GHoffmann, this plane is definitely worth the (short) drive for you. As I recall they are located in Hollis.

John is a nice guy. I am sad to see suppliers like him going out of business. He had some very nice sport flyer kits, and really put a lot of effort into the Aquila specifically to cater to us pattern pilots.

I would also suggest the Focus II as it really is an excellent plane.

I don't know how much work would be required to "make weight" with either of these planes on the gas setup. It should be possible as the Syssa weighs only slightly more than a YS 4-stroke, but the actual flying weight should be lower based on the smaller fuel load when using a gasoline engine.