Hi plunk,

You made a great choice for a second plane. In my Hog I have a 15 year old Saito 65 w/ a 12/6 MAS scimitar prop. It pulls it with good results. Not a lot of vertical, but enough for me.

As for the nosing over problem in the taildragger configuration, if you use the wire landing gear that came with the kit, you need to bend them forward about 15 degrees. Do not leave them the way they come out of the box! The HOG will nose over upon landing. Don't ask!

And for the 40 LA powering it, I do not believe that the engine is enough to haul it around. It is better to have too much power than not enough. You can always use the throttle stick. It was always taught to me as:
"Tis better to have and need not, than to need and ain't got!"

Have fun with the HOG

Mic