guys I have a problem I know with all of you that have built this airplane and I have read all the mods that have been done. The problem is the engine size here goes.1 I have a converted Ryobi 31cc, 2. I have an DLE 20cc, 3, I have A DLE 30cc. Now I want to keep the airplane as close to the plans as possible with just a few mod like the hatches. With the Ryobi I have to move the fire wall back and put the servos in the tail and taller landing gear. With the DLE 20 I can build it stock. with the DLE 30 I have not read anything with this engine on the airplane. do you move the fire wall back and put the servos in the tail. What I am looking for is an easy Sunday flier I have A giant Stik to rip up the sky. So you see where Iam at I would like some input of what you all think and what were your experiences with the engine of your choices Thanks Michael

You pretty much answered your own question.Stick with the dle20.

You can put the DLE30 on, but might have to cut the sides off the nose to make it fit. You will need to move the elevator servo to the tail to compensate and put a taller gear on. The DLE20 is adequate for this plane, its what I use, but it does limit it in vertical. Putting the DLE30 on will give you all the power you need, but landings will be a bi**h. this plane loves to float and unless you have a long runway, you will be bouncing it in. I put flaperons on mine to help slow it down, and may switch them to spoilerons since I have to slow down with flaps, then switch back to ailerons at the last moment to kill off more lift. I fly off a short runway, so its a beast to land. With a long runway, the landings look graceful and smooth with a 3 pointer, but where I normally fly, the landing usually results in a smack down 2/3rds down. I fly over corn, so you can imagine coming in from 12' or more to land.

I bought a DLE 30 to put on mine, but after looking at all the mods I would need to make decided to keep the 20 on, but if you are in the process of building, the DLE 30 will work just fine without any mods other than clearance of the sides and prop. Invert it too. Somewhere I posted pics of how I setup mine. I built a hatch in the belly by the nose where the batteries and ignition go, and ran the ignition cable out from there to the spark, a lot easy and cleaner that way with the engine inverted. Put the fuel tank on the center line too, and if you want, slap in another servo where the elevator servo mounts for the choke. This can help compensate for the added weight. Better to have live weight than dead weight. I built mine with the servo in the tail so mine was a bit tail heavy with the DLE 20. Mine is in storage right now, or I would get some pics for you .

thanks for the input I am leaning towards the 20 and build it as per the plans and to put a hatch in the bottom by the fire wall and the fuel tank on the CG Just finished up boxing in where the wing joiner goes so the epoxy does not run all over

I built mine with an XYZ 20cc (now the Valley View 20cc) in mind. It's basically a DLE 20. I did clip one bay off each wingtip and did a couple other mods like fully sheeting the turtle deck etc. to make it more pleasing to the eye. The 20cc fits really nice with only a small section cut out for the muffler.

Same here but with the DLE20, and yes they are nearly identical, the XYZ and DLE, but the XYZ has a Walbro carb. Same here, I bought a PITTS style muffle and did a small notch for it to fit.

did you leave the servos in the fuselage or put them in the tail