Thank you Mack for your kind comments. I use aluminium for the crank cases simply because I like working with metal, it polishes up very nice which makes it look lke the real thing, no painting required. It also adds a little weight to the model which helps to keep the model balanced. CA (super glue) bonds very well to aluminium so attaching accessories are no problem. At the moment I am working on the eight cylinders, these are being made from 3/16" brass rod and will require a lot of filing and sanding, all very time consuming but very rewarding. I have a small clock makers lathe which comes in very handy.
Des.