Hi, Mick.

Thanks for the kind words! You guessed it on the wire; it's my choke lever. Simple and effective. I thought about a servo, but it just wasn't necessary. Once you apply the choke on a Syssa, and it pops once, you flip the choke off, and the engine starts - every time. I run the wire out through two pieces of wood, slightly offset from the wire center and each other to create tension and hold it firmly. I also made a little "bump" in the wire right on the outside of the block when it's in "choke off" mode, to secure it. Old-school linkages.

I'm a big fan of the Syssa, because it comes with so many of the extras you would end up paying for with the others, it really doesn't cost that much more. It comes stock with a pitts muffler that comes set up to add smoke. That's what you're seeing in the photos above. Plus, it's made right here in the good ol' USA, in CT, by a guy who responds to emails and does turnaround service that beats anything I've seen. And when an engine model at the factory is upgraded, you can send yours in for the upgrades, which (to date) have been FREE to me every time. I only pay for the shipping.

I've heard from the other guys that the DLE 30 is a fine engine, and runs very strong. A few problems with the aftermarket mufflers cracking and such, but I haven't heard of too many. The engines themselves seem to have minimal problems, and since the DLE and the Syssa guys are always arguing over which one has more power (the Syssa does - yuck-yuck), either way it's safe to say you'll have all the power you'll need.

I'm glad you liked the "Building with Jim" video on the Robart pin hinges. I hear he's a heck of a guy. ;^) Others have different names for him, of course. :^)

I'm using an 18 X 6 prop. Some of the guys with the DLE's run 19 X 6. To me, they sound like they're lugging a little with a 19 X 6. I tried one on mine (in my Giant Super Sportster) and it also sounded that way. For the Super Stearman, I'd recommend the 18 X 6 wood Xoar, which is what I use. Gives you a little more ground clearance. Remember, the GP Super Stearman was designed for a motor like a Saito or O.S. 1.20, which would run a 16-inch prop, max. Because of the needed nose-weight and the big cowling on the Super Stearman, we can cram these gassers in there, but it's only so far from the crankshaft to the ground!

If I take the cowl off any time soon, I'll take some "under the hood" shots for you. I'll look around and see if I took some when I finished. I might have some around here somewhere.

Before you start yours, decide what you'll want to do for controls in the back. It's easier to open the belly before you have everything built onto the fuselage. It's a fun project, and the instructions are pretty good. There are also guys who have done building reviews on theirs, and that's another source for some good ideas. Building the dummy radial is easy and fun, and it inspires you to keep going. The photos I posted should give you some tips and ideas on that. I went out and found some light gray wire for mine, smaller than what they provide, because I looked at the wires on a real radial. They're much smaller.

Well, I s'pose I should write a book or something. . .

~ Jim ~[8D]