About us
40 Years expirience in aeromodelling sports
We’ve been supplying the aeromodelling sport with high-quality 2-stroke engines made in Germany for 40 years. Our employees develop, design, manufacture, and distribute a broad range of engines from one to four cylin-ders for ambitious competition and hobby pilots.
Our engines represent the state of the art in 2-stroke technology. They can be offered in various versions in order to further optimize their performance. Moreover we’ve developed a new generation of mufflers that takes the engines’ greater filling ratio and degree of combustion into consideration
Your added value
- Development and production made in Germany
- Efficiently functioning engines
- Reduced noise level
- Durable, reliable, and economical drive solutions
- In-house test before shipment
- Highly qualified employees
- Customer-oriented maintenance and service
- Custom-made products possible
3W-Modellmotoren GmbH is the systems house for complete drive solutions in aeromodelling.
3W History
3W Modellmotoren Weinhold GmbH changes to 3W Professional GmbH.
Managing Directors: Kai Weinhold, Peter Weinhold and Ute Weinhold
3W Modellmotoren GmbH changes to 3W Modellmotoren Weinhold GmbH.
Managing Director: Ute Weinhold
Development and production of
3W-70iB2 as a competition engine
3W-34xi with reed-valve control
3W-34xi TS HFE FI with reed-valve control
3W-140xiB4 with reed-valve control
Development of two new piston-controlled engines:
3W-370xiB2 TS HFE FI
3W-740xiB4 TS HFE FI
Development of a 1-cylinder HFE with 34 cm3, TS (twin spark), piston-controlled with electronic fuel injection. A customer purchased the construction design after a demonstration.
All HFEs developed in 2009 are modified for electronic fuel injection. German and US patents were obtained for our HFEs.
Development of kerosene/heavy-fuel engines with carburettors:
3W-28iHFE
3W-56iB2 HFE
3W-68xiB2 TS HFE
3W-110xiB2 TS HFE
3W-157/170xiB2 TS HFE
3W-210iB2TS HFE
Development and production of the 3W-110iR2 in-line engine
Development and production of the new 3W-210 Xib2
3W holds the first rookie meeting to promote youngsters. A new sponsor pilot was being sought for our team in this connection. Tim Stadler was selected and has been among our sponsor pilots since this year. Development and production of the 3W-275Xib2
Meanwhile we’re producing 16 different airplane models with 21 different wing spans between 2 m and 3.90 m. We also offer many of our airplanes in a special super-light competition version especially for our competition aerobatic pilots who desire weight-optimized models. Essential parts of these are structured using Kevlar-honeycomb sandwich construction.
Meanwhile we’re producing engines between 28 and 684 cm3. Our range of engines encompasses 22 different cylinder capacities in 47 different designs. Redevelopment of the Pitts S12 with 3 m wing span. Redevelopment and production of the 3W 28i, 3W 56ib2, and 3W112ib4
Constructive completion of the 5-cylinder, 4-stroke 3W-256STR radial engine. Completion of the 4-cylinder 3W-684iB4 with 684 cm3 as well as the 2-cylinder 3W-342iB2. Initial prototypes of the YAK 54 and Votec 322 are flown and tested.
Patent application in Europe and USA for a new silencer system. Devel-opment and production of the 4-cylinder 3W-212iB4 flat. Our third generation of ignitions is introduced into the market. These have a programmable microprocessor with ignition timing advance specially tuned for our engines. They have a standard output for our digital tachometers. The supply voltage is 6 V; the temperature range extends from −40 °C to 65 °C.
Development and production of the 3W-200iB2
3W develops a custom-made 4-cylinder flat with 546 cm3.
Quique Somenzini can’t be beaten for the third year in a row and wins the TOC again with the 3W-150iB2 QS. Development of a flexible drive system for the 3W-240B2_PARA para glider.
Our years of co-operation with Quique Somenzini lead to development of the – QS – engine series. Quique Somenzini wins the TOC with his new 3W-150iB2 QS engine featuring four transfer channels. Production of the 2-cylinder 3W-240iB2 flat engine. 3W establishes its own range of airplane models. These models are produced exclusively for 3W and developed in close co-operation with current top pilots. Peter Weinhold’s years of experience from the construction of hundreds of model airplanes also influence the design. Our models get the finishing touch during intensive tests conducted by top international pilots Wolfgang and Roland Matt. Both look back on many years of construction and flying experience at the highest level.
A generation of engines with new piston and cylinder technology begins with the – i – series. The first engines are 3W-70i and 3W-140iB2. Quique Somenzini wins the TOC.
Steve Stricker occupies first place at the TOC with his 3.4 m Extra and our 3W-160B4. Development and production of the 3W-50i, 3W-100iB2, and 3W-78iB2.
Patent no. 4408908 is granted for the first 3-cylinder radial engine with integrated planetary reducing gear, 3W-105STR3.
The most popular flight manoeuvre at the TOC is the torque roll. The most often used engine is the 3W-120B2.
Steve Stricker is the first pilot at the TOC to use a 4-cylinder flat engine in his Extra with 3.4 m wing span: a 3W-160B4. Quique Somenzini wins this TOC with his 3W-120B2.
Development and production of the 3W-140B4 and 3W-156B4 4-cylinder flat engines
Quique Somenzini demonstrates the torque roll as the first pilot with a 3W-70B2 at the TOC in Las Vegas.
Development and production of the 2-cylinder 3W-120R2 in-line engine as well as 3-cylinder 3W-120R3 in-line engine.
Development and production of the 3W-48B2/1991
Development and production of the 3W-70B2 as well as the first 4-cylinder 3W-240B4 and 3W-160B4
Development and production of the 3W-120B2
Development and production of 3W-35 as well as the first 2-cylinder in-line engine, 3W-80R2
Development and production of the 3W-40 and 3W-80B2 flat engines
Market introduction of the first 2-stroke gasoline engine specially designed for model airplanes, 3W-60