World's Tiniest V12 Engine

[Uncle Al]

For all of the hobbyist's and crafter's out there, enjoy :

World's Tiniest V12 engine

Uncle Al

[crfriend]

Oh, that is just too wonderful.

I notice he's running it on compressed air rather than petrol or diesel; however, that is one tour-de-force of machining!

[Sinned]

Yes, I also noticed that there was an absence of spark plugs or injectors but even so it is quite a feat to have produced such a small engine.

Mind you, for Formula 1 BRM produced a V16 racing engine of 1.5 litre capacity in the 1950's. So each cylinder was less than 100 cc! From what I remember the engine was so powerful but relaibility was the main problem. By the time all the little bugs were eliminated and the car started winning races the FIA changed the formula and made the engine obsolete.

Sinned

[Jack Williams]

That's a shame but also so typical.

[RichardA]

WoW ...

[straightfairy]

World's smallest diesel powered V12 engine.

http://www.wimp.com/tiniestengine/

[skirtyscot]

That's amazing.

He is a man with a lot of time on his hands: it took 1220 hours to build. That's nearly 3.5 hours a day for a year!

[Uncle Al]

Hi S.F.

Your link is the same as I originally posted, just left off
the word 'diesel'.

Uncle Al

[Kirbstone]

Fact is, clever and all as it is, it isn't an 'engine' at all, it's merely a twelve cylinder facsimile driven itself by the compressed air or steam or whatever high pressure gas you care to hook the intake up to.

It strikes me as an awful lot of expensive materials and man-hours put into nothing productive at all. I suppose it's the ultimate grown-up Meccano for professional precision metalworkers.

T.

[crfriend]

I suppose it's the ultimate grown-up Meccano for professional precision metalworkers.

Indeed it is, but there is a place in the world for such things. I'd also class the thing as a working piece of art.

Without beautiful things -- and that device is beautiful -- in the world we'd be vastly poorer as a species.

[Stevie D]

Fact is, clever and all as it is, it isn't an 'engine' at all, it's merely a twelve cylinder facsimile driven itself by the compressed air or steam or whatever high pressure gas you care to hook the intake up to.

It strikes me as an awful lot of expensive materials and man-hours put into nothing productive at all. I suppose it's the ultimate grown-up Meccano for professional precision metalworkers.

T.

So do you class all sorts of non-productive model making as being a waste of time and effort?
In his younger days, my father made completely scratch-built waterline models of sailing vessels of all kinds. He mounted the finished models on a hand carved and painted 'sea' complete with waves, bow-waves, spray and wakes, and covered them with glass cases with passe partout joints/framing. Of course, they are completely useless. They don't float, sail or carry cargo but they are exquisite, and I still get a real thrill each time I see them.

I've added a couple of old photos scanned from 35 mm slides. I really ought to take new digital photos with an improved depth of field, but these will have to do for now. From waterline to masthead this model of the Thames ketch 'Martinet' is about 20 cm high.

[Sarongman]

Thanks for the pictures Stevie, those images are superb and the craftsmanship also superb. I stand in awe of such work and, like Carl, consider them works of art. I have a dream of one day crafting a seven and a half inch (track width) model of the Shay that plied the now long gone Nambour to Mapleton rail line. I fear, alas, that it will remain a dream.

[skirted_in_SF]

I have a dream of one day crafting a seven and a half inch (track width) model of the Shay that plied the now long gone Nambour to Mapleton rail line. I fear, alas, that it will remain a dream.

Shays in OZ? My mental image of them is running on logging roads on the US west coast or logging or mining roads in the US Appalachians.

[Sarongman]

s in SF, Shays made it to mining and logging lines in Aust. but this was used on a steep and very winding line where a conventional sideshaft loco would not "make the grade" (pun intended) This was one of their smallest, no bigger than the cane locos serving the local sugar mill.

[Kirbstone]

Stevie,
What a gifted pair of hands your father had. I have no doubt his artistic handiwork will be a joy to have and admire for the rest of your days. The photo of the real barge attests how accurate his work was.

About five millennia ago I built (admittedly from a kit) a 'visible V8'., which was an engine with a clear plastic block & head allowing the viewer to see the pistons, valves camshafts & conrods &c working when the thing was driven at slow revolutions by a little electric motor attached to the driveshaft. Alas it didn't survive relocation to one of my offsprings.

At the present time I'm working on a 3' long and about as high model of the 'Cutty Sark' and am dithering whether to add sails or leave it with just the rigging & bare spars. It's hard to make static model sails look well. I'm working from lavish photos downloaded off the Net.

T.