💡 From Persistence to Breakthrough
“I have not failed. I've just found 1,000 ways that won't work.” —Thomas Edison

Every transformative technology passes through three phases: concept, development, and commercialization. For the 4-stroke automotive engine, this journey spanned 37 years—from its 1861 patent to 1898—when the Benz Motorwagen became the first mass-produced car.

The development of Kamtech’s On Board Energy (OBE 1) system followed a similarly demanding path. Fueled by dedication, not full-time effort, our mission was clear: to conserve energy and build a cleaner, more peaceful world. 

Early Inspiration
In 1991, Jim Duncalf, a former lecturer for the Illinois Department of Energy, came across an article on the 1925 "Fairchild Camenz Engine".  This inovative cam centered engine was simpler and far more reliable than contempory radial engine or inline aircraft engines which often failed after just 50 hours.  

Its weakness lay in its manually machined cam, whose shape produced serious torsional vibration, which was too much the wood and fabric aircraft of the day.  Thirty five years later in 1960 the same Sherman Fairchild put together the team that developed the first silicon intergrated circuits, or computer chips, which eventually made possable technology that could machine precicion, made to order cam shapes with CNC machining.  It was clear to Duncalf that the fatal flaw of the radial cam concept, its poorly designed cam—could now be fixed with a well engineers cam produced with modern CNC milling machines.  So he set out to build a team to design such an engine.

Building Momentum
The Rad Cam's first supporter was Professor Antoni K. Oppenheim, who had outlined the need for a complete replacement of the Diesel/Otto cycle engines in a 1982 SAE paper "A Rationale for Advances in the Technology of I. C. Engines".  He explained that the expansive dynamic produced by the traditional crank engine was a poor match for the dynamics of combustion, and provided guidence for the project until his passing.  In his last book he "paved the way" for HCCI by providing the mathematical and physical models needed to move from "passive" combustion in fuel rich charges to "active", ultra lean combustion, where sensors and actuators are used to control the reaction of a lean charge ignited by compression.  

To shape the engine's layout and form, Duncalf held several brainstorming sessions with one of his childhood heros the famous mechanic Smokey Yunic.  By early 2001, Duncalf had designed and built two spatial prototypes of a radial cam's mechanical components.  A few months later Mark Beierle, whose small company, Earthstar Aircraft, became the first licensee.  Together they developed three generations of running prototypes, culminating in a production version, which is pictured above in its test flight.  Armed with a working design, in 2006 two years before Tesla started producing their electric powered Lotus under the Tesla name we approached Mark Eberhard co-founder about the use of the Rad Cam as a range extender in their future plans.  Our offer was rejected.

A New Chapter in Vietnam
Momentum returned in 2012 when Vietnamese entrepreneur, Tue Nguyen, -- holder of over a hundred patents, and a world record for the number of degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology--- offered to partner with Duncalf and fund Rad Cam development at his large manufacturing firm in District 9, Ho Chi Min City.  Unfortunately, after 14 months, his firm's aging machines failed to produce a single usable part.  He did however secretly file a use patent (US8770158B1) describing the technology for use in EVs.

When it became clear to Duncalf that Tue's company, was not able to carry on with the development a young engineering student Phạm Duy Tùng and several friends began encouraged Duncalf to keep the project in Vienam.  Shortly afterward, he met Professor Huynh Thanh Cong whose expertise and encouragement provided decisive. Professor Công was to advised on multiple engineering problems and inspired the team to persist.  History proves one truth: success is born from relentless iteration. 
 
 Ready for the Future
After years of redesigns, rebuilds, material changes and --- most recently --- several months of AI assisted refinements, we now have a production-ready design of the Rad Cam engine.  A compact, efficient power source that outperforms conventional 4-stroke engines in ease of manufacture, thermal efficiency, durability, and cost. 
The modular design that has been:

• Proven in light aircraft
• Adapted for electric vehicles
• Refined through six prototype platforms and hundreds of modifications.

