I've got a DuraPlane 40 Trainer. I've been told to drill some holes behind the mount, place some dowl rods thru the fuse and hold the mount with rubber bands:eek:. The book says to attach it with screws through the fuse into the mount. Now, I know the answer is "TAKE OFF THE NOSE WHEEL AND MAKE IT A TAIL DRAGER":D. I don't have a problem with that but let me explain, I believe in "BUILD TO PRINT, FILE TO FIT, PAINT TO MATCH":D . So first we want to build to print. My concern is that localy I will be flying on grass runways. Are the rubber bands going to be able to take the chuck-hole?:eek:

P.S. I've got an os46 FX.

FreeBird

Hey Freebird, how goes it !

The rubberband securing trick is a new one one me, but hey, you can do all kinds of things with rubberbands. If I were you, I'd secure the engine mount with screws or better yet, secure it with blind nuts epoxied in the backside of the firewall and machine screws with washers through the mount.

See ya' at the flyin' field sometime soon,

Jon

The "other" commercial PVC plane, the Sturdy Birdy (got a current Tower Hobbies catalog? see page 38), uses a rubberband mounted firewall. It should work fine for flying, and apparently will "give" in a crash, giving some protection to the engine/mount I suppose. Dunno about using the banding with a nosegear though. Put on enough rubberbands and it probably will handle your chuckholes. Me? I'd just screw mount the firewall/mount as designed.

LK

OK! Thanks for the input, I'm convinced, I'm right (love it when that happens):D "BUILD TO PRINT, FILE TO FIT, PAINT TO MATCH".:p It will go in with screws/blind nuts. Thanks lara, that Sturdy Birdy is a "Tail Drager" and I pointed that out to the person that told me to do this. They shruged and walked away:( , I'm new, but seems to be an inportant differance to me:rolleyes: . So _jon_ I've seen your post about the field not being ready till mid summer, do you really think thats true? I know how wet it is out here. I've been by the field a couple of times this week on my way home, about 5pm, looking to see if anybody is there. Haven't cought any body yet:( .

AGAIN THANKS FOR THE INPUT

FreeBird

That is just a guesstimate on my part freebird, not for sure. Several of us have flown out there, but I believe it's been during the daytime of the week and on the weekends. I have carried my planes across the mud and flew them down by the clubhouse like normal, but Sunday we all flew on the west side of the mud. It was quite a bit different flying like that.

Jon

I agree with_jon_. I'd rather trek through the mud and fly by the club house. But, most of the guys there last Sunday were of the older version. Sometimes you have to make concessions for them. They are our friends after all.