Originally Posted by
Radial power
The initial idea was to use the Il-300 in a P-51, but then I realized that such a choice is just too obvious. A less common alternative would be a Bf-109K, but then I found the perfect plane:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggiane_Re.2005 . Very clean and beautiful lines, almost no one has it, smallish fullsize wingspan so that it can be built at a farly large scale without the plane getting to big and/or heavy while at the same time offering a reasonable amount of space in the nose for the engine. And it was built here in my town (the old factory still exists, even though it's abandoned now)!
I'll have to figure out how to mount the engine fully enclosed, drawing in cooling air from the radiator scoop under the belly. And also I'll have to somehow get a rather long prop extension, which will have to be supported at the front end.
Andrea, the other issue you will most likely have with the IL300 is that it will not run successfully inverted, at least in my experience. I know at least two people who have tried, both with the engine inverted in Tiger Moths, and neither had much success it getting the engine to run properly inverted. Hence the reason why I plan to put mine in a Gypsy Moth, upright. You might have better luck installing it upright with a reduction drive that puts the prop drive inline with the cylinder heads, so the engine can fit inside the cowl. Much like the full size inline aircraft do (e.g. P-51). You can then also swing a bigger multi-bladed scale prop. Just my two cents worth.