This well-produced and truly practical book is the first in a projected series, in which James Rizzo covers ‘bell-crank’ engines, where a bell-crank is the key component of the drive mechanism. This is the oldest of the mechanisms to be found in a Stirling engine, and among the simplest to calculate, construct and install.
Six projects describe, in detail, how to build increasingly sophisticated engines of this type. Three of these designs are for horizontal engines, three for vertical engines and one is a twin cylinder machine.
The six designs provide interesting exercises for all hot air builders, from the beginner to the more experienced. If followed through, it will take the beginner on a journey to the ‘more experienced’ category and James’ take on the Philips type 102C engine used to power the Philips Bungalow Generators of the 1940/50s.
Full drawings, in metric and imperial are included, as well as numerous photographs of parts, machine set-ups and the like. Essentially, all the models may be built from scrap, so the cost of materials is low. This, coupled with the simplicity of most of the designs, makes them especially attractive to newcomers to model engineering.
128 colour pages, A4 format paperback.