Hello again...

I tried for over an hour last night to post pictures if my new plane, but as a new member I'm not allowed, or so it seems. I upload pictures but when I go to post I get a warning telling me that I cannot post URL's as a new member, but my pictures are not URL's.

Anyway... I'd previously posted that I couldn't get the engine cowl off the plane at the sellers location because of conditions there, but that I could peep through air vents to see what I thought was a Horizontally Opposed Twin motor. People expressed their doubts. Well folks you were right. After getting the plane to my shop and removing the cowl I found I was totally wrong...

The motor is actually A Horizontally Opposed FOUR cylinder.
It's an OS Pegasus 320 or an FF-320, same thing.

As I said before the engine which had been sitting for over ten years, was just about stuck which obviously isn't good. So I removed all four plugs and filled the cylinders with Marvel Mystery Oil.

After a few minutes I was able to rotate the prop 360 but it's still tight. So I've now left it to soak overnight. Hopefully it will be freed up when I get to my shop later this morning but I have my doubts.

I'm fortunate to have an extremely talented mechanic at my shop who'd have no issue tearing the engine down, honing the cylinders and replacing pistons, rings etc, but I hope it doesn't come to that, and are parts available? Who knows... One way or another we'll get there...

The rest of the plane cleaned up very well. It had quite a thick covering in dust but some spray window cleaner "without ammonia" soon had her shining again, being careful not to over wet the plane or wipe dry dust across the surfaces and cause a million scratches. A ten foot wingspan model is a bit of a hand full even with the wings off, the fuselage alone is over seven feet.

I do own a full sized ultralight and a light sport plane, A Quicksilver Sprint and a Kolb Firestar II, but I understand that doesn't mean I can fly an RC plane, in some way RC is more difficult. Also my full sized planes have ballistic parachutes, these don't. So I will get training and start off probably with an electric / foam built horror. There is also a local RC club that I'll approach for training.

Please can you give your opinion on PC based simulators for very basic training. Considering it's -4 degrees here as I write, that's about all I can get for the next few months.

Also do you know if and where parts can be bought for this engine. I have seen a few parts on Ebay.

Watch this space.

Thank you...