 1937 to the company’s closing in 1955.
An Orwick .64 engine, Serial No. 4388. Fitted to a nice wooden mount from the AMA, this engine has a smooth green “hammertone” paint finish. It was produced in 1947, and was once owned by the late Harry Fosbury, who flew it in one of his Pacific Coasters.
Henry Orwick (left) test running one of his engines with the help of friend Tom Strom. (Photo courtesy of Tim Dannels and Model Engine Collector’s Journal.)
The eight Orwick engines photographed for this article were collected by the late Noel Martin. They are on loan to the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum courtesy of his wife, Mary.
View more photos of Henry Orwick’s model airplane engines.