RC India

Hi Guys,
Any one heard about Aurora kits.
Has anyone tried their MILLS DIESEL ENGINES.
THERE WAS A RECENT WRITE UP IN BMFA, THEY ARE GOOD ENGINES BEING MADE IN INDIA
RISHI KUMAR HAS BEEN PRODUCING THEM; 0091 983 111 7881.
His dad is one of the pioneers of the hobby. I remember walking into India Hobby Centre in Connaught Place in New Delhi opposite Plaza Cinema and just staring at all those planes and Frog engines... Could never afford them..
That was 1970 and they were rs5000 in those days..
I wanted to hear opinions on them...
Baggu

Baggu,

Based on what I have heard Aurora kits are one of the best. And Mills Diesel engines are also good ones. I do not have direct experience on these engines/kits. If you were to get one, I am sure you would not regret it.

-Ismail

No idea about the engines but Aurora kits leave a lot to be desired. Poor quality wood and imprecise plans and parts that are poorly cut or simpy don't match the plans and the instructions are pathetic. I got into this hobby with aurora kits only and built quiet a few of their glider models. The prices are good for a beginner, but to be competitive as a model manufacturing company they need to really improve.

Is that so?... Since TG has direct experience on this I should lift my hands off. I thought they are of good quality as some of the RC vetrans talk a lot about these kits.

Hi ,
does anyone have an e mail address or so where I could contact or find Rishi Kumar,
I have spent some time flying with him and made some a few visits to him also, some years ago.
and would like to be in touch with him again.

Hi,
You can cantact Mr.Rishi on Mobile Ph. No. +919831117881 and his father is the GREAT (As far as I considere) Mr.Suresh Kumar the Gret Grandfather of Aeromodeling in India.Because he bought the die of Mills .75 and 1.3 disel engine and the rights to produce the same in India as K75 and K1.3 (The K stands for Kumar Mills and these engines a much valued by many Europeans and collectors of Model Aeroplane Engines) these are the engine produced by different manufacturers like even the Irvine and the Doonside in Australia.
This family is totally responsible  I repeat totaly responsible for aeromodeling in INDIA.
Also for many kits produced by them if you guys can understand nostalgia class aeroplanes then I think no aeromodeler oldenough can say any thing about AROURA kits because those days with the infrastructure and a less known sport I think no well to do business men would have ventured in to this field unless otherwise he has any love for this hobby.
Mr.Suresh Kumar the legend was friends with the Mercury owner and many more eminent aeromodellers from the Great Britain and after their feed backs he produced the best available in this part of the globe.
If you are an aeromodeler then going to the India Hobby centere in Kolkatta in Rusell street is like going to Mecca for a Muslim,Jerusalem for a Christian ,Gaya for a Budhist and Kasi for a Hindu.
This mans passion for Motor vehicles/Sports,Aeromodelling and Aviation has no bounds and to meet/see him in person is like seeing the Messiah/Avtar/Nabhi of Aeromodeling as far as if you are an Indian.

Of course this is my view on this subject it may be right to you and wroung to some.But I belive in this and nothing can alter this.

Kind Regards...............Alexander George.

 

are these engine still being sold  ??? it could be nice if some one can post some pictures of engine, aurora kits, finished model etc here, i could really love it

thanks

sahil

Hi,
The .75 and the 1.3 are still sold by Mr.Rishi.You can contact him for further details.

Regards...................Alex

Hi Alex,
an e mail address would be realy helpfull, I live in the netherlands so am not likely to phone him,
if you do know his e mail address just e mail it to me, posting it on a public forum is not a to good idea,

Hi Sahil here are two photos I took of some of the engines they made, it was however some time ago,
(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww325/jjbijmuiden/IMG_0002.jpg)

(http://i732.photobucket.com/albums/ww325/jjbijmuiden/IMG_0001.jpg)

yeah cool they look so sexy  (:|~ (:|~ (:|~

thank you daf3305  :-* if you have anymore info on these what ever it may be please post them  :)

thanks

sahil

o.k., on  the left with the yellow heads are the 1 cc version of the mills 0,75 ,on the right with silver heads the normal mills 0,75  the black cylinder with silver head should be the K150 a 1,5 cc diesel and the engine in the center with the yellow head is the 1,5 cc version of the 1,3 cc mills.

