Ive built(assembled) a half-dozen or so of these for different people. We've put everything from a .46 all the way to Saito.91's,,,a few with OS61FX's. That seemed to be about the best combo going for a good balance of speed/sport flying. Matter of fact, I've got one on my bench that I'm restoring right now. A friend gave it to me a few years back, and I'm just getting to the point I can work on it.
As for glassing the center section...I can't say it's a bad idea, but it could end up being a bit of work. You'll have to cut away the covering VERY carefully so as not to cut, or even score the balsa underneath. Then peal it back, or remove it to lay in your glass on. Then obviously recover that area.
Honestly, Ive only glassed one...and it was one I DIDN'T build, but ended up repairing because the wing was SO pourly joined when it was built.
If your careful, and use plenty of epoxy...to the point it's oozing out of the wing joint you'll be fine without the glass. It's a judgement as to how much is enough when it comes to that...but you can have enough paper-towels, and denatured alcohol to clean up any excess if you end up with too much in there. I've always done them like that, and not had any failures yet, and confident that they won't.
I am glassing the one I'm restoring, just for the fact that it's already uncovered, and I have a piped .61 going on it, and it has been on a diet, so it should move out pretty good.
They are good flying planes.
Oh yeah....the JR servo will work, however...the linkage will be a trick to set up if you haven't done one before... a true retract servo has 180'degrees of travel(along with alot of torque), but I have successfully used standards on the retracts...so I don't think torque is an issue with these..it's a matter of getting the linkage correct. Good luck......
Oh....PS.....If you have the firewall to thrust washer dimension on these , I'd appreciate you posting it here....It has been a few years since I've done one, and I don't have any books left on them. I'm thinking it's 6.25"....or is it 6.0"?? I need to set the engine mount myself...that's pretty much where I'm at before I cover it. Thanks, and good luck.
