Plate I.Nelson .60 · Tether Car
Front Intake · .60 cu in · AMRCA Class 10B
250+
Members
Plate II.Aero .35 · 1963
Horizontal Piston · .35 · c. 1963
For the engines · for the fellowship
An international association of model engine collectors.
A fellowship of collectors, restorers, and historians dedicated to the preservation, study, and exchange of glow, ignition, and diesel model engines — from the earliest tank-built motors of the 1930s to the precision instruments of the present day.
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From the desk of the President
MECA exists for the quiet hours at the bench, the unhurried correspondence between collectors, and the slow accumulation of knowledge that turns a workshop into an archive.
Over the years I have grown to realise that MECA most significantly provides an unsurpassed opportunity to meet and learn from other members with like interests.
David Zwolak·President
Whether you arrived through a rubber-powered Comet kit, a Cox .049 on a control line, or a Super Tigre purchased decades ago and never quite forgotten — there is a place for you in this association. We welcome new members from every country, every discipline, and every level of experience.
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The Bulletin & Swap Sheet
Current Issue · In Circulation
No. 360
May – June 2026
- p. 04From the President
- p. 11Art DeKalb Bantam .16 engines
- p. 12Evolution 10GX: a modern spark ignition engine
- p. 14Restoring a Bantam 3.5 — Part 2
- p. 19Museum of Aviation — Warner Robins
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More from the archive
Engine Profile · Bulletin No. 354 · 5 min read
The Nelson .60 for Tether Cars
When the AMRCA front-intake .60 class needed an American engine to replace the scarce Nova Rossi, John Ellis turned to Nelson. The result — a lost-wax-cased, AAC-plated tether car .60 — now holds the Class 10B record at 159 mph.
Engine History · 6 min read
Tim Dannels' Aero .35 and Transparent Display Engine
Announced in 1963 as the result of twenty years of research and forty-five prototypes, the horizontal-piston Aero .35 was called "the most remarkable model engine to hit the market in a very long time." It became one of Tim Dannels' favorite engines.
Collecting · British Engines · 6 min read
Why Not Collect FROGs?
With engines from .5 cc to 5 cc — ignition, diesel and glow, front-rotary and rear-disc induction — and a flying-frog trademark that stood for "Flies Right Off Ground," Britain's FROG line (1947–1963) makes an ideal collection. A past-president's field guide.
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Upcoming Collectos
No Collectos are on the calendar just yet — dates for the season's swap meets and gatherings are still being arranged.
Stay tuned — new events will be posted here as soon as they're confirmed.
Join an international
fellowship of collectors.
Membership includes the MECA Bulletin (six issues annually), the Swap Sheet, access to the digital archive going back to 1973, and the company of fellow collectors across fourteen countries.