Ryan,

The Mk IV is an 80s design, among the last of the pre turnaround designs for inverted piped 61s like the YS. Tom Atkins kitted them from the time he designed it until the 90s. I took over in 99 and made them until 2003 when Dan at Carolina Custom took over. It is a fairly large plane so it takes a strong 61 to really get the most out of it. The engine compartment is pretty tight for a 4 stroke but some people who got Mk IVs from me were able to get 4 stroke 120s in them. I would like to try a Jett 90 or 100 in a Mk IV or one of the new YS 115s if it would fit. I have always preferred a solid mounted 2 stroke but Tom is a big advocate of softmounting and likes the Sullivan mount. Comes down to your choice and there are arguments for both methods. I'm pretty sure Tom intended it to be a taildragger but I haven't looked at the plans in a long time, Dan may be able to help. It was very easy to make these long tailed designs tail heavy if you weren't very careful mounting and finishing the stab. I'm not sure switching to tricycle gear would help. I did see some built as fixed gear taildraggers with wheelpants that looked nice but again, it's a personal preference.

As I said in an earlier post, it is still being produced so parts and plans are available as far as I know.

George Truett