RE: Super Skybolt ARF
OK, I'll consider it.
That 1.20AX weighs 23oz without a muffler. It weighs 30oz with the OS muffler.
My Skybolt balances perfectly with the 24oz's of engine/muffler I've got in it. I didn't have to add tailweight and didn't have to add noseweight. The airplane weighs just over 7 pounds without fuel. The engine is rated right at 2 horsepower.
If I need more horsepower, I can swap out the present engine and plug one in that's rated just under 3 horsepower. It'll weigh about a half an ounce more. I shouldn't have to add a bit of counterbalance weight. A 7 pound airplane with almost 3 horsepower is going to certainly have enough horsepower.
The suggested 1.20AX is advertised to be around 30 ounces with muffler. It's rated as just over 3 horsepower. My airplane already balances perfectly with the recommended engine and with one that's the same weight yet has almost 50% more horsepower. If I add around 6 ounces to the nose of a perfectly balanced airplane, chances are good that I'm going to need counterbalance weight. It usually takes about 1/2 the tail weight to balance excess nose weight. The 6oz excess in the nose is going to call for 3oz in the rear possibly. That's 9oz of dead weight for almost no gain.
Would I consider doing that?
No