What's easiest to mount the engine? Any performance or mounting issues doing straight up and down?
Have a Kougar with an upright engine and have now moved it to 9:00 o'clock. Wanted the carb CL closer to the tank CL. With a cowl the engine position would be better at the position on the plans. A 9:00 engine requires too much cutting of the cowl for muffler clearance. Also the bottom of my wings collect exhaust and a deflector will probably help keep the airplane clean.
Dave Brown engine mounts have worked well for me.
Bill