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Ted Martin from model aircraft engines to Formula One


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#1 ed holly

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Posted 06 January 2020 - 06:54

I was alerted to this story by a fellow model aircraft engine enthusiast. It is quite a story - heavily biased to his modelling exploits but with an insight into his design of an F1 engine and an association with a lot of the major players including Chapman and Duckworth from the era we all hold so dear.

 

My interest in model engines is centered around diesels - I am presently on my 18th - a 1/4 cc one called a Clanford Clan. Of the other 17 made, most to my design there are Vee Twins, an Inline twin and a Horizontal Opposed twin. The fit you will read about if you read the article is of a bore taper of a tenth of a thou and a piston that is a pinch fit at tdc. There are no rings in these engines, they use cast iron pistons and a steel sleeve. They are compression ignition engines using kero, ether and castor oil as fuel.

 

So onto the story of Ted Martin.

 

This is on the MODEL ENGINE NEWS website and can be found at http://www.modelengi...ple/martin.html and was researched by Adrian Duncan with collaboration of Jim Woodside. Adrian does a model engine column every month at http://www.adriansmo...es.com/catalog/ Sadly the MEN site is frozen as the author, Ron Chernish sadly passed away some years ago, but left us with this fabulous legacy. 

 

Have put a photo of my example of the twin ball race AMCO plus some of some of the twins built with the crankcase for the 1/4 cc one in front. Can understand why Ted was attracted to these things.

 

IMG-9075.jpg

 

IMG-9074.jpg


Edited by ed holly, 06 January 2020 - 06:57.


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#2 Tim Murray

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Posted 06 January 2020 - 09:12

For obvious reasons that article is a bit sparse on Ted’s achievements in racing. More info in these earlier threads:

Martin Engines (merged)

The Pearce-Martin F1 car

The Martin V8 F1 engine

Ted Martin dies at 86

According to posts in the last thread above, his obituary in The Times recorded that Ted was born on 19th January 1924 and died on 21st May 2010. This differs from the info in the Model Engine News article.