Written by CP (05/2009; Transcribed by JS (05/2009)
Founder of SuperTigre Engines Passes Away
James Garofali, the founder of SuperTigre engines, passed away Thursday, March 26, 2009, at the age of 89. Born in Bologna, Italy, in 1920, he was one of the pioneers in model engine design. Garofali began designing model power plants at age 17, originally producing engines under the OSAM brand name. He went on to establish SuperTigre in 1949. The first offering produced was the G-19, a 4.82cc diesel, and it was soon followed by a powerful glow version.
In 1950, Garofali produced the famous G-20, a 2.47cc glow engine that would become one of the most famous power plants in the SuperTigre line. Modelers in virtually every country flew the G-20, and it garnered many first-place awards throughout the next 15 years. In 1954, Amato Prati used a stock G-20 in his Speed King model and reached a speed of 190.47 kilometers per hour – a Class A world Speed record.
Garofali continued to upgrade the G-20’s performance, incorporating ideas that he received from modelers- especially the Speed competitors. In May 1956, A. Marconi, a well-known Speed flier, used the G-20 Lappato (lapped piston, strengthened crankcase with removable rear cover and many internal changes) to achieve a Class A world Speed record of 215.56 kilometers per hour with his Tajavento model.
The G-series SuperTigres were aimed at sport modelers and builders who wanted power plants that were easy to operate, reliable, and had enough power for leisure-time flying. The G-30 2.5cc diesel was the only one of the series that was designed for competition, and it was the engine of choice for many FAI Team Race contestants in the late 1950s.
Jaures Garofali is survived by his wife and children. His daughter, Sandra, and sons, Leonardo, Romualdo, and Fabio, continue to work in the hobby industry at the Italian distributor, Safalero. -Carol Pesch, Hobbico Publicity Coordinator
This page is a text transcription of the original document, made automatically and may contain errors. .