I see your dilemma... I think I'm reading that your wanting a side mounted engine.. which is a cool thing really.. and its a tough call decision wise to compromise what is already a decent design for the most likely.. sportier look of an engine mounted at 90d.. w/ a down-facing exhaust. With that.. you just might loose one side of the cheeks anyway.. and do check your clearance on lower firewall for the muffler.. what ever muff you might use. Pitts style mufflers do have a great sound to them.

The memory is coming back a bit on that airframe though.. as if I'm not mistaken.. there's another set of balsa doublers that go on the lower cheek cowl area.. on the inside of the engine compartment..they butt up to the bottom of the bearer's/and sides.. and they have recess's cut in for engine bolt clearance(engine/plate area).. if you go the stock route though.. all it takes is some nicely applied coats of dope..I painted my engine area to match the plane.. it was very clean.


Its totally your choice though... of course.. Just offering up ideas/exp/etc.. I actually really liked my Eagle II with the options I mentioned in my above post.. and the stock engine set-up was just a piece of cake with no worries ever.... and I don't think I'd hesitate to build another identical to it...I sold it to a father/son and they learned to fly with it.. this is after we all(the whole family) flew the feathers off of it..... matter of fact.. I'm sitting around here with a P-51, and a few other planes... kind of wishing one of them was an Eagle... excellent planes.