I'm back from a week out of town, my ordered parts are here, and I have it about ready to fly. I was only one ounce off of guessing the finished weight in my earlier post (it came in at 15lbs 2.0oz)... at least before I have to add 4-5 ounces of lead in the nose to balance.
That is better than 9-10 ounces I was going to need... before I moved the batteries as far forward as I dare and cut 1/2" of excess length from the steel wing mounting bolts. Updated pics on the website.
Ordered an APC 17x8 today. Already have a 16x10, and we'll probably try both at some point to see what I like the best. I agree with Jimmy that an RCS180 may be a better match for this plane than either a G23 or RCS140... especially at >15lbs. I think I'd want to look at beam mounting it instead of the radial mount though.
I wonder... a ZDZ40 puts out pretty much the same usable power as a Saito 180 (~25 lbs of thrust and 60-70mph), which is a recommended engine, and isn't significantly heavier than a G23 or RCS180. At 15-16 pounds and almost 1200 squares of wing, an aerobat like an Edge would be looking at a 50-60cc gas engine... as a 40cc'er wouldn't be considered enough. So, why is the ZDZ40 way too much engine for the GBY?