Jo,
I would be curious to know which racing cars used 2 stroke engines like the Elto 4-60. That news is a big surprise.

I should also say that the FWM engine, with development so it could be made quickly in great numbers as a production car engine, the Hillman Imp. The engine was called the FWMA...... Feather Weight Marine Automotive. It was to be an 875 cc, later 998cc engine in the car form. BUT.. full circle...the Imp engine went on to power inboard hydroplanes of the R1 class in Europe and the Y class in America. Very attractive little boats, Andy Chesman held the remarkable record of 104 MPH with a tuned Imp engined R1 in 1974. He could get over 100 bhp per litre from an engine which had its design roots in the 1950s! Most car engines to this day cannot manage that.

I would love to see 152VO develop into classes for small inboard hydros and those lovely pre and post War 1.5 Litre engined racers like Whippets, Darbys, Singers and all the Italian and French boats (and I am sure German) that used those small capacity engines to power beautiful wooden boats.

Cheers,
Stoo

Stoo schrieb: As much as I can understand your wish (I do like those small inboards, too), this is not going to happen - at least not within 152VO. Given that the VO stands for Vintage Outboard, one would have to create a new class for those inboards.

Stoo schrieb:
Here we go: a midget racer powered by an Evinrude 460!

Bildquelle / Source: Bernie Van Osdale "Vintage Outboard Motorboat Racing"


Stoo schrieb: Specific racing classes for r/c controlled wooden inboard hydros already exist! For sure in the US and as far as I know also in GB. Those models are scaled to 1/8 and 1/10.

To be true: a racing class for the smallest inboard hydros (class Z, usually powered by Crosley engines) could also attract me... of course in the scale 1/5,2. Would be about the same size as our outboard boats. But, as Andreas already mentioned: not within 152VO. Not only for the reason that 152VO is restricted (and addicted) to outboard racing, but also because 152VO is so time-consuming that I can't imagine to establish and organize another racing class. Maybe some day...

Thanks for that picture, Jo. I wonder how the drive was taken to the axle!

There used to be a class in American car racing called H Modified, which used tiny engines like the Crossley and included Crossley cars. The inboard hydro class that used Crossleys was Y class. After the Hillman Imp engine was launched the Crossley became outclassed and then what the Americans always called Sunbeam or Rootes (Hillman) Imp engine swept the board. Class Y now accepts 1200s and even stock 1500s which is a bit silly for a class called 1.0 Liter Modified!

I guessed you'd give the answers you did about inboards, but eventually, people will want to try something different, even within 152, but you could call it 152 VI Vintage Inboard? We can always hope.
BTW, nobody races any classes of boats like that in this sad old country! They have some plastic, out of the box trash known as Formula 500. It's in America (naturally) that they race 1/8th and 1/10th hydros, but they all look like modern Unlimiteds and so are very boring.

Cheers,
Stoo