Skipped ahead until Ken can get his wing panels joined and I can see how he does it.

Got the nose gear bearing temporarily installed into the firewall (blindnuts tapped in and glued). Vertical center line marked to indicate where the inside of the two engine mounts should be. Engine mounts temporarily bolted on (blindnuts tapped in and glued). Measured the front of the prop washer of the engine 4 3/8" away from the front of the firewall as suggested in the plans for the location of the engine on the mounts. Viewed the engine from different angles while on the mounts and took some measurements for the thrust, it is recommended that the LT-40's engine point straight ahead without any thrust. It does note that although 0 side thrust is recommended a little right thrust would be allowable, but under no circumstances should you have left thrust. When I got the thrust measurement as close as I could to the recommendations I *****ed some nicks through the engine mount holes into the beams of the engine mounts to show where the bolts would go if the measurements were accepted.

Before I drill the holes into the engine mount beams for the engine bolts I want your opinion on how the thrust measurements look to you. Look at the pics below please and tell me if the thrust is acceptable or is it going to end up having some left thrust in the end.

If you think it is acceptable I will drill the holes in the mounts for the bolts tomorrow. The firewall is aligned correctly with the plans and pinned against the lines on the plans accurately.

I understand that some alignment may change unexpectedly with the actual gluing of the firewall to the fuselage but hopefully not enough to change the thrust measurements. If there is any chance of the measurements changing significantly during the gluing to the fuselage can you tell me now and I will hold off drilling the engine mount holes into the mount beams until after the firewall is installed in the fuselage.

Thank you in advance

Remember that the plans are based on a .40 engine and I am using a .46, so that is why the engine is larger than what is shown on the plan.

PHOTOS 1 & 2: Nose gear bearing and engine mounts temporarily installed.
PHOTOS 3 & 4: Measured apprx. 4 3/8" from front of prop washer to firewall.
PHOTOS 5 & 6: Thrust alignment and measure.