The Gilbert glow-plug engines were manufactured from late 1961 through to late 1964 for the primary purpose of powering a range of RTF models marketed by their instigating company, the A. C. Gilbert Co. They were designed primarily by Hi Johnson and Bob Holland, with input from Clarence Lee and Duke Fox. Two nominal displacements were offered - 0.074 (Gilbert 7) and 0.11 cuin. (Gilbert 11), although the actual displacements departed somewhat from these figures. The engines were particularly notable for their adherence to side-port induction - in fact, they were the very last new commercially produced model powerplants anywhere to feature this form of induction.

The engines were initially produced by Hi Johnson's Dynamic Models company in Los Angeles, although production of the smaller 7 model was later transferred to Gilbert's main production facility in New Haven, Connecticut. They were produced throughout to a very good standard, also starting and running very well.

Unfortunately, the Gilbert RTF models which these engines were intended to power failed in the marketplace despite reportedly being a cut above some of their competitors. The engines had been massively over-produced, as a result of which new examples continue to appear on the collector market even today at very reasonable prices.  

A full review and test of these unexpectedly capable little engines appears elsewhere on this website.