larry cunningham's New Mexico Universal Engine Mounting Syst...

What is this and how much does it cost?

I am thinking of building a U-key 35 and would like to try it with as many different motors as possible - I was going to do this by botlting the motors on a 'standard' 1/8 metal plate which was in turn bolted to the model!

Cheers

I do not know whether these are commercially available. Others who are much more knowledgeable than I might be able to let us know.
After trying unsuccessfully to make them myself out of 2" wide 1/8" aluminum bar stock, I took a dimensioned drawing of what I needed to a local machine shop. With the stock provided by me, I paid $8 a piece for them.
If you want to read about them, see the terrific article by Larry Cunningham called "Constructing Fuselages for Strength" in the March/April 2000 issue of "Stunt News" (pp.46-50).
I decided to try the NMUEMP because I, too, wanted to experiment with different engines on my three reengineered Skyrays that are, after a very long time, nearing completion.
If you decide to try these to be able easily to interchange engines, you will quickly find that you will have to cope with different engine case widths. My solution to this was to size the NMUEMP for the narrowest case in the selection of motors I intend to use. It is relatively easy, then, to then file say 1/32" off of each mounting arm just where the engine case sits in the "U" to accomodate an engine with a wider case.
I hope that this is somewhat helpful.
Peter Hess