Hi Guys,
E-mail ID of Mr.Rishi is aurora_cal@yohoo.com

Kind Regards..............Alex

Hi Guys,
For your info they still sell the nostalgia class Tomboy kit for the free flight.But with todays micro/mini servos it can be made in to a R/C model  and you can have loads of fun.

Kind Regards...........Alex

A lot of discussion; wish they had a website showcasing both their history/heritage, and current products. 

In this day and age, I would think that it is fairly cheap to get one setup !

Unless they already have one, and I missed it some how !

yeah they still make and sell the stuff, i spoke to mr.rishi yesterday for 30min in the evening and i have asked him to give details of this products to me so that i could put them up on net! there products are still being sold in Chennai and Bangalore and it seen he knows you, i told about you setting up the site n stuff he was very happy to hear  :)

right now they have some 20 odd foam kits each of Cessna, some ww2 model

one free flight glider for 75-100 mills model kit for 500/- includes very thing ...40inch wing span!
370 size geared motor for 700/-
15amp brushed speed controller for 500/-
Chinese servos 9grams for 500/-
LANYU RC 4 channel set for 2000/-....Mr.rishi say its very good or the best the Chinese brands

he also stocks lots of stuff from GWS to various other manf.

and .75cc,1cc,1.3cc still being made and for sale !

sahil

thanks daf3305, what prop sizes are you running on your engines?

Hi,
the 0,75 cc Mills a 7 x 4 " prop  and for the 1,3 an 1,5 cc Mills a 9 x 5 " prop,   I use these engines for free flight models only.

Rishi is selling off his Mills lisence. so better order fast if you want one.

here are pics of what i have ...!!

1> the aurora great-gun with a aurora 2.5cc diesel
2> the aurora countess
3> a mills engine.

i have been to his work shop and personally seen all the production equipment for the mills. he is a very good friend of mine. the amount of inputs me gave me gave me more enthu into the hobby and so i am still in it and always will be ..

 i wonder regarding the cost of these engines and the fuel they run on.

Sahil,

Can you share the cost or link with us ?
I got informed earlier that it was manufactured at howrah but cannot search it.
It will be an asset to us.

And sujith,

Where you visited ? Kolkata (or howrah)?
 I am waiting for your reply.
Thanks.

@ kalyan.  its in park street.. kolkatta!!>. i have planes to visit him again pretty soon.!! want to fly again in race courses.. i first flew a nitro there in kolkatta.. visiting again in a week or two.!!>.

not only mills engines are their price.. they used to supply to NCC as well. from the balsa taken from sharma models. they also build trainers for beginners both electric and glow. though its takes a little time.. but its worth a wait. they use something called japanica balsa.. its so tough as a ply.. i had more than 3 crashes ,3 ditches into lake on my plane due to dead stick when i was learning to fly nitros.. still it goes tight.. and no sign of any damage what so ever it took.!!  i am going again to get a 60 sized.!!

Park Street is not the factory. It's India Hobby Center, Kolkata.
Palash is the balsa guy, a real Master Crafts Man.
They even manufactures rubber power props also. But their marketing strategy is the worst one I have observed. Most of the newcomers are disappointed and left the hobby for this shop only just for oveeeer price when they compare. I have left just after starting over 2 decade and started again when I got this platform.

You will be sad to here that Race cource authority (Fort william Army office) Banned flying model in Race cource field. Still Police intake physical test tents are there.

behind the hobby center .. they hve the factory .. did u go to the workshop room behind?? they have all the machinary ther.

I recently bought a Banana 2000 from IHC Kolkata- Mr. Palash was the person I dealt with.
The shop has now lost its past glory. The two rooms inside are filled with unused scale model cars (including rare scale models of Rover etc running on battery), and there is very little activity in there. In fact, I was surprised to see that even the person behind the toys counter knew nothing about aeromodelling. I had to wait for Mr. Palash to come in order to get more information about the kits. And there is only one trainer model available-the rest are RIDICULOUSLY high priced RTF kits that are being sold at prices almost 300% more than the other LHS like RC Bazaar etc.
I remember  visiting the store back in 2000-2001. It had a charm even then, engines were tested there, there were so many people involved in the Aeromodelling section, and planes, ships and RC cars were the mainstay of the store. Now, it's just the restaurant that attracts people and the toy shop. Aeromodelling has been relegated to a corner. Their display shelf outside the store is pretty nice though.
About the model:

I was very disappointed. I bought the kit costing Rs. 2000/- from them because i trusted their expertise. Little did I know that the plans were not to scale, the diagrams were of a print quality that nobody would take even for free. The Balsa pieces were incomplete  and poorly cut. After completing the fuselage, I realized that few wing ribs were missing, wing trailing edge was not there. I called them up, and i was told that I should collect it from their shop. I study in Kharagpur, Why would I travel 120 km just to collect the parts that I had already paid for? I was very sad looking at the quality of the kits.
I don't want to be personal, but the people there are everything but motivating for the beginner. They refuse to guide them, sell them chinese radio sets for Rs. 8000 whereas the cost on LHS is only Rs. 3000/-. They have little motivation for promoting the hobby.
I shall post a more detailed review later. The experience left me so frustrated that I bought a Mr. Moss glider from RC for all, and it arrived just 2 days from the date of ordering :) . I made the plane following the detailed video instructions. It needs a bit of fine tuning, but it did fly.
IHC wasted the opportunity it had. Kolkata could have  been  hotspot for the aeromodellers, with so many nice flying locations just a few kilometers from the city (including many lakes for float flying). But I really feel that the IHC, with it's very high pricing, no focus on getting modern and cheap products, and the unpleasant shopping experience and poor quality balsa kits has ruined many budding aeromodellers. I have a friend here who made a plane spending 16000/- (just a normal balsa trainer) and now feels that the hobby is too expensive and cumbersome to pursue in India. 
They pioneered the hobby in India, and deserve true credits for being, at one point of time, a truly international hobby store. The stocks they had in the past were really marvelous. Today, the lack of passion is reflected the moment you enter the store. Perhaps it's a sign of the overall state of affairs in the state. 

Having practically 'grown up' at Hobby Centre, and being associated with them as a customer since 1975, it is indeed heart breaking to hear about the state of affairs.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to get into aeromodelling, all you had to do was to go to this shop and all your problems would be solved. They knew and were willing to teach.

Today, if you want to be an aeromodeller, don't ever visit that shop or buy anything from them. The experience will be so frustrating that you will be discouraged from entering this hobby. Neither do they know nor are they willing to learn.

Had they changed with the times,Calcutta would have still been the Mecca of Aeromodelling, as it was back in the seventies.

That is the key, Staying abreast of tech else people like us would still be flying CL models, that is what it is at IHC, i visited them more than couple of times. Mr Rishi visited me with his models at Kharagpur when we did the air show (Rohit and Kalyan too were there). Dished out some rubber powered models to the kids who were around. the far end of the corner of the shop, if you noticed, standing majestically (Albeit in appalling condition) is an aeroplane (Real Sized)

But if you go to RCTC (Royal Calcutta Turf Club), on a Sunday, you wont find a slot to get airborne, once i counted 36 Aeroplanes airborne at one time, (Written about that earlier). There is also Aero Sports Association of Bengal, headed by Air Marshal M Banerjee AVSM, VM, VSM _(Retd) at 29 Rammohan Dutta Rd Bhowanipore. He is trying to revive the past glory, i will provide all possible help.

Together we can make it happen, Calcutta, Guwahati and may be Shillong a minor hub centres of Aeromodelling. That is possible only if the present lot (a) Stop in-fighting and engaging in petty politics (b) Serve selflessly to promote the hobby

Partly why aeromodelling has died down in Calcutta is because
the local aeromodellers are a snobbish lot who look down at you if you
aren't holding a futaba radio and starting an OS engine with a hobbico
starter.

Also the mindset of the NCC instructors have to change

Well, I have their price list with me. The prices are so exorbitant that I used the piece of paper to scribble down equations and calculations. There is no aeromodelling activity in RCTC currently as far as I know. Palash had told me that it is banned(may be temporarily) there.

I also came to know that the relatively new aeromodellers out there including Palash, a DJ(his name is probably Rohaan) and a few others are planning to make an official aeromodelling group for which Palash offered me membership option (only after I told him where depron was available in Kolkata, :p ). Don't know what happened to it after that. Bottomline is they don't seem interested anymore and with the situation that the shop is in currently, I wouldn't be surprised if the shutters go down for good.

Luckily my college has a soccer field and the aeromodelling room is next to it. But flying with fellow enthusiasts is a different ball game altogether.

i am getting a 40" cessna 152/172 Full balsa model, for Rs 1000
it is a 3ch model, and made in india ....is it worth it?

thanks A lot...
aniket210696

steal deal, say hello to rishi from my side, he gave my son a rubber band glider when i had this meet, tell him he still has it

http://www.rcindia.org/rc-events/rc-meet-at-a-disused-wwii-runway-near-dudkundi-village-kharagpur-kolkata/

sure!  :P

... i guess i'll have to up my setup a bit then....

Aniket,
Pls post pics of the plane any any + other details you have, what is the powerpack you are planning?
For 1000/- it  surely is a steal deal  (:|~ . I am sure many others in the forum would also be intrested to get one too !!
thanks

@flyingbrick... this is my setup....
http://www.rcindia.org/electric-power/help-wanted-on-electric-rc-setup!!!/

this should work well with it....

and heres the pic he sent me...  :)

Mills .75 :). I possess it since 1998 and its really one of the nice diesel engines I have ever used. I bought it for my cessna free flight model. I would recommend to buy one if it is still available. I have Sharma's 2.5cc as well. That's too the nice engine. These engines are very easy to start if you have correct mixture of kerosene, ether and castor oil, else it may test your patience. Would highly recommend to buy one.

I think I have already put in my share of sad experience with IHC here in Hyderabad / Secunderabad (they had a branch there) :( when I first joined this hobby or a little later, perhaps. This was about 45 - 50 yrs back. The demise of the hobby in this parts of the country is not only by the disinterest of the IHC and its prohibitive pricing, which repelled a new-comer's efforts to join it, but also by the snobbish attitude of the NCC Aeromodelling instructors of that by-gone era  :banghead:plus the unawareness of the general public and specially the youth and non-availability of things needed in general :headscratch:. After my interest was kindled by a couple of RC mags I bought on the footpath, I scouted the local market and came across the IHC in Patney area of Secunderabad. In my first visit I saw some CLs, some rubber-powered models, some larger RC kits. A person or two were working on some models. When I expressed some interest n asked about the initiation and prices, their response was, at best, discouraging. They didn't want to show me anything unless I promised some purchases. And they WERE costly.I came outwith some gliders and rubber-powered kits for my kids. :giggle:
Coming to the NCC guys : They used to fly some CLs n RCs in the parade grounds nearby. The Instructor refused flatly to further my enthusiasm. :banghead: Said that it was only for NCC cadets; no outsiders, even privately :argue: :argue:. It took me some years to get the fundamentals of the hobby.  No info was available about the clear dope, the fuel, the engines or the kits. My interest petered out gradually for quite some time and even after that, it never reached the peak it should have reached with the initial enthusiasm. Too bad...

 :iagree: :thumbsup:

This is my thread about Aurora engine's and Mr Kumar
http://www.rcindia.org/fuel-and-engines/aurora-model-engines-(india)/msg281759/#msg281759