Hello,
I have a inverted engine airplane, it's like a GP ultra sport. I have just got it all built up and flying today. One thing I don't like is that fuel is always driping out of the carb. It's bad enough my engine drinks fuel (Magnum .52 XLS) so every little drip waste is a lot.

If I turn the engine to the upright position I won't be able to use the cowl. Unless I move the engine down a little, but then the center line will be off. Will this affect the flying?

-IF- I have to keep the same center line, I don't mind NOT using the cowl, as my engine run how with it on anyway..even with vents.

Will this affect any of the flyability?

I just prefer to fly it engine right-side-up

Thanks,
Dennis

Nope, it'll be fine. Just move the engine down until you like the way it looks and fits.

On a competition grade pattern model you wouldn't get away with moving the thrust line without a lot of other issues cropping up. They would be really small things that are only of concern for the most critical sort of flying. But for general sportflying you'll be fine and not notice anything at all worth mentioning.

Thanks for the insite. While I'm in there I can increase the fuel tank size too! Yay

Watch the tank size. If you make it larger than normal for the engine size you can easily end up with fuel draw problems that make the engine run lean later in the flight. To save it you pretty much need to land and reset the needle. The big amount sloshing around seems to affect the setting as well allowing the engine to run too rich in a dive if it was set up for just right with the nose up. By all means try a bigger one if you want but be sure that you've got a way to switch back if it turns out to be too big and you find you get some problems with it not running evenly or consistently for the entire flight.

It sounds to me like your problem is a fuel tank too high in relation to the carburator position.

I believe most Ultra Sports had the engine mounted with the head in the horizontal position. That would pull the carb up to around the center of the tank or slightly higher.