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. 361
July – August 2026
- p. 03From the President
- p. 06Motorhead Meanderings
- p. 08Diesel Engine Observations
- p. 09The Yellow Jacket — A Model Racing Engine Story, Part 1
- p. 23Recent Engine Finds
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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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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.