Kamtech's OBE 1 design is ready to reshape mobility. We’re seeking visionary partners to bring this breakthrough to market.
🔗 Join us in powering the future, on the road and beyond!

Smokey Yunick’s career was legendary, spanning groundbreaking work with Hudson, Ford, and General Motors. More than an innovator, Smokey was a force of nature—known for bold ideas and relentless pursuit of performance. In 1991, when Duncalf set out to design the “ideal engine,” he turned to Smokey for guidance. 

While Professor Oppenheim had spent his life defining what needed to change in combustion and its environment, Smokey was uniquely qualified to show how to over come mechanical issues.  Which led to the first question Duncalf put to him.

Several engineers were concerned about possible failure because of the high pressure being placed on the small contact area of between the cam and the roller bearing followers.  Smokey explained away that problem.  He explained that oil instantly become highly viscous like a solid or a highly viscous plastic at such points of high pressure.  Even in fast running machines this thin crushed oil acts like a cushion between the two hard surfaces.  He thought the natural oil mist in the cam case may be sufficient to keep everything oiled as long as a quality oil was used.

Another issue was what he thought the dynamic produced by the cam profile should be?  He had the thought out answer the next day, a constant acceleration cam on both ends of he stroke.

It not only proved to greatly increase the efficiency of the spark ignition two-stroke version, but also promises to make managing the HCCI version much easier to accomplish. Smokey’s obsession with reclaiming waste heat and improving fuel economy directly shaped the Rad Cam engine. His recommendations—such as thermal coated aluminum pistons and and stainless steel heads with insulated coatings—became integral to its internal cooling system of the final design. More than his technical brilliance, it was his fierce, unwavering belief in the project that inspired the team. As one colleague recalled: “When Smokey believed in you, you had no choice but to rise to it.

Phạm Duy Tùng was one of the first to suggest that the project be kept in Vietnam. Tùng been with the project for well over a decade. His quiet zeal and helpful mannor made it possible for the design work to continue here in Vietnam. His family has long had vehicle, and his education and hands-on experience with many of the industry’s most sophisticated engines, was inspiring. 

Tùng's contributions in the area of sourcing, adapting, and perfecting every component of the Rad Cam were invaluable to the project. Tùng is a vocal contributor in technical debates—his ideas, often grounded in obscure research or hard-won experience, steered the project clear of many problems. "Without Tùng’s tireless contribution, there would be no Kamtech OBE 1.”

Jim Duncalf has spent a lifetime searching for ways to conserve energy. As a spokesperson and lecturer for the Illinois Department of Energy, he spoke at universities, business gatherings, and energy expos. He lived through the 1973 OPEC Oil Embargo, witnessing firsthand the hardships, political tensions, and wars fueled by dependence on fossil energy. That experience shaped his conviction: while electric vehicles offer many benefits, plugging them into the world’s coal/fossil fueled power grid is far more costlyto society than the Rad Cam powered OBE 1.

Over the past two decades, the global utility sector has spent hundreds of millions lobbying for control of the automotive future. In many countries, laws were passed to force EV adoption through taxpayer subsidies — often benefiting wealthy buyers — and penalties levied against owners of petrol cars and increase taxes benifited mostly the lower and middle class.  Automakers, out of self‑preservation, poured billions into compliance. Yet the market remained unconvinced. Many manufacturers now stand on the brink of bankruptcy. By early 2025, a political backlash against grid‑powered EVs began in the United States and is quickly spreading internationally. As of 2026, several major automakers are planning or producing EVs with “range‑extender engines.”  Ironically, most of these rely on designs first patented more than 160 years ago. 

Isn’t it time for EV companies to embrace twenty‑first century technology? Kamtech’s On‑Board Electricity (OBE) system is that technology. Compact, efficient, and designed for modern mobility, OBE delivers clean power without dependence on the grid. It represents a new chapter in energy innovation — one born from decades of persistence, hard lessons, and a vision for a sustainable future.