Hey Steve, if you need the scorer extrodinaire, I can talk her into scoring for you I'm sure. She's one of the best there is. My opinion is do it, and announce you're doing it early. I'd just fly straight -07 schedules and let FAI fly P on Sat and F on sunday. That would be my advice.

Wendell, the nose ring is there to hold the thrust line in position as the engine rotates around the crankshaft on the soft mount. This allows for the mount to absorb a lot of vibration and still keep a constant thrust line. That's all there is to it. Whether it's built in the mount or attached to a former like on my plane shown, it does the same function.

-Mike