Ray,

When I did start building a second Taurus I also did think about making this with retracts.
The Orion was the taildragger so better to use for that experiment.
That’s the reason the dimensions are of the Taurus wing changed in the Orion wing with frise ailerons, the ribs were finished already on that moment of change.
The dimension of the fuselage I did change to get the overall dimensions of the Orion.

So it looks like an Orion, has the (wing) dimensions of the Taurus and a wingloading of a DC3.

I did weight the plane for you AND DID NOT TURNED ON ZERO ADJUSTMENT OF THE INSRUMENT.
Wing, nearly 2 kg, 1900 gram
Fuse with empty tank 2250 gram
Checkweight 2500 gram picture 3.

Total weight empty plane 4150 gram. Nearly 280 gram fuel makes 4430 gram is 156 ounce..
Wing is 4,796 sqft, loading is 156/4.796 = 32,5 ozs/sq.ft.

II love it to fly the plane and it has it’s restrictions but, the low drag of the fuse with the fairings and the retracted gear gives the plane enormous speed nevertheless the thick wing because his weight.
The engine also does not have any problem to pull the plane also not with the start. Keeping speed is than most important. Because of the heavy wings everything goes slow, rolls and turning , just like a real plane. The frise ailerons make flying easy but acrobat impossible.
Flying even with a deadstick is really no problem, when not possible to land on the field I make a belly landing.
The engine rocker hatch has a protection behind it for that see picture post 25.

The legs have the same suspension as the noseleg of my Taurus as I did show in the Ed Kazmirski’s Taurus, but a much heavier construction now..
I start and (always try to) land on grass with the Orion.
Cees