Funny, Hogs don't have a 'front gear'. But you can hang the engine any place you like so long as the crankshaft points in the right direction. Even 'back in the day' there was only one Hog that matched the plans, nearly every other LARKS Hog was modified some way, most of them had bubble canopys from the photos still available. If you are interested a perusal of the old late '50s MAN and Aeromodeller will give you plenty of ideas...
Evan, WB #12.