I am close to finishing a GP Reactor Bipe. With my custom build and reinforcement the airplane will come out heavier. I estimated based on component weights that it is likely be be around 3.2Kg with 700g allocated to the engine (OS FS 91SII or 110A). This is still within the 3.1 to 3.4kg range in the manual but I still have to do quite a bit. However, I am also considering a DLE20 on it later.

Have two questions:
1) The issue is that the firewall is drilled out for a GP 90-120 mount. Based on my previous attempt to mount the DLE20 on another airplane, I noted that even when adjusted to its widest, the GP 90-120 mount is not wide enough for the DLE20. On that airplane I had to use the 120-180 mount but I cant use that mount here as the firewall holes dont line up and its a big hassle to make new holes so close to the existing ones (I will end up with slots rather than holes). The 90-120 mount can probably take the engine but then the two halves will not interlock as the bolt slot will needs to be opened. I think its just a bit- 2mm or so on each side. I dont want to open out the bolt hole as this wouldnt be secure. So my question is, should I grind out a couple of mm each side in the beams to allow the dle20 to fit on the same 90-120 mount? I think the engine mounting holes are fairly further inside the beams, not too close to the edge.

2) The airplane requires you to solder one side clevices on the pushrods. However, I have no soldering experience and I want to learn that now because I have already made a bit of mess with the tail hinging when the CA on the nylon hinges dried both times before I could get them in (local CA is a bit too quick drying, I didnt even get time to drop the bottle). I have 4-40 SS pushrods from Sullivan and Dubro spring steel clevices with spring retainers in good quantity. I am also using Dubro Heavy duty scale black-colour FRP horns instead of the stock

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXD875&P=7
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXD937&P=ML
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFV03&P=7

These will also offer ease of adjustment and since the pushrods are SS, not MS, they should be much sturdier and corrosion resistant. But some on the field told me not to use them because they are likely to corrode fast in the humid Mumbai weather and because the threading makes them prone to snapping. Should I use them anyway? I could paint over the unused length after I am done for corrosion resistance

Will post pics if I can once I get the dle out of storage, its just too far back on the loft right now.

Ameyam