RE: Midwest Super Stearman
I have a MW Stearman and started with an OS .91 FS and had to add a pound of weight in the nose (which just killed me to do). The 91 was not enough for this plane even though the instructions almost begs you not to put something bigger up front. After one summer, I changed it out for an OS 120 Gemini 2 cylinder four stroke with onboard glow (had to lose the dummy radial). The 120 needed to be moved forward about a 1/4" so I built a spacer with a box for the receiver battery and throttle servo trying to move some of the weight forward. The box is just above the motor and just fits inside the cowl. The result was a perfectly balance plane with good power to weight, awesome sound and a nice slow reliable idle.
No landing gear problems but I discover that upon tumbling down the runway the top wing will break before the bottom one and the fuse has a weak spot at the wing saddle (very clean break). I figure I'm about 50 hours away from air worthy but with the foot of snow on the ground and counting ;I figure I've got lots of time.
Cheers,
Jim