# 1/6 P&W R-985 Wasp Jr by Bob Roach / Vernal Engineering



## ninefinger (Oct 30, 2011)

Hi Guys,

Now that I'm almost done converting my cnc mill I'm into the early stages of building my engine from these castings - heads / pistons / intake ring / front case / valve covers / 

Somewhat surprisingly I haven't found any others on this forum who have this kit - anybody out there? 
I'll be detailing my progress here - albeit very slowly as I'm a novice machinist and I get distracted easily - I've about 5 other machining / modeling projects on the go as well - most much smaller in an effort to hone my machining skills before destroying these beautiful castings. 

So far the work I've done is mostly in CAD - redrawing from Bob Roach's drawing set to ensure I knew where everything belonged...

More pictures to come.

Mike


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## ninefinger (Oct 31, 2011)

As promised here are a couple more pictures (found my camera). The castings I acquired from Vernal Engineering (Bruce Satra), my first parts made in bulk on the cnc - 8 connecting rods (or link rods) and a small jig to hold them while machining. I was still having some small backlash, tram and Z-travel issues while making these but they turned out nice enough to use - they will be hidden inside anyways when I'm done.

Mike


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## maverick (Oct 31, 2011)

A good start to what will be a very nice engine. I'll be sure to keep up on the build.

 Regards,
 Mike


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## agmachado (Nov 1, 2011)

Hi Mike,

Very cool your project... good luck!

I will be here watching your progress... th_wwp

Cheers,

Alexandre


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## deboom_j (May 24, 2012)

Mike, 
 I have a set of Bruce's castings for the R985, and I also have a set for the R1830. My 985 is far enough along that it kinda looks like an engine at least. The 1830 parts are still laying in a box! Oh, and have a set of castings for the 2 blade and 3 blade prop hubs too.
 You're right tho, not alot of people seem to be building this engine, or at least never say anything about it (there is a guy on here building the 1830 too tho). I've been to NAMES 3 times in 5 years, and my 985 is the only one I've ever seen.
 Good luck, keep at it!

John


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## ninefinger (May 28, 2012)

Hi John,

Please post pictures of your engine and share with the rest of us. I just connected my new to me lathe so I should be up and making chips soon (soon being a relative word lately meaning days or weeks..)

Mike


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## Mosey (May 29, 2012)

Anyone here know about Les Chenery's Anzani triple? I think I have drawings kicking around from years ago. Don't suppose there are any castings anywhere?


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## Blogwitch (May 29, 2012)

Mosey,

Les used to produce the casing sets, so when he passed away, the castings went with him.

His son John still sells the plans, but unfortunately, no castings.

The only ones that I do know of is the Les Chenery V twin, which are made and marketed by Hemingway.

http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Aero_Twin.html


John


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## JorgensenSteam (May 29, 2012)

If you have the drawings, then you can make the patterns, and cast the engine yourself, or have someone with a furnace cast it for you.

It can be done.


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## Mosey (May 29, 2012)

Not in my wildest dreams!

If memory serves me, that triple was impossible keep running...something like oil lines passing through the heads, and other wonders. But, it sure looked good!
I am thinking ahead to what might be next after the Silver Bullet. Maybe a twin airplane engine? A boxer?


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## royal-corsair (Jul 17, 2016)

vernal engineering provided the original castings and we are up and running www.vernalengineering.com however, now paul knapp has the molds and he can be reached at:  [email protected]
drawings can be obtained through bob roach at: [email protected]


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## kylenlord (Jul 17, 2016)

Hello, 

I tried the email for bob roach but it was rejected by the server. I was just wondering how much the plans were and if there were any example sheets.

Thank you 
Kyle


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## royal-corsair (Nov 28, 2016)

Ive been trying to reach Bob Roach and after a few months of trying I reached him through Authentic Scale. His email is [email protected]
He has plans for the wasp 1830 and 985.


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## kylenlord (Nov 28, 2016)

Good deal thank you for the heads up, I'll shoot him an email. 

Kyle


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## William May (May 16, 2020)

Vernal Engineering seems to be gone. Napco. com also seems to be a dead link. 
Anyone know how to get ahold of Bruce Satra?


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## H Pearce (May 17, 2020)

Hi,

I believe that Bruce has passed. Paul Knapp was making the castings at one point some years ago.


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## Shopgeezer (May 17, 2020)

Yes it was sad to loose Bruce Satra. His castings were works of art. I have the P&W engine as a single cylinder kit. Just one head and a fabricated block. Also have the 1830 plans. And Bruce Satras 0-440 plans, a four cylinder boxer engine. Old school drawings with hand written machining notes.


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## wirralcnc (May 18, 2020)

I have both the r1830 and r985 castings from bruce and bob roach drawings and prop blades. They are indeed a work of art. I'm currently building the r1830. 
Last time I heard from Paul Knapp he had castings available, with full price lists.


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## Bentwings (Jun 19, 2020)

ninefinger said:


> As promised here are a couple more pictures (found my camera). The castings I acquired from Vernal Engineering (Bruce Satra), my first parts made in bulk on the cnc - 8 connecting rods (or link rods) and a small jig to hold them while machining. I was still having some small backlash, tram and Z-travel issues while making these but they turned out nice enough to use - they will be hidden inside anyways when I'm done.
> 
> Mike
> 
> ...


Very nice work. I’m about to start on a ageless engines 18 cylinder double wasp  model of the P&W w r2800. It’s probable not exact scale but I’ll never tell.LOL

there are a lot of parts in this motor but when you consider that they have all been made on a 9” south bend lathe and bridge port mill.  And are very straight forward construction it’s not an insurmountable project.i initially wanted to tackle the r 4360 but there are too many things that pw ran into in building these motors that are real big issues for the modeler. Even M.Hogstad sad he had not completed that motor. I’ll be able to look at it deeper as I make the cad models. I have some thoughts but my bedside tablet is bare of solutions . He is a ver knowlegeable man with the big radials.   I have a double issue in that I’m training one son  in machine day to day things and another son in operating machine tools withou a computer screen. He is one that is hard to convince that the computer is dumb as a rock. The brain power is in the human running it. I’m getting old so I may not be able to complete this thing but ageless says I can do it. Prints an castings will be here next week . I have my cad station up and running. So I’ll start making models right away.


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## Bentwings (Jun 19, 2020)

So body asked about fast Er suppliers. Mc mister Carr is a great source. 
micro fasteners is another. I don’t have web sites handy but a quick search willget you hooked up.


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## ninefinger (Jun 28, 2020)

This thread got dragged up from the depths and I figure as the originator I should say I'm still around and progressing at speeds that make tectonic motion look fast....
That said I did more in the last 4 months than I had done in the previous 8 years (lots of excuses).
I'll need to switch PC's to post some photos,  but I've made progress on the major hurdle that had been slowing me down, which was the cylinder fin cutting.  That is now done and I'll provide some details in a separate posting on how that was done (rotary table on the mill and cutting 1 fin at a time with a slitting saw..)

With the cylinders done, I moved on to making the valves.  I setup my Emco Compact 5  CNC (updated to Linux CNC and new stepper motors and drives).  Made about 20 of those.  They do need to be better, the tolerance on the stem isn't good enough.  I'll run another batch of them using what I've learned by asking around the web.

The cam disks are made and the gears for the cam drive were all fabricated.   
And the crankshaft is started.

Lots left to go, but its going!

Mike


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## peterl95124 (Jun 29, 2020)

I also have Bob Roaches plans for this engine but too many other projects in the works to get started on it, so in the meantime I'll be interested in seeing your progress.
Pete Lawrence (BAEM)


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