ARF Nobler radial mount?

I've seen the discussions about the possibility of using r/c radial mounts on one - has anyone actually done it?

Tony

LAST EDITED ON Feb-18-04 AT 11:07 AM (CDT)
 
Yes, I sawed off the beams flush, then epoxied on a plywood ring to space the new mount a little further forward. I sandwiched two blind nuts between the rings and the firewall for the upper mount bolts, and used two long bolts inserted forward from inside the tank compartment for the lower mount holes. I did all of this to allow for a variety of engine combination experiments. I intend to do a lot of mixing and matching engine and tank combinations, then build them into my second ARF Nobler that currently sits on a shelf.

Bill Groman

Tony and Bill,

The use of RC-type radial mounts on a model like the ARF Nobler makes so much sense I'll bet there were arguments during the design stage as to whether beam mounts or radial mounts would be best.

In my view, tradition and an allegiance to the model as originally designed won out even if functionally the radial mounts are superior.

As it was mentioned there would be much shuffling of various motors in and out of the ARF Nobler, I seem to remember a line of RC radial mounts which feature the same exact bolt pattern on the rear plate while offering different dimensions between the legs in order to accomodate a wide variety of engines. Hayes mounts rings a bell, but you'll need to check...

Do be sure to include a square-head Magnum 36 in your powerplant experiments.

There is a caution when using radial mounts and that is that many times they are not actually flat on the back side. A bit of abrading against gritty sandpaper laid on a flat surface will result in a better installation.