ORIGINAL: JDSanders
It is a Nitro Planes .25 Yak 54. I have read this is not a quality plane but a friend had it in his garage collecting dust and passed it along to me for pretty much nothing. The motor is an OS 40 FX that my friend also had. figured for the deal I got on them I would make it work.</p>
OK finally the rest of the story, indeed you have taken on a handful to make it work. First the airplane:
I have not flown that one however I lhave flown many of the nitro planes and tested them for folks including the 25 sized gee bee. In your first post you said this whole discussion was over getting the the engine entirely within the cowling, well this is not going to happen even with a 25 size engine much less the hot .40FX.
Doing what you suggested involves going full inverted and raising the thrust line vertically withing the cowl and even that is debatable. This is going add additional aerodynamic changes in the airplane and that is a terrible idea. You have not even considered the cutouts for the muffler. Finding a pitts or box muffler that will fit and be completely within without drastically changing the thrust line is not going to happen either.
Do not raise the thrust line use either use a sideways or 45 degree down mount and make a hole around cylinder exposing it for glow access and a bottom center hole (large) aft next to the firewall for cooling, do not omit.
If you use a stock muffler a simple tunnel can be added as in the pictures of one of mine agine not the same airplane but one with almost identical dimension and cowl shape.
Now for the pilot:
This airplane is going to be a very cool and awesome little hot rod however in the hands of a first time glow flyer with only small electric flyer experiance and no mentor to smooth the way is almost certainly not going to survive long and this is neglecting the fact that this airplane is going to require a lot more runway than anything heretofore you have experianced and that means a park or back yard is in most cases definately out.
The very best advise anyone can give you at this point is find a glow mentor and get a real trainer preferably something of his choice.
Question why is it the mentors (ok the evil word, instructors) are always left out of the equation when it comes to choices in equipment but always the first ones on the firing line when folks demand answers when their bad choices go astray.
John