Merritt Zimmerman designed this Micro Cirrus inline engine in 1974. These micro engines from Ukraine present two variations of the model Cirrus engine. (See also #112 below for the V8 version.) They run on methanol with glow ignition and are among the smallest multi-cylinder 4-cycle engines in the world. The custom glow plugs are only a 5mm hex with a 3.5mm thread. The engines are less than 4 inches long and have a mere .5cc displacement in each cylinder, making the 4-cylinder only 2cc and the V8 only 4cc total displacement. Initial test results proved these micro engines would spin their 7 and 8-inch propellers to 13,000 revolutions per minute.

Only 25 of the 1/12 scale 4-cylinder air-cooled engines were produced in 2001, and another 25 of a water-cooled version. In 2003, the remaining parts for the 4-cylinder engines were used to manufacture less than a half dozen each of the air-cooled and water-cooled V8 engines.

Exhibit added: May 1, 2008 - Last modified: March 15, 2023

Presented by The Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship