The famous Taipan marque from Australia is universally well known among present-day model engine enthusiasts. Created by Australia's premier model engine designer and manufacturer, the late Gordon Burford, those very capably designed and well-made engines really put Australia on the map among the world's more notable model engine producing nations. Indeed, the company became the largest producer of model engines and accessories in the Southern Hemisphere.

Several previous articles on this site have covered various Gordon Burford designs, including his Schnuerle-ported models, the Glo Chief 45 and the later Taipan 40. I've also reviewed the late David Owen's outstanding re-creation of the 1958 Mk. 3 Taipan 2.5 cc plain bearing diesel. Doubtless there will be more Taipan reviews in the future.

However, none of these articles have gone, or will go, into the details of just how these engines were manufactured. Thankfully, my good mate David Burke of Adelaide Aeromotive, who are the present-day bearers of the Taipan torch, has taken the time and trouble to assemble a wealth of information on the Taipan factory and the various manufacturing processes which went on there. This has been a labour of love going back some 43 years!

The material is presented here in a series of pdf files under the appropriate headings. Just click on the heading, and up comes the chapter in question. My very sincere thanks to David for making this information available to all of us!

Chapter 1 - Taipan Factory - Physical Layout

Chapter 2 - Taipan Casting Technologies

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All pdf articles © David Burke, Adelaide, South Australia

Chapters 1 and 2 first published November 2018