ORIGINAL: rebranger
I bought one from Hobby People ($199, + $25 shipping); kinda disappointed, but you get what you pay for; wish I had seen the AK Models one @ $189, it's a 140 size!!!
building it now; and ya'll are correct. It's too small for a gasser, (23 cc RCGF), one could make it work, but it would butcher the firewall & cowl. so I' going to put a 100 Saito in it that I have laying around. It's not ''retract ready'', there's no mounting block or provision for a retract servo. One would have to use air. I might try the Hobby KIng electric retracts in it. Anybody tried them yet?
I bought a mustang from AK before - not the one you are talking about but a 60 size - and it was made from very poor wood. I worked on it some to try to beef it up but I never was satisfied that it would survive in the air for long. You can only get to a limited amount ofany plane to reinforce it and I eventually threw it in the trash - didn't want to waste any more time/effort on it.
I also had a Model Tech mustang back about 10 years ago - it was much better built.
So I think you probably got a much better built plane.
I appreciate what you are saying about the retracts. Have you looked at the E-Flite and the Lado/Magnum electric retracts? They are a bit more but seem to be reliable - just a suggestion.
By the way - could you please measure the overall width of the firewall and post it here? Thanks.
Ed