PA40 mounts and other motors

I am currently building an Impact and plan to install a PA40 Pipe motor into the slots. Thinking it may be necessary to install another powerplant with more umph. Can anybody advise me:

What other powerplants fit into the PA40 bolt pattern and or what would recommend for universal mount setup.

I will be ready to assemble the fuselage on the wing in a few days in the jig. Any hints would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Smiley

I think the bolt patter is the same for all the PA engines. The cases could be different enough to cause a few internal problems unless you provide ample interior room for all the various cases.

I've heard or read that the OS .40/.46VF are perfectly good engines for the Impact. The mounting hole pattern is 44.0 mm wide x 17.5 mm long; the face of the prop driver is 52.0 mm from the front mounting holes. Go measure, but I'd be surprised if the PA mounting pattern is different.
Derek Moran

>I am currently building an Impact and plan to install a PA40
>Pipe motor into the slots. Thinking it may be necessary to
>install another powerplant with more umph. Can anybody
>advise me:
>
>What other powerplants fit into the PA40 bolt pattern and or
>what would recommend for universal mount setup.
>
>I will be ready to assemble the fuselage on the wing in a
>few days in the jig. Any hints would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>Bob Smiley

I would tap the mapel motor mounts with the brass 4/40 inserts. Then make a motorpad to fit engine. Then bolt motor pad to maple mounts using the 4/40 lugs you have installed in previous operation.

Robert,

I've been using a CF engine mount of my own design and molding in 4/40 steel inserts (thank you, Small Parts) then using a clamp system that bolts to the inserts. As long as the mounts are wide enough, just about any engine (within reason) will drop in.

Works for me.

The PA 40 is set up so it can fit the mount of the 40/46 VF as well as the Super Tigre. If you use the smaller holes, you are set up for the VF. That said, the PA 40 is more powerful than the 40 VF that Paul originally used in his. If you need more power, the larger PA engines are essentially a drop in fit with the only exception being the height of the head. The big thing here is the pipe, as the larger engines use a pipe that is bigger around. Make your pipe tunnel wide enough to accomodate the wider pipes and you should be all set.

Paul used the small engine because he used a small prop. If you want to use a larger prop (that would be my choice, but you can't argue with Paul's success) then just set it up for the larger pipe and to be able to accomodate the needed fuel capacity of a larger engine.

But first, maybe you should try it with the engine on hand.