I have owned two of the Mach I Skyraider. The first was for instruction and was powered with an OS 40LA. It was a terrific combination, and I found I put far more time on it flying as a sport plane than for instruction. The plane is an excellent design, a great flyer. I did not recommend it as a "first" plane because the assembly instructions are so minimal for a new flyer, and while built as a good flying plane, it is not as robust as some other trainers and might not survive some of the harsh realities of training. Trainers lead a hard life! My buddy, an experienced flyer liked it so much he bought it from me. After I sold it, I bought another. The instructions did comment on not overpowering the plane, it was designed for a .40 engine, and I found it to be good advice. Overpowering it isn't going to break anything, but the design doesn't need it, and the additional weight detracts from the flight characteristics. My buddy was fond of hovering it on the .40LA. Go figure!

Both mine were set up as tail draggers. Enjoy.