A Racing Thunderbird (Hayward-Connelly) engine, manufactured by Scott Motors, Inc., 1940s. The engine is 5”-long, 4”-wide, and 6”-high. Scott Motors, Inc., was located at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, AZ. It was owned by John Connelly and Leland Hayward. Connelly ran the aircraft overhaul facility at the airport and Hayward had some connection with the airline industry. The company was named after Connelly’s son, Scott. The Racing Thunderbird engines were developed and tested in the Phoenix facility, but it is not known if any were actually sold between 1946 and 1948 when the company relocated to the San Francisco Municipal Airport. Just as production was getting underway on the Racing Thunderbird a fire destroyed much of the manufacturing facility, which put a halt to continued work.
At that time, the introduction of the glow plug made the already manufactured parts and engines obsolete; combined with tumbling prices for model airplane engines Scott Motors closed its doors forever.