Need some help identifying this little engine

[wackywheelz]

Hi all,

I have this little engine sitting here, and its bugging me - what brand/model is it?

Nitro/glow engines aren't my forte, so I thought I'd put it to you guys - the pros - for your input.

It has no brand markings, stamps or numbers, only "made in U.S.A" casted on the rear. It's spring-assisted prop start, with "Tornado" on the prop (unsure if aftermarket prop).

Other things that appear to make it different than what I would call "regular" glow engine are: rear intake, with a small clear plastic/sprung valve, the piston and conrod are of a ball/socket arrangement, and the head has 4 horizontal slits - 2 per side, directly into the cylinder for what I assume is exhaust.

PICS (click the smaller ones to enlarge):






Any idea of brand or approximate era?

Thanks in advance to any and all replies.

wacky.

[chiefss]

That my friend is the most numerically produced model engine in the history of the world. It is a Cox Babe Bee 049 and Leroy Cox made over 25 million of them. Them came on plastic C/L airplanes and every other model type you can think of from airplanes to cars, to boats, to helicopters. They were produced for over 50 years. Sold brand new for $3.95.

Reed induction so they would run frontwards or backwards. There are millions of them out there and sell for a couple bucks on eBay. Seems like every kid had at least one on some kind of Cox model.

Yours has the teflon reed so it was made towards the end of the production run. Estes bought out Cox and sold them up to a few years ago. There is a guy on eBay that bought all what Estes had left over and is selling them.

Estes sold hundreds of the Sure Start versions for $6.95 a couple years ago. I bought 25 of them just for the plug. Sold the rest for parts.

[zeroskin76]

that looks like a mylar not teflon reed
it is babe bee .049 and appears like cheifss said to be from right before the begining of the end of cox
early models would have thimble drone written around entire fuel tank

it should be noted this may also be made of many parts because the babe bees never came with hex plate and metal backplate at same time ive been told by the time estes were making any part fit they had allready used all these metal tank backplates and were using inferior black plastic also ive never had a bee in box with the 2 slit exahust on each side unless it was a texaco

[spacebug.049]

Actually the THIMBLE DROME was stamped on the "mid versions" for lack of a better term. The very first Babe Bees had nothing on the tank. If I remember correct the first engines did not have mesh screens on the venturi either.

[chiefss]

This one has the slit exhaust which puts it in the late 80's or 90's.

The term Thimble Drome was used by Cox from day one as far back as the late 40's when there engines were made by Cameron.

[spacebug.049]

Could always be a mutt too. Got enough of them to supply me for years.

[chiefss]

Yeah, there are zillions of them out there made from parts. Even Cox made up engines from left overs.