Erich Handt, of Germany, was born in 1919 and became a precision engineer’s apprentice at the early age of 17. After the war in 1945, he took a job in aviation technology and began building and flying model aircraft.
He machined and constructed his first two-cycle engine in 1967, and his first successful four-cycle engine in 1971. The cams on his four-cycle were driven by a belt he modified from a dental tool. Stimulated by the success of his first four-cycle he became the first four-cycle engine manufacturer in the Federal Republic of Germany to produce a miniature series of model engines.
This unusual design exhibits exposed rocker arms and a cam ring that functions outside of the crank case housing. These components require thorough lubrication before operation.