What is the biggest engine anyone has on a Hobbico Avistar? and what prop is the largest that will fit the plane. I am looking for a inexpensive home for my Saito 82 and I want something that is not boring to fly but could be used for novices if I wanted to get someone up. I am just worried it will never slow down to land!!

The 82 will work fine if you use throttle managment. It will take a little weight in the rear to get it to balance but it should fly pretty good.

Thanks, I was wondering what the plane would need to balance. The Saito is not real heavy, not heavier then a ST gs40? What do you think about prop size? I guess if I tweak the landing gear for a nose up additude and put some bigger tires on it I could make enough room for a decent prop size?

Anyone build this plane in it's ARF form and remove the diehedral? It looks pretty simple in the directions, just make your own, straight, wing joiner? Would it be worth doing?

12x8 is the smallest prop the manufacturer recomends. If you can get enough gear clearance you would do ok. You might go with an 11x10 with richening on the top end, but the plane would be a rocket in the sky. You might have to bend the gear a little bit.

You will also have to modify the wing saddle to acept the flat wing. Also if you are going to do that, make some larger ailerons and larger rudder and elevator. This makes it a really neat plane to fly. The removing the diheadral makes it fly better.