Ron Irvine

It is with deep regret that I must inform our website subscribers and readers that Ron Irvine passed away on 14/03/2022. I first meet Ron in the early 1980’s through involvement in the Club 20 RC pylon racing scene, Ron was one of the two main manufacturers of engines for the class and supplied all the exhaust systems.

Ron had been a serious competitor in control line speed in the 1950’s and 60’s and despite his reserved and quiet nature he established lifelong friendships and business relationships during this period. In the 1960’s Ron’s company Irvine Engines began to import performance model engines firstly from K&B and Rossi and subsequently from OPS. By the end of the 70’s he added the mighty OS range from Japan. Fellow CL speed fliers Peter Halman and Ken Morrissey joined Irvine and worked with Ron to grow the company.

Deep down Ron had a desire to manufacture his own range of engines and this was achieved in 1976 with the release of the first serial production Irvine which was a 40 RC glow motor. There was an understanding between Ron and Peter that at the right time they would manufacture their own F2A speed engine. History and the record books clearly tell the rest of that World beating story and it is true to say that it is because Ron made those commitments, ably assisted by the likeminded passion of Peter and Ken and other fliers that the ‘UK F2A dream team’ achieved such unparalleled success over so many years.

Ron applied the same quiet dedication to all the Irvine engine range. He personally test ran many hundreds of Irvine Mills 75 engines to be sure that they were what his customers would be expecting.

Eventually Ron sold the business and retired to concentrate on his other lifelong passion, fly fishing. Ron is survived by his wife Margaret and sons Donald, Peter and Roger.

Ron Irvine, ‘A life that touched so many, he will long be missed’