This 1/3-scale Red Wing air-cooled “Thorobred” hit n’ miss engine was built by Paul Elsmore. The casting set and plans for this engine can be obtained from PM Research in Wellsville, NY. and other sources. PM Research recently purchased Red Wing Motor Company from its former owner, and now continues to supply several of their casting kits as well as completed engines. Inspired by the original 2.5 HP Red Wing engine, the model is made from good quality castings that replicate the originals in 1/3 scale. It has a bore of 1.5″ and a stroke of 2″. Paul found a wooden box lid with finger-jointed corners that made a very attractive stand for the motor and hides ignition components underneath. The fourth photo shows the speed regulator mechanism in the middle of the left-hand flywheel. It took Paul approximately 1000 hours over a period of 1 year and 8 months to build the engine. The engine was test run before painting and ran well.
The following historical information on the original Red Wing Motor Company was provide by Gary Bastain at PM Research:
“The Red Wing Motor Company was founded in 1902 and operated until 1979. Primarily they manufactured marine engines. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1903-1905 they made a total of two water cooled engines. Those were the only two ever recorded in the serial number log as serial number 125 and 126. To the best of our knowledge the air cooled engine was advertised but never built. The practice in that day was to advertise, and if someone placed an order, then the engine would be built. There is no evidence that the original air cooled engine was ever built.”
